The Sparks dropped a tough game against the Mercury on the road, and Kelsey Plum took responsibility for the loss.

Plum is originally from Poway, Calif., which is just minutes away from San Diego, and attended high school in the affluent San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla, so joining the Sparks has been something of a homecoming for her. She played college basketball at Washington, where she led Division I with an average of 31.7 points a game.

Kelsey Plum poured in 37 points, five steals and six assists in the Sparks' 84-67 season-opening win over the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night — nearly mi