WNBA legend Lisa Leslie became a household name for basketball fans as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, and as a former team co-owner, she's still invested in both the team and city to this day.

Leslie has paid close attention to her beloved squad and the moves the organization has made since its disappointing 2024 season, and she didn't mince words when expressing her thoughts on L.A.'s 2025 championship chances.

“I don't know if they have all the pieces necessary in terms of, like, winning a championship this year,” Leslie began honestly. “But I think they're building in the right direction when it comes to players.”

Leslie pinpointed the team's latest huge addition, Kelsey Plum, as a crucial key to its success.

“I think Kelsey is a leader. She's a champion and an Olympian,” Leslie bluntly began as she explained her opinion. “When you have a person with that type of pedigree, I don't think it's about her fitting into the Sparks. I think [it's about] how the Sparks fit around Kelsey Plum.”

The two-time WNBA champion elaborated on why Plum's resume and skillset are a difference-maker for the future of the existing squad.

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“I think she really becomes the focal point of the team and a facilitator, whether she plays the one or the two,” Leslie said as she continued to compliment Plum. “Her ability to score the ball but make people around her better, she knows what it looks like to win.

“And there are a lot of young players [on the Sparks]. So, I think, when you think about the experience that those players have, and then you add Kelsey, who — she's fiery, she's a winner, she's a fighter, all of those things — are really pieces that you need to get to a championship caliber team.”

L.A. limped to an 8-32 finish last season, placing the team last in the W for 2024.  The franchise made a blockbuster trade in the offseason to land Plum from the Las Vegas Aces, which looks to have paid off so far in its lone preseason game, an 83-82 win over the Golden State Valkyries.

The Sparks will have a chance to bounce back from last campaign in the 2025 regular-season opener when they host the Valkyries in a rematch on May 16.