When Kelsey Plum opted to go away the Las Vegas Aces and be part of the Los Angeles Sparks in free company, she was taking a threat. Plum, a three-time WNBA All-Star, had already received two WNBA championships with the Aces and established herself as one of many league’s elite guards.
Within the offseason, she opted to affix one in every of final 12 months’s least aggressive groups, with the data that she’d nearly instantly change into a No. 1 possibility. However, although it’s nonetheless early days in Los Angeles, Plum has already showcased that she’s able to a good greater load. She opened up the season with a 37-point, 6-assist, 5-steal efficiency, wherein she shot 11-19 from the sector, 4-6 from three, and 11-11 from the road.
And, by 5 video games, Plum is the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging 24.8 factors per, and taking pictures 43.2% from three. She’s additionally presently seventh within the league in assists per recreation (5.6 per evening) and third in steals, with 2.4 steals an evening.
The Sparks are 2-3 to begin the season, and might want to tally extra wins for Plum to really be an MVP candidate.
Napheesa Collier presently seems to be the MVP frontrunner, averaging a league-best 29.5 factors per recreation on 56.2% taking pictures and 53.9% from three en path to a 4-0 begin to the season.
However, Plum will proceed to be within the combine as long as the Sparks discover a technique to win.
“I need to win so unhealthy,” Plum mentioned after the Sparks’ blowout win over the Chicago Sky. “I hate dropping. It makes me sick. No matter this group wants.”
The return of younger standouts Rae Burrell (leg damage), Rickea Jackson (concussion), and Cameron Brink (ACL tear restoration) — all of whom are anticipated to come back again this season — ought to assist. To this point this 12 months, Azura Stevens (17 factors) and Dearica Hamby (16.8 factors) have led the supporting solid.
However, because the season opener, Plum has proven that she’s very a lot able to being the pinnacle of the snake — and that she might be up there with a number of the league’s high gamers.
