Professional basketball players rarely achieve the level of success that Kelsey Plum has reached. With a collection of All-American honours, WNBA Championship, and Olympic gold medals, Plum stands as one of her generation's most accomplished women's players.
Kelsey Plum's Rise in Basketball: From Early Years to College Success
Plum was born to a family with a strong athletic background. Her parents, Katie and Jim Plum, were both college sports stars in volleyball and football. Kelsey also showed a great interest in sports from a young age and started by pursuing volleyball. Having excelled in the USA Volleyball junior system, she transitioned to basketball during high school.
In her time at the University of Washington, Plum became a star in women's college basketball. In 2017, she became the highest-scoring player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history, totalling 3,527 points. She also set a new single-season NCAA scoring record by scoring an impressive 1,109 points that season, earning her Player of the Year and All-American honours.
Kelsey Plum's Rise in the WNBA
Plum seamlessly translated her college promise to the WNBA when the San Antonio Stars selected her as the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft. After being named the league's Rookie of the Year, the team relocated and became the Las Vegas Aces.
With the Aces, Plum established herself as one of the league's premier players although an Achilles tendon injury ruled her out of the 2020 season. She returned with a bang in 2021, posting career-high numbers and earning the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award.
The point guard enjoyed an even better 2022 as she played a key role in the Aces' first WNBA title and was named All-Star MVP following her first All-Star team selection. In 2023, the Aces retained their crown, becoming the first team in over two decades to win back-to-back WNBA championships.
During her off-seasons, the American star ventured overseas and helped Fenerbahçe to the Turkish Super League title in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. She also had a stint with the Istanbul-based team Galatasaray in early 2022.
Kelsey Plum's Triumphs with the US National Team
The 1.73m-tall shooting star has also earned success on the global stage. Plum first helped the United States win the gold medal at Lithuania's 2013 U19 World Championship.
She has continued her success at senior level. Plum was part of USA's triumphant 2018 FIBA World Cup squad before leading her nation to 3x3 Basketball gold at Tokyo 2020.
In 2022, she helped Team USA retain their FIBA World Cup crown in Australia.