Kelsey Plum Looks Like a Surefire First-Time All-Star; But What Else?
“She’s hungry. Every award she left on the table last year, she’s going to get it this year.” — Riquna Williams
If there were a sequence that tells the story of how transcendent Kelsey Plum has been to start the 2022 WNBA season, perhaps one such moment from her third quarter takeover against the Connecticut Sun from Jun. 2 told it best.
Utilizing her speed in a drag screen with A’ja Wilson, Plum, in a blink, was able to blow by both DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones’ drop coverage before stretching to keep a finger roll just out of reach of the 6-foot-6 forward.
Catching the ball out of the net, Jones, a two-time All-Defensive Teamer, shared a long look with Bonner, each of the two shrugging their shoulders mutually, as if to say, “What can you do about that?”
The two of them certainly aren’t the only ones Plum has forced to entertain the question this season. 12 games into the Aces’ redemption tour, Plum’s offense has teetered somewhere between unstoppable and — in some cases — historic. To illustrate:
▪ The list of players to hit 100 3-pointers in a single WNBA season? Just one: Diana Taurasi, in 2006 and 2018. Without even leading the WNBA in 3-point attempts, she’s on pace to join her on that ultra-exclusive list. In 12 games, she’s connected on a whopping 40 of them, which, extrapolated over a 36-game season, would put her at No. 2 all-time with 120 makes.*
▪ Plum is currently No. 3 in fourth quarter scoring, a sometimes-defining mark between very good and truly great players. It’s all the more remarkable when you consider that the Aces’ 11.8 net rating is second-best in the WNBA. Meaning: in most cases, games are close to being all but decided by then. The No. 3 mark in plus-minus over 400 minutes is also eye-catching. This also goes without being the three times she barked at Tom Brady, who sat courtside in the Aces-Sun duel.
▪ Plum is No. 2 in total points per game behind only Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever — another should-be first-time All-Star this season. It’s all the more remarkable when you consider that the Aces are threatening to have the highest-scoring starting lineup in WNBA history. Becky Hammon’s offense and pace has allowed every starter to eat, with four different players claiming the top scorer role over their 12-game start.
(All statistics accurate as of Jun. 9, 2022.*)
This much we knew. Plum, for most, probably jumped on every fan’s radar with her historic 57-point masterpiece at The University of Washington some five years back. But, even to those who recall watching her during a somewhat-rocky rookie season with the San Antonio Stars, it was clear that the potential was always there. Now, in Year Five and in an elite situation, one could make the case that she’s been the premier offensive talent in the WNBA thus far.
Among the biggest reasons why: passing. As noted in that aforementioned bullet, she’s the second-ranked scorer across the WNBA, but she’s also *checks notes* No. 4 in total assists. Other than Mitchell, no other player in the W sits among the top 10 in each. Plum’s growth in that area has been the talk of the town for many; when Aces owner Mark Davis made Becky Hammon the first WNBA coach to exceed $1 million this past offseason, Hammon wasn’t wasteful with time in making good on that investment. Her message to Plum? She’d be the “hardest guard in the league” because of her passing ability.
The Athletic’s Tashan Reed went into further detail of how Plum went into processing when to pass, when to shoot, and the best ways to do it. In their 89–81 win over the Sun on May 31, ESPN’s LaChina Robinson hit on it too during the broadcast, elaborating on how before this year, the talented guard didn’t even see these sorts of passing angles, but film and Hammon’s urging helped propel her to a different level.
The results have come at the same speed it takes Plum to get from one end of the floor to another: lightning-quick.
The scoring clips there are just exciting, with a potent mix of effortless on-ball scoring and off-ball IQ, headlined by that signature stop-and-go and snatch-back dribble.
It feels noteworthy that when Plum, Wilson, and fellow should-be first-time All-Star Jackie Young were asked if they were having more fun this year, Plum was the first to answer with a resounding “Hell yeah,” given that they were a 24-win team and title favorite. But, they’ve somehow upped last year’s frenetic pace, looked even more formidable, and — if not for an odd, early-season scheduling woe — could be even better. Depth looks to be a question, but that’s a different story for a different day.
Defensively, the numbers aren’t bad, either, with Plum using that focus in being the “best conditioned athlete in the league” on both ends of the floor. Opponents are shooting 41.1 percent from the field against her, and his 30.6 percent from 3-point range per WNBA.com. It helps that this team has Wilson, an all-encompassing defender and perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate along both the paint and the perimeter, but the team as a whole has been special; it shouldn’t come as a surprise if one of the All-Star lineups next month looks similar to, well, this.
To that, we circle back to Riquna Williams’ comment about Plum going to get every award she left on the table last year. As the reigning Player of the Week, she’s played to, at the very least, Most Valuable Player and All-WNBA Team consideration, and she feels like an All-Star lock with everything coming full circle.
At the very least, the one award we can certainly cross out is the Sixth Woman of the Year for more than one reason, most notably, though, one four-letter word in particular. Though, with her speed and unlimited energy, almost no accomplishment feels too difficult to catch.