RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. In January 2025, the Las Vegas Aces dealt Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks after the five-time All-Star guard requested a trade.
Last summer, Plum told Sue Bird that she wanted to leave Las Vegas, where she'd won two championships on a dynastic team, because she wanted to challenge herself to "impact winning at the highest level" outside of that cocoon.
It didn't go as planned in Los Angeles. While Plum was excellent in a Sparks jersey, averaging 20.5 points in 55 games across the past two seasons, the team want 28-27 in games Plum played. Los Angeles' playoff drought figures to extend to six years at the conclusion of this season.
Plum now has a chance to be the piece that puts the Phoenix Mercury over the top. The WNBA trade deadline came and went over the weekend, and Plum was the headliner. The Sparks traded Plum to Phoenix in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2028 second-round draft pick.
Plum bid farewell to Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 2.
"Los Angeles! Thank you for embracing me these last two years," Plum captioned an Instagram carousel . "You made this city feel like home. To the Sparks organization, my teammates, coaches, and the fans, thank you for everything. I’ll always be grateful for my time here. Phoenix, I can’t wait to get to The Valley. Let’s get it! [purple heart emoji, orange heart emoji]"
Plum has been limited to 12 games so far this season due to an ankle sprain and a separate lower leg injury, the latter of which sidelining her since late June. Plum has averaged 23.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds this season.
The Sparks sit at 11-17, and the Mercury are 11-19, so it's not an upgrade on paper. The odds are against Plum helping the Mercury squeak into the playoffs this season. But even if that's the case, the organization and roster are in much better shape than the Sparks, so Plum could choose to re-sign in Phoenix in the offseason with sights set on bolstering a team that was in the WNBA Finals less than one year ago.
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