Plum is originally from Poway, Calif., which is just minutes away from San Diego, and attended high school in the affluent San Diego neighborhood of La Jolla, so joining the Sparks has been something of a homecoming for her. She played college basketball at Washington, where she led Division I with an average of 31.7 points a game.

The Las Vegas Aces' decision to move star guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks via a blockbuster three-team trade in late January dramatically changed not only the WNBA landscape, but also the Sparks' 2025 season outlook.

It was a special moment.” .@julie35vanloo FEELING IT on opening night with 3 straight threes! pic.twitter.com/vKFqSnBMuw — Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 17, 2025 It didn’t matter that the Valkyries still trailed by six in the third quarter.