Aces' Kelsey Plum Agrees to New Contract 1 Week After Winning WNBA All-Star Game MVP
July 17, 2022
The Las Vegas Aces announced Sunday they have signed Kelsey Plum to a contract extension:
Las Vegas Aces @LVAcesπ£ππ¨π πππͺπ ππ¦ π¦π§ππ¬ππ‘π ππ‘ π©ππππ¦! β¦οΈβ οΈ<br><br>π’πππππππ: The Las Vegas Aces organization is excited to announce the contract extension of All-Star guard Kelsey Plum.<a href="https://twitter.com/Kelseyplum10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kelseyplum10</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ALLIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ALLIN</a>
Rachel Galligan of Just Women's Sports reported it's a two-year extension for the guard, who was set to become a free agent at the end of the year.
Plum is in the midst of a breakout season, averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, all career highs. She earned her first All-Star selection and was named the game's MVP after scoring 30 points for Team Wilson.
The former Washington star is the all-time leading scorer at the Division I collegiate level and won a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in three-on-three basketball.
The 5'8" guard struggled with consistency early in her WNBA career after being selected No. 1 overall in 2017. She averaged 8.9 points per game in her first three seasons while shooting 38.9 percent from the field. It took coming off the bench in 2021 for the talented player to respond with 14.8 points per game.
Now in her fifth season, the 27-year-old has become one of the league's brightest stars and currently ranks second in the WNBA in scoring behind only Breanna Stewart.
"Kelsey Plum is a generational talent, and one of the hardest working athletes I have ever known," general manager Natalie Williams said in a statement. "Her preparation and work ethic are second to none. Kelsey has the ability to impact the game in so many facets, and with the great mentorship of Coach Becky Hammon, she is proving herself to be one the best guards in the WNBA. We are thrilled to re-sign her, and strengthen our incredibly talented core group."
The Aces entered Sunday with a 17-7 record, second-best in the WNBA, and have one of the top cores in the league with fellow All-Stars A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Dearica Hamby.