Kelsey Plum facts for kids
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Plum with the Las Vegas Aces in 2019
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| No. 10 – Las Vegas Aces | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Point guard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 24, 1994 Poway, California, U.S. |
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| High school | La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, California) |
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| Listed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 145 lb (66 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Washington (2013–2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the San Antonio Stars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2017–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–present | San Antonio Stars / Las Vegas Aces | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Galatasaray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Arkansas (graduate assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kelsey Christine Plum (born August 24, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. She plays for the Las Vegas Aces in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Kelsey has won two WNBA championships in a row, in 2022 and 2023.
In 2022, she was chosen for the All-WNBA First Team and was named the WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP). She also won gold medals in 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics and in 5x5 basketball at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Kelsey went to La Jolla Country Day School for high school. She then played college basketball at the University of Washington. On February 25, 2017, Kelsey scored 57 points in one game. This broke the record for the most points ever scored in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. She finished her college career with 3,397 points. On March 20, 2017, she also broke the NCAA record for points in a single season with 1,080.
The San Antonio Stars picked her first overall in the 2017 WNBA draft. In 2021, she was named the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year. Kelsey is known for being strong and smart on the court.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Kelsey Plum was born to Katie and Jim Plum. Her mom was a great volleyball player at the University of California, Davis. Her dad was an All-American football player in high school and played football and baseball in college.
Kelsey has two older sisters and a younger brother. Her sisters, Kaitlyn and Lauren, both played volleyball like their mom. Kaitlyn played for UC Davis, and Lauren played for the University of Oregon and the USA Junior National Team. Her brother, Daniel, played football at UC Davis.
Kelsey first played volleyball and was very good at it. But when she started high school, she chose to play basketball instead. She went to La Jolla Country Day School, where famous player Candice Wiggins also played.
High School Basketball Career
During her time in high school, Kelsey Plum scored a total of 2,247 points. She averaged almost 20 points per game. She also had 677 rebounds, 381 assists, and 370 steals.
Her team had a great record of 103 wins and 22 losses over four years. They won four section titles and the 2012 CIF Division IV state championship. Kelsey also played for the San Diego Sol AAU basketball team.
In 2013, Kelsey was chosen for the WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team. She played in the 2013 WBCA High School All-America Game, scoring 14 points.
When it was time for college, Kelsey picked the University of Washington. She was also named a McDonald's All-American. This meant she got to play in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Girls Game. She was also named Ms. Basketball by CalHiSports, which is given to the best female high school basketball player in California.
College Basketball Journey
Freshman Year at Washington
After helping the USA basketball team win a gold medal, Kelsey went straight to Seattle. She started summer classes and got to know her team. Her coach, Mike Neighbors, saw how eager she was. He made her team captain, which is rare for a freshman.
In her freshman year, she set six new records for Washington freshmen. She scored the most points ever by a freshman (695). Her 38 points in one game was also a freshman record. She was named Freshman of the Year for the Pac-12. She averaged almost 21 points per game.
A big moment was when her team beat the fourth-ranked team, Stanford. Kelsey was the top scorer with 23 points.
Sophomore Year Highlights
Washington started the season against Oklahoma. They lost 90–80, but Kelsey set a new school record with 45 points. In her second year, she was on the "Wade Watch" list. This list includes 25 players who might win player of the year awards. She was also considered for the Wooden Award.
Kelsey helped the Washington Huskies get into the NCAA Tournament. They played against Miami, coached by Katie Meier, who had been Kelsey's coach on the USA Basketball U19 team. Kelsey scored 17 points, but Miami won 86–80.
Junior Year Success
From January 11–17, Kelsey was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week and the Pac-12 Player of the Week. She scored 25.9 points per game, ranking first in the Pac-12 and fourth in the nation.
Kelsey also led the Huskies on an amazing run in the NCAA Tournament. They reached the Final Four for the first time in their history. However, they lost to Syracuse Orange 80–59.
Senior Year Records
In her senior year, Kelsey became the all-time leading scorer in Pac-12 history. She passed Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike on December 11, 2016. The next month, she became the first Pac-12 player and 12th NCAA Division I women's player to reach 3,000 career points.
On February 25, 2017, Kelsey scored a Pac-12 record 57 points in a win against Utah. This also broke the NCAA Division I women's basketball career scoring record. She ended her college career with 3,527 points.
Kelsey led her Washington Huskies to a 29–6 record. They made it to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament. She averaged 31.7 points, shooting 53 percent from the field. She was named an Associated Press All-American First Teamer. She also won the AP Player of the Year award, the Nancy Lieberman Award, and the Dawn Staley Award. Kelsey graduated from Washington in June 2017 with a degree in anthropology.
Professional Basketball Career
WNBA Journey
Kelsey Plum was the first player picked in the 2017 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Stars. This was special because the first picks in both the NBA and WNBA drafts that year were from the same school, the University of Washington.
Kelsey played her first WNBA game on May 25, 2017. She scored 4 points. On August 5, 2017, she scored a career-high 23 points. She was named to the All-Rookie Team.
In 2018, the San Antonio Stars moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, and became the Las Vegas Aces. Kelsey improved her stats in 2018, helping the Aces win more games.
In 2019, the Aces made the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Kelsey played a big role, scoring double-digits in points during the playoffs. The Aces reached the semi-finals but lost to the Washington Mystics.
In 2020, Kelsey signed a new contract with the Aces. However, she missed the entire 2020 season due to an Achilles tendon injury and surgery. Without her, the Aces still made it to the WNBA Finals but lost.
In 2021, Kelsey returned and had a fantastic year coming off the bench. She averaged 14.8 points and won the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award. She also finished second for the WNBA Most Improved Player award.
In 2022, Kelsey became a starter and had career highs in points, assists, and rebounds. She averaged 20.2 points and 5.1 assists. She was chosen for her first All-Star team and was voted a starter. On July 10, Kelsey won the All-Star MVP award by scoring 30 points. She helped the Aces win their first championship in team history!
In 2023, Kelsey helped the Aces win their second WNBA championship in a row.
Playing Overseas
Fenerbahçe
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In 2017, Kelsey played for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. She helped the team win the KBSL championship title. She returned for the 2018–19 season and helped them win another championship and the Turkish Women's Basketball Cup.
Galatasaray
In January 2022, she signed with Galatasaray, another team in Turkey. In 6 games, she averaged 26.5 points.
Unrivaled League
In 2024, it was announced that Kelsey would play in Unrivaled. This is a new women's 3x3 basketball league started by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. However, in late 2024, Kelsey announced she would not play in the 2025 season to take more time for herself.
National Team Career
U19 Team (2013)
Kelsey was part of the USA Basketball U19 team in 2013. The team played in the FIBA U19 World Championship in Lithuania. They won all nine games and took home the gold medal.
Pan American Team (2015)
Kelsey was chosen for the twelve-player team representing the US at the Basketball at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. The team won their first three games. In the semi-final, they beat Cuba in a very close game. In the gold-medal game, the US played against Canada. Canada won the game 81–73, and the US team earned a silver medal.
2020 Summer Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, Kelsey Plum won a gold medal in 3x3 basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
2024 Summer Olympics
In June 2024, Kelsey was named to the US women's Olympic team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. She played alongside her Aces teammates, Chelsea Gray, A'ja Wilson, and Jackie Young. Kelsey and the United States team defeated France 67–66 in the final. This earned her first 5x5 gold medal and the United States’ eighth gold medal in a row.
Career Statistics
WNBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | San Antonio | 31 | 23 | 22.9 | .346 | .365 | .870 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 8.5 |
| 2018 | Las Vegas | 31 | 27 | 25.5 | .467 | .439 | .875 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 9.5 |
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 34 | 30 | 25.5 | .365 | .357 | .872 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 8.6 |
| 2020 | Did not play (injury) | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 26 | 0 | 25.6 | .437 | .386 | .944° | 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 14.8 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 36 | 36 | 32.8 | .460 | .420 | .839 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 20.2 |
| 2023† | Las Vegas | 39 | 39 | 32.4 | .475 | .389 | .912 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 18.7 |
| 2024 | Las Vegas | 38 | 38 | 34.0 | .423 | .368 | .866 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 17.8 |
| Career | 7 years, 1 team | 235 | 193 | 28.8 | .432 | .390 | .882 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 14.3 |
| All-Star | 3 | 1 | 18.9 | .650 | .522 | 1.000 | 1.7 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 23.0 | |
WNBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 5 | 3 | 35.0 | .492 | .529 | 1.000° | 4.8 | 7.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 15.2 |
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 5 | 0 | 28.8 | .471 | .387 | .909 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 19.6 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 10 | 10 | 33.3 | .409 | .286 | .891 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 17.1 |
| 2023† | Las Vegas | 9 | 9 | 36.8 | .417 | .403 | .875 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 3.1 | 18.3 |
| 2024 | Las Vegas | 6 | 6 | 33.0 | .461 | .359 | .778 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 16.3 |
| Career | 5 years, 1 team | 35 | 28 | 33.7 | .439 | .369 | .880 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 17.4 |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Washington | 34 | 34 | 37.3 | 39.3 | 36.7 | 84.6 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 20.9 |
| 2014–15 | Washington | 33 | 33 | 36.8 | 43.2 | 39.9 | 89.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 22.6 |
| 2015–16 | Washington | 37 | 37 | 38.2 | 40.5 | 33.3 | 89.0 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 4.3 | 25.9 |
| 2016–17 | Washington | 35 | 35 | 37.2 | 52.9 | 42.8 | 88.7 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 31.7* |
| Career | 139 | 139 | 37.4 | 44.3 | 38.2 | 88.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 25.4 | |
Personal Life and Interests
Kelsey Plum was married to American football player Darren Waller.
Even though she is of Irish background, some people call Kelsey the "Puerto Rican Princess." She has accepted this nickname.
Kelsey is a Christian. Her only tattoo is on her right forearm and says "Keep the faith." She has shared that this tattoo helped her through a tough time.
Kelsey has also been involved in helping others through charity work.
Broadcasting Work
Kelsey first worked as a sports analyst on January 17, 2020. She helped broadcast a women's basketball game for Pac-12 Network.
Mental Health Advocacy
Kelsey Plum is an advocate for mental health. She speaks out to help others understand and deal with mental health challenges.
Awards and Honors
- 2013—CalHiSports Ms. Basketball
- 2013—WBCA High School Coaches' All-America Team
- 2013—McDonald's All-America team
- 2016—WBCA NCAA Div. 1 All-America team
- 2017—NCAA all-time women's basketball leading scorer
- 2017—espnW national player of the year
- 2017—unanimous pick on the espnW All-America first team
- 2017—unanimous pick on the AP All-America first team
- 2017—USBWA All-America team
- 2017—AP women's basketball player of the year
- 2017—Dawn Staley Award
- 2017—The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as USBWA national player of the year
- 2017—Naismith Trophy
- 2017—Nancy Lieberman Award
- 2017—WBCA NCAA Div. 1 All-America team
- 2017—Wade Trophy
- 2017—John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year
- 2017—Honda Sports Award
- 2022—WNBA All-Star Game MVP
See also
In Spanish: Kelsey Plum para niños
