Exclusive: WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum Talks To Prep Network About the Future of Girls Basketball
Anwar Stetson
From a Rookie to a Vet
LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum was the first pick of the 2017 WNBA Draft after a stellar collegiate career at the University of Washington and prep career at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego. It feels like just yesterday that the former McDonald’s All-American took the WNBA by storm as the leader of a new generation of superstars.
But the high school and college landscape has changed significantly since Plum wowed Southern California crowds in her high school days. With the growth and expansion of tournaments, sponsorships, and NIL deals at the high school level, the life of a growing amateur athlete is a lot different now than it was even a decade ago.
Now in her prime as a championship-winning veteran, Plum had a chance to connect recently with some of the best prep girls hoopers in the country at All-Star weekend. She spoke to Prep Network about what she sees in the next generation of women’s basketball.
“You’re like a GOAT. You’ve accomplished so much.” Jordyn Palmer spoke in awe of Plum when the two sat together and hosted a podcast for OT Select during WNBA All-Star weekend. Some of the best girls hoopers in basketball had the rare chance to pick her brain about what it’s like to make it to the top. The student-athletes asked her about her growth as a person, the most rewarding parts of her basketball journey, and her favorite “meme” of herself in the multiple clips that have been posted online.
The Game’s in Great Hands
Fast forward to this week, and Plum, referred to affectionately as “KP” or “Plum Dawg”, warms up before a match with the Connecticut Sun in Los Angeles. After a tough start, the LA Sparks are surging, having won eight of their last nine games. The 5’8” point guard is playing some of the best basketball of her career, leading an explosive offense that has broken records for scoring this season. Her game exemplifies the modern hooper: all-around scoring, confidence, and deep range from beyond the arc.
Top-ranked athletes like GG Banks, Tatianna Griffin, Jordyn Palmer, Kaleena Smith, and Aaliah Spaight have put the hoops world on notice with a dazzling game reminiscent of Plum herself. But KP says it’s the girls’ maturity off the court that impresses her the most.
“I was blown away, they’re so mature,” Plum told Prep Network on Thursday. “They’re so passionate and motivated. It was really inspiring to be honest. I walked away being like ‘wow, the game’s in great hands.’
The four-time All-Star glowed as she heaped compliments on the young athletes.
“Each of them were so insightful. Their answers, just their vision for themselves and how they’ll get to the next level, who they want to be, how they’re going to get there…I’m big fans of all of them.”
It’s high praise from one of the most competitive athletes in today’s game. Earlier this year, when asked if she was more motivated this season, she answered, “I’ve been on a mission since I came out the womb.” But if on-the-court production is any indication of motivation, today’s athletes are just as determined as the San Diego native has been her whole life.
“They’re, like, so confident,” Plum continued. “They’re not afraid. I see what they do, how they play…they emulate their games out of, kind of like, a new generation…very skilled, all super athletic, very dynamic, can score at all three levels, and just competitive. To me, I think it’s really exciting to watch them. I’m excited wherever they go to college, I’ll be following [them].”
Read About Some of the Best AAU Girls Hoopers Below
Cash Rules Everything Around Me
The landscape of youth sports has changed drastically in just a few short years. Before Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals became legal in 2021, athletes were unable to profit from the multi-billion-dollar college and high school sports industries. Some pundits and fans criticized the idea that youth athletes could ever be paid, arguing that an athletic scholarship and the privilege to play were enough.
But the proliferation of NIL has tremendously benefited players, especially in women’s basketball. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese reportedly raked in millions of dollars in college NIL deals. Their current WNBA salaries aren’t even a fraction of what they made at their universities.
Now, even teens are getting a chance to profit from their hard work on the court. Future hall-of-famer Candace Parker passed the proverbial torch to Kaleena Smith late last year, when she signed 16-year-old Kaleena Smith to the first-ever girls basketball NIL deal with Adidas.
Read About Kaleena “Special K” Smith
Recently, Atlanta Dream star Allisha Gray appeared on the comedic Club 520 Podcast. The hosts asked her what she would’ve done if NIL deals existed when she was in college.
“I would have used the money nicely,” she answered jovially. “Man, I would be dressed, rolling up in Ferraris and all that…”
Plum offered a bit more measured response for the next generation.
“For sure, I would’ve made good money,” she told Prep Network. “But I’m really happy for them. I think it’s great. I think they should be paid. I hope they spend it wisely, and save a lot, and invest. I think it’s really cool. Even the high school kids getting paid and doing stuff like that just [shows] how far the game has come, and to me, that brings a lot of joy.”
Since her time at La Jolla Country Day School, Kelsey Plum has been bringing fans a ton of joy on the hardwood. Though she thinks the next generation is in “great hands”, as women’s basketball has exploded in popularity, the student athletes themselves are in great hands when they get a chance to soak in the knowledge of a great that came before them.