Kelsey Plum & Candace Parker Disagree on Footwear

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It did not take long, but we had our first fiery debate of the new WNBA season. Some speculated it was only a matter of time before new Las Vegas Aces teammates Kelsey Plum and Candace Parker butted heads, and it has happened.
Luckily it was nothing serious. During an in-game interview with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Plum poked fun at Parker for wearing white socks with black sneakers. You can watch Plum's deadpan delivery in the tweet below.
"Candace Parker, she's wearing all-black shoes with white socks. Which is like, criminal."
— espnW (@espnW) May 20, 2023
— @Kelseyplum10, everyone 😂 pic.twitter.com/sNCQyquq1j
The fashion faux pas gave rise to debate on social media. Is it acceptable to style white socks with black sneakers? To be fair, context matters. The Aces were wearing their white uniforms. The WNBA and Nike have rules for matching uniforms, apparel, and accessories.
So, the issue is more about Parker's choice of footwear. The veteran forward is a signature adidas athlete with her own sneaker line and chose to go with a black pair of kicks.
Meanwhile, Plum signed a footwear and apparel deal with Under Armour in October 2022. The Maryland-based brand made Plum the face of their quickly-growing women's basketball roster. So it would not be surprising if the All-Star point guard received a signature sneaker line in the future.
As for Saturday's game, Las Vegas dominated the Seattle Storm 105-64 in their season opener. The addition of Parker to the reigning champions' roster could result in a lot of lop-sided games (and good sneaker debates) throughout the season.
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Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. As a leading voice in footwear journalism, he breaks news, spotlights important stories, and interviews the biggest names in sports. Previously, Pat has reported on the NBA and authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)." You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.
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