Kelsey Plum Provides More Than WNBA Draft Pick Potential for Los Angeles Sparks

Potential has a way of tantalizing sports fans. However, most prospects don't turn into proven commodities — which is exactly what the Los Angeles Sparks acquired in Kelsey Plum.

Parting ways with the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA Draft as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Plum from the Las Vegas Aces to the Sparks couldn't have been an easy decision. Especially since the likes of Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles could still be available if she indeed declares (Miles does have another year of college eligibility). However, lamenting that possibility ignores what LA is guaranteed to receive.

Plum is not only a 2x WNBA champion but has made three All-Star teams and earned an All-WNBA First Team selection in 2022. And while she may be 30 years old, there's no reason to believe Plum is not still in her prime.

Plum is coming off a season where she averaged 17.8 points per game while being far from the first option on the Aces. Though it could be argued that she benefitted from the attention A'ja Wilson and others drew, it's just as easy to say she could thrive more with a larger share of the offensive load, as Plum has generally scored efficiently and shot the ball well from beyond the arc in her WNBA career.

Remember, Plum was once the number one overall pick in the draft herself. She recently was honored for her time at the University of Washington by having her jersey retired, as it seems many forget she held the all-time scoring record in NCAA Division I women's college basketball before Caitlin Clark broke it.

All of the above doesn't even take into consideration her star power. Plum is one of the more recognizable players in the league and seems like a natural fit for Los Angeles. What she can bring to the Sparks as the face of the franchise certainly supports her value exceeding what was sent out from a business perspective.

On the basketball side, she adds a veteran star guard presence to a promising young core. This is probably why she has reportedly indicated a desire to remain with the Sparks long-term. It's hard to fathom the Sparks remaining near the bottom of the league with Plum playing alongside Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby, and others.

So while it's easy to get lost in the prospects of potential, this ignores what Plum has proven to provide. Perhaps she will use this fresh start with the Sparks to remind WNBA fans who she is.