Aces Reporter Reveals Why Kelsey Plum Leaving Team Seems to Be 'Most Likely Scenario'
Much of the WNBA offseason chatter to this point has surrounded longtime Las Vegas Aces superstar Kelsey Plum.
Several WNBA reporters have indicated that Plum could be heading to a new team in the next few weeks, despite the Aces having extended her a core qualifying offer (a fully guaranteed one-year contract that's worth the maximum salary for which the player is eligible) over the weekend.
The Aces designation on Plum means she can only re-sign with them in free agency. However, if she truly wants to leave, she can negotiate a sign-and-trade with Las Vegas, which means she'll get traded to a new franchise upon re-signing. This would give the Aces a chance to receive something in return for Plum.
This potential outcome has fans clamoring to know not only where her most likely destination is, but whether she'll want to leave in the first place. And Callie Fin (who is a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal) discussed this during a January 13 episode of NBC Sports' On Her Turf show.
"It does seem like the most likely scenario is that Kelsey Plum would move on from the Aces," Fin said. "You mentioned that she did not sign an extension... and Kelsey was offered an extension and declined."
She later added, "When it comes to somebody like Kelsey Plum, she's coming off a difficult personal year and she has emphasized that she wants to take time for herself, which is why she said she pulled out of Unrivaled. So... we're not in a position to ask her directly, and that would be the best indicator here.
"But of course, you mentioned my reporting, I can pull and cite a few quotes that imply that... the Aces are working to find a situation where 'everybody's happy'... in regards to Kelsey Plum's situation," Fin added.
Callie Fin talks about Kelsey Plum most likely leaving the Aces based on her sources. Vindication @robinlundberg pic.twitter.com/34ge8DKayH
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) January 14, 2025
This is yet another indication that Plum could be headed to a new WNBA franchise this winter.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.