Kelsey Plum Reveals Reason She Joined Los Angeles Sparks From Las Vegas Aces

Kelsey Plum got. honest about why she joined the Los Angeles Sparks this offseason.

Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) warms up before game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

One of the biggest moves of the WNBA offseason was longtime Las Vegas Aces star guard Kelsey Plum getting traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-team trade that also sent former Seatthe Storm star Jewell Loyd to the Aces and the No. 2 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft (which ended up being French sensation Dominique Malonga) to the Storm.

While this was a trade rather than Plum signing through free agency, it seems clear that she had a say in which franchise she was going to get traded to.

And Plum spoke about this change of scenery in an April 27 article from the Los Angeles Times.

“With all due respect, we finished last last year, so everything that we did last year was thrown out the window,” Plum said of the Sparks in the article. “I was brought here for a reason.”

She later added, “It’s the turn of a new leaf in a lot of different ways, in leadership and investment in the franchise. That’s why I decided to come here.”

It's interesting to hear Plum say that she decided to come to Los Angeles because of a shift in the team's culture, ownership, and investment.

Plum joins a roster that includes young players like Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink. She also gets to team up with All-Star forward Dearica Hamby again, with whom she spent time on the Aces.

It will be very interesting to see how the Sparks perform this season and whether they can compete for a spot in the WNBA playoffs. Plum heading there certainly adds a level of legitimacy to a franchise that has struggled to find a footing ever since Candace Parker left in 2020.