Kelsey Plum’s Mercury Debut Was Everything Phoenix Could Have Hoped For
The Phoenix Mercury was the only team that made a big splash at the trade deadline, sending Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Sparks for Kelsey Plum. It’s a big swing, considering that the Mercury could win most of their last 13 games and still not make the playoffs and Plum will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Given last season’s success and how much other teams have been losing this season, Phoenix won’t have the greatest lottery odds, but giving up a potential top-five pick and their only intriguing young player for what could be a 14-game rental is still a risk. However, if Plum re-signs in the offseason, the Mercury will have a brief window to build a championship contender around her, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper—brief because all three are already over 30, and Copper will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028.
The rest of the season has to be all about showing Plum that this team can be successful and make a real run in a full season with its new big three. Her debut—a 106-101 win against the Chicago Sky— is a great start.
Plum played well in her Mercury debut
Plum was still on a minutes restriction, but that didn’t stop her from filling up the stat sheet. She finished with 20 points on 6-10 shooting from the field and 3-5 from deep, 1 rebound, and 4 assists in 21 minutes off the bench. Kahleah Copper was the only Mercury player who scored more, and Alyssa Thomas was the only one who dished out more assists.
Plum added self-creation and offensive creativity that Phoenix has lacked all season long after Satou Sabally left for New York. She also looked great in the two-man game with Alyssa Thomas, whether it was in pick-and-rolls or handoffs. Nate Tibbetts already trusted Plum to initiate the offense on several possessions, but the potential with her off the ball and Thomas as the main facilitator was also on full display.
If Plum re-signs after this season, the Mercury could build a special offensive system around her, Thomas, and Copper. Seeing how smoothly she fit in around the other two could make Plum more inclined to stay, especially if the offense looks like that for the rest of the season.
Copper and Thomas were happy with Plum’s debut
After the game, Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper were visibly pleased to have another high-level scorer and creator on the team. They shared how much easier Plum’s floor spacing and ball handling made things for them.
“KP knows how to score the ball,” Thomas said in the postgame media availability, per a video by The Ballers Magazine. “We knew it would make a big difference for our team. It just gave us a lot more space to operate, and it makes it really hard to key in on one player.”
“It’s a huge lift,” Thomas added about Plum’s ability to run a pick-and-roll. “It takes a load off of me, off of Kah, off of DB. It just gives us a different look, a different style of play.”
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.