All’s not well in Los Angeles, as reports are emerging that Kelsey Plum apparently may not sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Sparks. Consequently, the rumour mill is going full swing across the league. Plum, who is in the final year of her contract, has indicated that she may not re-sign, putting almost all the GMs in the league on notice. Now WNBA analyst Brendan Glasheen has weighed in with his take, indicating that the Golden State Valkyries may be a good option for her.

“Look, I would love to see Golden State go get Kelsey Plum. I would; it would just give them another scoring punch to alleviate Gabby Williams. They take… she would fit systematically,” he said on the WNBA Today podcast.

With a 19-9 record this season, the Golden State Valkyries are third in the standings and have emerged as title contenders. Adding a guard as explosive and efficient as Plum would only add to the Valkyries’ potent offense. While the team boasts a top-tier defense anchored by forward Gabby Williams, its halfcourt offense currently ranks near the bottom of the league in pace and efficiency.

On the other hand, sitting near the bottom of the league standings, Plum may see a quick ascent up the table as tempting.

“You know Natalie loves the three-point shot, that the high-percentage three-point look, but Kelsey as a driver would also open things up for Veronica Burton,” Glasheen said.

“I’m just going off of what Kurt Miller said, and this is fully speculation, but Kurt Miller I think was interviewed at all-star weekend in Chicago and He’s essentially, I’m paraphrasing, but he essentially said like ‘You know your plan as a general manager, President basketball operations, your plans can evolve based on how your team is doing so he almost he pretty much said that we’re willing to make a big swing if it’s going to help our team and improve our team.” 

“They’ve got a good thing going right now, I think with Arike, but would LA listen to Arike and a first-round pick for Kelsey Plum?” he concluded.

That is indeed the question.

Perhaps the Valkyries can send Kaila Charles and two future first-round picks to the Sparks in exchange for Plum, even throw in Tiffany Hayes to sweeten the pot. But it will be difficult to pry Plum away from the Sparks, as everything is just speculation at this point. But familiarity is also a factor, and it works in Golden State’s favor.

Plum has a highly successful history with Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase from their shared time with the Las Vegas Aces. They brought two championships to the city when Nakase served as an assistant coach. The franchise has yet to make a mid-season trade, but Plum might be worth breaking that tradition.

Plum was averaging 23.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 38.3% from beyond the arc before being sidelined with a lower left leg soft-tissue injury.

As for historic precedent, fans have seen teams make blockbuster trades to solidify their title credentials. Think Las Vegas Aces trading their 2027 first-round draft pick to the Dallas Wings for NaLyssa Smith last year. Her improved efficiency from the field effectively secured the team’s championship run.

As for Golden State, concern might emerge with Plum having been missing action since late June. Yet on the other hand, injury uncertainty may lower her asking price, making her more attainable.

Furthermore, Plum was second in the league in scoring at the time of her injury, only behind A’ja Wilson. So for a player of her calibre, LA would ideally want multiple players and pick options to entice them to trade.

But if it’s indeed true that Plum will not extend her contract with the Sparks, it will be a devastating blow for the Los Angeles-based franchise.

Losing Plum Would Be A Big Blow For The Sparks

The Sparks went all in to acquire Plum in the first place.

They parted with their second overall pick from the 2025 draft, which eventually turned out to be an All-Star in Dominique Malonga, to the Seattle Storm as part of a blockbuster three-way trade that ultimately landed Kelsey Plum in LA and Jewell Loyd in Las Vegas.

They then went on a 13-9 run behind the league’s fourth-best offense after the All-Star break. Suddenly, the fans thought they were onto something special here.

In the coming offseason, they traded Rickea Jackson, one of their two 2024 lottery picks, to the Chicago Sky for Ariel Atkins. They followed that up by landing Nneka Ogwumike, a Sparks veteran. Additions of Cameron Brink, Rae Burrell, and Erica Wheeler followed.

This meant that the Sparks had a four-person veteran core surrounded by promising young talent. On paper, it looked like they would push for a deep run into the playoffs after all these years out in the wilderness.

They didn’t.

With a 10-17 record, the Sparks are 12th in the league, and chances of making the playoffs are looking slim. This is precisely why losing Plum without winning any silverware, with a team built around her, would be a big blow for the Sparks. Her near-million-dollar salary will vanish off the books rather than being weaponized to absorb bad contracts for more draft assets.

Only time will tell if the rumours are true. For now, LA fans might hold their breath until August 2 and hope to see Plum return to the lineup soon.