Kelsey Plum has officially closed the chapter on her time with the Los Angeles Sparks. A day after the five-time All-Star was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, Plum shared a heartfelt farewell message on Instagram, reflecting on her two seasons in Los Angeles as WNBA stars quickly flooded the post with reactions.
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“Los Angeles! Thank you for embracing me these last two years. You made this city feel like home. To the Sparks organization, my teammates, coaches, and the fans, thank you for everything. I’ll always be grateful for my time here. Phoenix, I can’t wait to get to The Valley. Let’s get it! 💜🧡,” she wrote.
Among the thousands of likes that the post quickly garnered was that of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, in a subtle show of support for the newest member of the Phoenix Mercury.
Sparks star Cameron Brink, who has spent two seasons as Plum’s teammate in LA, added three heart emojis. Another Sparks player, Kate Martin, who played her rookie season on the Las Vegas Aces, wrote, “Keep being you!”
Even the Sparks’ official social media handle replied with a series of purple and gold hearts as the franchise bids farewell to the team’s biggest star over the last two years.
Plum’s move to Los Angeles was meant to be the start of a fresh chapter. After spending eight seasons with the Las Vegas Aces and winning two WNBA championships, she joined the Sparks ahead of the 2025 season in search of a new challenge.
She reaffirmed that commitment before the 2026 season by signing a one-year, $999,999 deal to stay in LA. But her season never unfolded as planned.
Plum appeared in just 12 games before a lower-leg injury sidelined her, despite averaging a career-high 23.9 points and 6.4 assists.
As the season progressed, it became increasingly clear that Plum was unlikely to remain in Los Angeles beyond this year. The Sparks, who finished just short of a playoff berth last season, failed to build on that momentum and now look unlikely to reach the postseason, making Plum’s desire to compete for a championship elsewhere understandable.
With the prospect of losing their franchise star for nothing in free agency, the Sparks ultimately opted to trade her before the deadline.
That ultimately resulted in a blockbuster deal that ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported a day before Plum shared her farewell message. Phoenix acquired the five-time All-Star in exchange for guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.
After the trade, Phoenix GM Nick U’Ren highlighted the reason why the team traded for her.
“Kelsey is one of the league’s most dynamic players. She is a fierce competitor with a winning mentality who impacts the game on both ends of the floor,” said U’Ren.
“Her combination of shooting, explosiveness and decision-making allows her to create offense at a high level and makes her one of the league’s most complete guards. We have wanted Kelsey here for a long time, and we’re excited to finally bring her to Phoenix as we continue to build on our foundation.”
Phoenix clearly views Plum as a key piece of its postseason ambitions. However, the blockbuster deal also raises plenty of questions.
Things aren’t quite that simple for Phoenix. At 11-19, the Mercury could win each of their remaining 14 games and still miss the playoffs. They would also need help elsewhere, relying on either the Liberty or Mystics to falter in the closing weeks of the season. And that’s not all!
According to ESPN, however, Plum still intends to look at all options in her upcoming free agency at the end of the season, leaving her future with the Mercury in jeopardy.
For Phoenix to part with two draft picks, including a first-round selection in what is expected to be a loaded draft featuring elite prospects like JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo, while also giving up Monique Akoa Makani, a young guard who is a career 41% three-point shooter and one of the league’s better pick-and-roll defenders, is a significant gamble.
You’d have to think the Mercury front office believes Plum will be in Phoenix for more than just the final 14 games of the regular season. Otherwise, it’s hard to justify giving up so much to acquire her. And there are plenty of reasons why Phoenix could appeal to Plum.
The opportunity to play at the Mortgage Matchup Center, also the home of the Phoenix Suns, while having access to one of the league’s premier training facilities certainly adds to the appeal.
On top of that, Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack are all under contract through 2027. If Plum decides to stay, the Mercury could very well become one of the teams to watch next season.
And with Copper and Plum represented by the same agent, Nick U’Ren has every reason to believe the five-time All-Star could remain in Phoenix beyond this season. That would be a significant boost for a Mercury side still searching for someone capable of replacing Satou Sabally’s offensive output.
The next two months are about to become one of the WNBA’s most fascinating auditions. If Plum and the Mercury prove they’re the right fit, Phoenix may not just have landed a superstar; it may have assembled the core capable of returning to the Finals and rewriting the story of its painful 2024 defeat.