Kelsey Plum & Kelsey Mitchell: Key Players in WNBA’s Offseason
“Kelsey vs. Kelsey: Who Will Define the WNBA’s Future?”
By D’Joumbarey A. Moreau
Call it a coincidence if you will, but during the 2024 free agency period, two Kelseys are set to become free agents for their respective teams. Each possesses the potential to reshape the WNBA landscape as we know it.
Kelsey Plum: The Championship Star
Kelsey Plum isn’t just a player; she’s a two-time champion, a former first-team All-WNBA selection, and a celebrated Olympian. In Las Vegas, she’s found her home, where the community and franchise adore the “Plum Dawg.” Her triumphant moments with the franchise have cemented her specific role on the team.
Playing alongside arguably the greatest women’s basketball player of all time—her teammate A’ja Wilson, who recently snagged the 2024 WNBA MVP title as a unanimous selection (only the second time in league history)—Plum is in the thick of a championship dynasty. With Wilson ascending to her prime at just 28 years old, the question looms: With all Plum has accomplished, is now the time she would consider leaving?
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon shared her thoughts after a tough loss to the New York Liberty when asked about potential offseason moves: “It’s not going to be the same group probably next year; it just won’t. And I’m sad about that because I really liked that group. They’re a pain in my ass…and I like that group,” said Hammon.
For Plum, who hails from the West Coast, the pressing question is: How aggressive do Joe Lacob and Peter Guber want to get? The newest WNBA expansion team, the Valkyries—also owned by the Golden State Warriors’ owners—have promised to bring excitement and a winning organization to fans.
“I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise,” Lacob declared at the Chase Center during the team’s unveiling event.
Can I interest you in a two-time champion and one of the top point guards in women’s basketball? A local talent with a massive West Coast following? A player poised to lead a team that she could build around, just as she has done throughout her career?
Securing Plum and surrounding her with other talented players in an expansion draft could be instrumental in turning that bold promise into reality.
Mitchell: The Rising Star
The same spotlight shines on Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell.
“I’ll always be in your backcourt,” Mitchell quipped to Caitlin Clark in an Instagram post celebrating Clark’s Rookie of the Year win.
With Clark in her backcourt this season, Mitchell became a back-to-back WNBA All-Star, appearing in both contests alongside Fever teammates Aliyah Boston. With this trio, she now has the chance to usher in a new era for the team.
They’ve already reached new heights, making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Mitchell finished eighth in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game on nearly 47% shooting from the floor and an astonishing 40% from the three-point line.
Kelly Krauskopf has been appointed as the new general manager of the Indiana Fever, marking her return to the franchise after a previous tenure. Joining Pacers Sports & Entertainment in 1999, she served as the Fever’s president and general manager from 2000 until 2017, where she oversaw eight consecutive playoff appearances and a total of 13 postseason runs, leading to three conference titles and a WNBA championship in 2012.
“Pokey Chatman was our coach and GM. I went to see Kelsey play with USA Basketball in Santa Barbara at one of their workout camps,” Krauskopf shared. “I called Pokey and said, ‘I’m watching our draft pick right now. She’s going to be a star. This player is going to be a dynamic guard for us for years to come.’ So, we wouldn’t be where we are today without Kelsey Mitchell. She’s clearly a foundational piece.”
