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Kelsey Plum aims to bridge ‘massive gap’ for WNBA prospects

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Kelsey Plum isn’t just hoping for change, she’s taking an active part in it.

This April, nine of the top amateur guards in the country will descend upon IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. as part of the inaugural Dawg Class. There, they will participate in a weekend camp put on by the Las Vegas Aces guard and Under Armour.

The idea for the camp came from Plum’s own experience with the transition from college to the WNBA in 2017. The former No. 1 draft pick opened up to Just Women’s Sports’ Rachel Galligan last year about her mental health journey, which included severe bouts of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Choosing to share her story at that moment, she says, was something she felt called to do.

“I know that mental health is something that people are struggling with immensely, especially our youth, and particularly our young women,” Plum tells JWS. “It was time to really just peel back some of the layers of the onion.”

Now, Plum is taking those lessons and imparting them on the next generation of WNBA prospects. Women’s professional basketball, Plum believes, isn’t set up to help them succeed.

Currently, athletes have a short period of transition from college to the WNBA. This year’s WNBA Draft takes place just eight days after the NCAA championship game on April 2. Then, for draft picks who earn one of the limited WNBA roster spots, training camp begins on April 30 and the regular season tips off on May 19.

All the while, many incoming rookies will still be completing their final year of college.

“The women’s game has such a massive gap in the transition from college to pro, unlike any other professional sport,” Plum says, comparing it to the support NBA players receive from middle school all the way through college. “There’s a lot of money, there’s a lot of support, there’s a ton of resources to help them get to that point and be prepared.

“On the women’s side, it’s not like that. You’re just kind of thrown into the fire and you’re on your way, it’s like sink or swim.”

While much of the weekend with the Dawg Class will be about preparing the athletes for the pros, including lessons on what to look for in an agent and what to expect in the WNBA, Plum intends to treat them as she would anyone else.

“I’m there to train. I’m not above them,” she says.

“This is what I wish I would have gotten. A lot of these things I’ve learned in the last year or two, I’m like, man, how much would it have saved me, just like, quality of life, if I would have been able to learn these skills earlier? So, that’s the whole point of this class.”

Plum plans to be a resource for players beyond the weekend’s events, giving them her phone number for texts and calls. And if she can’t help them herself, she’ll find someone who can.

Launching the initiative with Under Armour, Plum says, was one of the reasons she signed with the brand in the first place.

“Even before I signed, Under Armour and I, we sat down and I said, ‘This is my number one, this is what I want to attack. I want to make an impact in young women’s lives, and I feel like this is the best way that I can do it,’” she says. “There’s a massive need that’s not being met.”

Under Armour’s proven investment in women, starting with their No. 1-ranked AAU high school circuit, was what really sold the deal.

“I’m really proud to be a representative of their brand because they really put their money where their mouth is,” she says. “For them to allow me to do this is massive, and I think it’s going to be huge for the sport.”

Throughout this process, Plum has also been thinking about her own future. The 28-year-old guard shined for the Aces last season, starting all 36 games, averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game and earning a spot on her first All-Star team, where she won All-Star Game MVP. Named to the All-WNBA First Team, Plum was also a part of the Aces’ first WNBA championship.

She attributes the success to her own mental well-being after hiring a mental health coach in her fourth year in the WNBA.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I’ve felt at peace as much as I’ve ever been, and I’ve also performed at a high level,” Plum says. “For me, it’s more of a lifestyle, on the daily what I do to maintain that peace.”

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Plum and 2022 WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson are just two stars on Las Vegas' WNBA superteam. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Plum knows that the Aces have a target on their backs heading into the upcoming WNBA season. The reigning champions added new signings Candace Parker and Alysha Clark to a roster that already includes Plum, two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and All-Star Jackie Young.

With one of the most talented rosters in the WNBA, Las Vegas has been dubbed one of the league’s superteams alongside the New York Liberty.

“This is the thing when you amass that much talent, the biggest kryptonite is ego. And I gotta start with myself. To try and be a good player in the WNBA, you have to kind of have an ego. You’ve got to have this, like, unfazed confidence about yourself,” Plum says.

“Everyone’s like, repeat, repeat, and I just laugh because I’m like, people don’t understand how hard it is to win. You just gotta go a day at a time. And I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

Plum is having more fun playing basketball, which she realizes now is the key to seeing beyond the pressure and enjoying success. And that’s exactly the example she wants to set for her new group of mentees.

“We have the sports world’s attention, bigger than just the W,” Plum says of her and her teammates. “When you have that, you can look at it as pressure, but I honestly think it’s a privilege, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Emma Hruby is an Associate Editor at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @EHruby.

Lottie Woad Turns Pro Following Near-Win at 2025 Evian Championship

English amateur Lottie Woad plays a shot at the 2025 Evian Championship.
Amateur Lottie Woad finished tied for third at the 2025 Evian Championship. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Amid her historic summer on the links, English amateur and rising Florida State senior Charlotte "Lottie" Woad is officially turning pro, accepting LPGA membership two days after nearly topping the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.

One week after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour tournament since 2022 — with the 21-year-old taking the 2025 Irish Open title by a massive six-stroke margin — Woad came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur to win an LPGA major in 58 years.

Sunday's finale saw world No. 25 Grace Kim emerge as the 2025 Evian Champion, with the Australian taking the title following a playoff with Thailand's No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

Both Kim and Thitikul finished the tournament at 14-under-par, while Woad trailed a single stroke behind to tie 2021 Evian winner and Australia's No. 5 Minjee Lee for third-place in the LPGA Grand Slam.

Unlike Lee, who banked $547,200 for her efforts, Woad's amateur status means she had to forgo what would have been her share of the $8 million purse.

"I did have a look after and was like, 'oh no,'" joked Woad about Lee's check.

England's Lottie Woad watches her drive at the 2025 Evian Championship.
Lottie Woad will make her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Woad to make pro debut next week

That all changes now, though, as Woad's finish made her the first player eligible to join the LPGA through the governing body's new lite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, in which top young golfers amass points to earn pro membership.

While the world's highest-ranking amateur initially said she would take the week to weigh turning pro with returning to Florida State for her final NCAA year, Woad made her decision to turn pro Tuesday morning.

In addition to accepting the LPGA membership, she will also join the European Tour in 2026 — an invite Woad earned with her Irish Open win.

"I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years," Woad wrote in an Instagram post thanking her family and coaches. "I am very excited about this next chapter."

Woad's next chapter is imminent, as the world No. 64 announced her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open next week.

The field of established golf pros are already on notice, with Sweden's No. 30 Madelene Sagström warning that "[Woad is] going to take European and American golf by storm very soon."

Young Rosters Clash as LA Sparks Welcome Washington on Tuesday

LA Sparks forward Azurá Stevens celebrates a 2025 WNBA win.
The LA Sparks will face Washington as they look to move up the WNBA standings. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.

While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.

Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.

"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."

Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.

Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:

  • No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.
  • No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.

NWSL Teams Take on New Competitors in Summer Friendlies

Palmeiras's Gaby Santos tries to slide tackle Kansas City attacker Michelle Cooper as she dribbles the ball during a 2025 Teal Rising Cup semifinal.
The KC Current defeated Brazil's Palmeiras in their 2025 Teal Rising Cup semifinal. (Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

The 2025 NWSL season is on summer international break, but many clubs aren't stopping play, with teams competing in strategic friendlies to test their depth and prowess during the long July window.

Last Tuesday, the Houston Dash hosted Liga MX side CF Monterrey, storming past Las Rayadas 4-0 behind goals from defender Avery Patterson and midfielders Delanie Sheehan, Maggie Graham, and Kiki Van Zanten.

The North Carolina Courage then played Liga MX titans Tigres UANL to a scoreless draw in a weather-shortened match on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Racing Louisville tested new and returning players — including star Bethany Balcer — in a domestic clash with regional USL Super League rivals Lexington SC, with the 1-1 draw serving as the NWSL side's tune-up to The Women's Cup, which kicks off this weekend in Brazil.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, the Current kicked off its inaugural four-team Teal Rising Cup tournament on Saturday, securing a 3-0 win over Brazil Série A1 club Palmeiras thanks in large part to forward Haley Hopkins's first-half brace.

The Current will next play in Tuesday's tournament final against Série A1's Corinthians, a team that defeated the Chicago Stars 1-0 in their Saturday semifinal with a last-gasp stoppage-time goal.

How to watch the Teal Rising Cup finale

The first-ever Teal Rising Cup will conclude on Tuesday, with the Chicago Stars and Palmeiras facing off in the mini-tournament's third-place match at 6 PM ET before the KC Current battles the Corinthians for the trophy at 9 PM ET.

Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Boston Legacy FC Plans Performance Center as WNBA Star Aliyah Boston Buys In

A rendering of the performance center being constructed for the NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC.
The Legacy intend to move into their exclusive performance center by 2026. (Boston Legacy FC)

Incoming 2026 NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC is making big moves, with two key Monday announcements shoring up the club's place in the larger New England sports ecosystem.

Buying into the Legacy on Monday was Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, with the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year investing in the club after playing high school ball at Massachusetts's Worcester Academy.

"I'm proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy. This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am," the three-time WNBA All-Star said in a club statement. "And yes... Boston repping Boston just felt right!"

With her investment, Boston joins a growing roster of current and former WNBA stars buying into the NWSL, including Angel City investor Candace Parker, Bay FC advisor Sabrina Ionescu, and Gotham FC minority owner Sue Bird.

Along with their famous new investor, the Legacy also revealed plans on Monday to construct a privately funded, $27 million purpose-built team performance center in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts.

Slated to open prior to the 2026 preseason, the center boasts a fully outfitted 30,000 square-foot training building, a bubble dome for year-round practice, and six fields of various surfaces — some of which will be available to youth teams in the community.

"Competing at the highest level demands an environment that elevates every aspect of performance — and this new facility is a major step forward in how we support our players every single day," said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein.

A couple of those incoming players were announced earlier this month, as the Legacy welcomed Bundesliga free agent and midfielder Annie Karich as the team's first signee before inking French Première Ligue forward Aïssata Traoré — the first-ever NWSL player from Mali — late last week.

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