All Scores

Kelsey Plum ‘gets her s— together’ to push Aces to brink of WNBA title

Kelsey Plum broke out of her slump in the Aces’ Game 2 win over the Sun. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – Kelsey Plum isn’t back. Chelsea Gray wants to make that clear.

Plum isn’t back, because that would imply that she left. She didn’t.

The All-Star guard may have been in a shooting slump in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals – she finished with just six points compared to her season average of 20.2 – but she still did all the little things necessary to help the Las Vegas Aces secure a win over the Connecticut Sun.

“There wasn’t points being added but she was getting assists. She was guarding Courtney Williams, a dynamic scorer,” Gray said. “There were things that she was still doing that kept her on the floor and I think that’s the growth, too, not just like, she’s back and she’s hitting shots. She’s been who we needed her to be. We need her out there on the floor.”

Then, in Tuesday’s Game 2, Plum was able to put it all together again. She did the little things and she did the big things, scoring 20 points in an 85-71 victory over the Sun at Michelob Ultra Arena to put the Aces one win away from their first WNBA championship.

The Washington alum finished the game with 20 points. Plum made just one 3-pointer – she averages 3.1 per game, the most in the WNBA – but that didn’t matter. She was able to get to the hoop whenever she wanted, and Plum made six buckets in the paint while also going 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

She took what the defense gave her and avoided forcing shots from long range.

“They really want to congest the lane, so I think we play higher, wider, set good screens, have good angles and make good reads,” Gray said of subverting the Sun defense. “Once we have good spacing, we can get a lot of different things in the paint or kick out for shooters.”

img
(Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Aces didn’t make many of those long-range shots – they were 6-for-26 (23.1%) from 3-point range – but Plum’s ability to get to the basket made up for it.

The Sun could not stay in front of the guard, and that caused their defense to fall apart. When she wasn’t finishing shots or drawing fouls, Plum was creating opportunities for others, as evidenced by her seven assists.

Even when she didn’t directly assist on a play, her driving ability caused the Sun defense to shift and create space for players like A’ja Wilson, who had 26 points, and Gray, who had 21.

And the threat of Plum knocking down shots from distance was enough to keep the Sun defense honest, even if she hasn’t gotten hot just yet.

“You have to respect her 3-ball,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “You don’t want to let her just shoot the 3, even though she’s been a little off this series. Just the threat of her, you don’t want to let her get rolling from there. So she’s fast, she’s fast with the ball. And I just wanted to use her, tell her she needed to live in the paint, and we live with whatever she does in there.”

img
(David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

When Plum finds a groove, the Las Vegas offense elevates to another level, according to Wilson. So the WNBA MVP made it her mission to light a fire in Plum before Game 2.

And Wilson wasn’t afraid to use fiery language to get her point across to the Aces’ regular-season scoring leader.

“I told her she needed to get her s— together,” Wilson said matter-of-factly. “At the end of the day that’s what she needs to do: Make sure she understood that we need her to make shots. I know it sounds harsh. But KP is a pro, and she went out there and took care of business.”

In addition to the pointed pep talk from Wilson, Plum also chatted with her psychologist before the game, something she does often.

“I talk to him all the time,” she said of her conversation with her psychologist, “(We talked about), like the ways different people approach when you’re ‘in a slump.’ I got people praying over me, I got people rubbing my hand, I got people trying to encourage me, I got people cussing me out. But everyone wants to win, you know, so really, actually I welcomed it very much.”

img
(David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Plum has shot just 25% from 3-point range during the postseason. Despite still averaging 17.4 points over her team’s eight playoff games, the lack of production from long range is unusual for the sharp-shooter.

But her performance thus far in the WNBA Finals speaks to the guard’s overall growth. A season ago, she may have gotten frustrated with her lack of production from beyond the arc. She may have started forcing shots.

Instead, she found open teammates. She defended. She set screens. And she made it a priority to attack the basket.

Her perseverance paid off in a big way.

“I don’t think anything necessarily that I’ve done differently, you know, just my same routines,” she said. “I eat the same thing. I go to bed at the same time. Sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don’t, and for me I feel like it’s been a growth opportunity to how I can impact the game in other ways besides shooting the ball.”

She didn’t have to do anything differently, because whether she’s making 3-pointers or contributing to her team in other ways, Kelsey Plum is still Kelsey Plum. And that’s a player the Aces can’t live without.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

WNBA, Players Union Spar Over CBA Negotiations at All-Star Weekend

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to media at a 2025 press conference.
The current CBA between the WNBPA and the league expires at the end of October. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)

This year's All-Star action extends beyond the court, as more than 40 players — including All-Stars, executive committee members, and WNBPA representatives — met with the WNBA in Indianapolis on Thursday for the second CBA negotiations of 2025.

"I'm encouraged. I'm just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said after Thursday's session, which drew the largest turnout in union history.

"It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear the wording from both sides," Chicago Sky star Angel Reese added. "I was really eager to know and understand what was going on."

With revenues booming, both players and the league are struggling to settle issues surrounding payouts, revenue sharing, and the salary caps ahead of the current CBA's October 31st expiration date.

"This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion," the WNBPA wrote in a statement following Thursday's meeting. "But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."

While CBA negotiations continue, the union indicated that players are open to a work stoppage should they fail to reach a new deal by the end of this WNBA season.

Rookies Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen Hit the 2025 WNBA All-Star Court

Washington Mystics rookie All-Stars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen chat during a 2025 WNBA game.
Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will play in their first WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)

Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.

"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."

"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.

Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.

The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."

How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"

Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray Headline WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu lines up a shot during the 2023 WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.
WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu set the single-round 3-Point Contest record in 2023. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Even with Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark sidelined, Friday's 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will heat up the Indianapolis competition before Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game tips off.

Single-round record holder Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and reigning champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) headline the 3-Point Contest, with Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), and Clark-replacement Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) rounding out the bill beyond the arc.

Gray will also be on hand to defend her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) looking to upend the Dream guard.

Players are shooting for more than just bragging rights in the Friday competitions, with Aflac boosting prize money for the second year in a row.

The insurance giant will award $60,000 to the 3-point Contest winner and $55,000 to the Skills Challenge champ, topping off the league's $2,575-per-player All-Star bonus check.

With big money on the line, both Gray and Ionescu are battling to become just the second WNBA player to win multiple 3-Point Contests, following in the footsteps of retired Sky guard and four-time event champion Allie Quigley.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

Minnesota Lynx-Fueled Team Collier Readies for WNBA All-Star Game

Minnesota Lynx All-Stars Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier celebrate a 2025 WNBA regular-season win.
2025 WNBA All-Star captain Napheesa Collier will play alongside her Lynx teammate, Courtney Williams. (Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

Team Collier is looking locked and loaded for Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, with captain Napheesa Collier heading up a roster stocked with talent from the league-leading Minnesota lineup.

The Lynx star will start the game alongside 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), and rookie phenom Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings).

Team Collier's bench showcases a balanced group of Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks).

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) will also join the squad, replacing the injured Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), boosting the team's Minnesota contingent to three players.

Adding to the Lynx representatives is Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve, who will serve as the squad's head coach following a first-of-its-kind draft-day swap between the Collier and fellow All-Star captain Caitlin Clark.

"I'm just glad people are understanding Phee's greatness," Reeve said about Collier before the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. "There's nothing else you can say at this point."

With a steady front and backcourt presence, Team Collier has experience on their side as they take on a youth-heavy Team Clark on Saturday.

How to watch Team Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.