NFL
By: Stephen Garner
Kelsey Plum, just 15 months ago, had unforeseen adversity she was forced to stand face to face with.
While preparing for the 2020 Olympics Women’s 3×3 basketball, she tore her Achilles and had a rigorous road ahead of her to both recover and return to the level of play she was working towards.
In a sit-down with Matt Calkins of The Seattle Times, she dove into details regarding that moment.
“It felt like I got shot” is what she described the pain as while recounting that moment in the said sit-down.
She’d go on to also mention the progress she’d made in development before the injury, and how it served as a reality check of sorts as she began to look at her career.
“I had gotten 150 percent better.” – Kelsey Plum
Our opportunity to evaluate her reclamation would be delayed until 2021, however, upon returning, she’d quickly remind us just why she was the 1st overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft with her performances in the early portion of this WNBA season, where she averaged 13.5 PPG and showcased her signature quick first step and change of direction, indicative of a full recovery from the tear.
Even more, during the W’s hiatus, she spearheaded what was a Gold Medal showing from the 2021 USA’s 3×3 Women’s Basketball team, in the event’s first rendition.
She would do so pacing the field as the leading scorer, tying with China’s Lili Wang at 55 total points (however, Kelsey amassed her total in one less game).
Upon returning stateside, to complete her fourth campaign, she would ride her wave of high-level play but turn it up even another notch, averaging 16.5 PPG down the 11-game stretch post Olympics.
In that, she would receive player of the week honors as the cherry on top of her most dominant season to date.
In her all-impressive 2021 season, spent exclusively off the bench for the first time, she’d average a career-high 14.8 PPG, 3.6 APG, a career-high 1.0 SPG, and shot a career-high 94% from the stripe en route to a Sixth Woman of the Year campaign.
She’d also garner 41 of the 49 total points for the award.
Amidst these successes, she’d amass two 30+ point games and lead the star-studded Las Vegas Aces in fourth-quarter scoring with 5.7 per, which was second in the W (including seven double-digit showings).
As a hooper, u gotta be glad for Kelsey. Pressures of a no. 1 pick & a rough start, to a comeback frm 1 of the toughest injuries esp. at her stature & skillset, to doubling up w/ a 3×3 Gold 🥇& SWOTY 🏆? That's GREATNESS & to say she's deserving is an understatement #WNBATwitter
— Stephen PridGeon ☯️🏁 (@StayTrueSDot3) September 30, 2021
She was and continues to be a force on the floor, and now can add top reserve honors to her list of accomplishments, with more to come, potentially even this season.
To come back from such an alarming injury and play her absolute best basketball is a testament to who she is as a worker, and her genuine passion for her craft.
You listen to any of her interviews postgame, she emphasizes just how much she loves to hoop. That love becomes apparent the more you watch her play and understand her story.
As she now enjoys triumph in her reclamation, playing the best basketball of her career and proving to be the ultimate spade both off the bench and in closing games, she also witnesses the fruits of her labor manifest.
The scariest part of all is, after her torrid 2021 pace, this is just the beginning of her peak. Though she was unbelievable in this first stint off the bench, her best basketball is still remains ahead of her as she lays a new foundation.
Clap for her!
*All stats and information used come directly from basketball-reference or WNBA.com/stats unless stated otherwise*
