Kelsey Plum wins WNBA All-Star Game MVP with 30-point explosion

Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum shone in a 30-point WNBA All-Star performance that showcased her talents as one of the best in the game. 

Kelsey Plum capped off an impressive performance in an emotional game with a powerful dedication: her WNBA All-Star MVP award was dedicated to Brittney Griner.

There’s an entire conversation to be had about the size of Kelsey Plum’s WNBA All-Star MVP trophy — especially when comparing it to what Steph Curry hoisted over over his head after his All-Star game — but Plum is having good fun with the rather accurate “teacup” comparison.

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The trophy size is by no means a reflection of what the Las Vegas Aces star accomplished in her 30-point All-Star performance as the points leader over Jonquel Jones (29) and Jewell Loyd (21). As ESPN writers Mechelle Voepel and Alexa Philippou put it, these three “assure all that the WNBA remains in good hands as its longtime legends step away.”

Team A’ja Wilson defeated Team Breanna Stewart 134-112, a win which was facilitated by Wilson’s Aces coach and teammate. Aces coach Becky Hammon coached Team Wilson, and Plum joined Wilson as an All-Star teammate as the two combined for 40 points.

It was a meaningful game in that it marked the end for two historic WNBA players: Seattle Storm staple Sue Bird and Minnesota Lynx star Sylvia Fowles.

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With the torch being passed between generations, Kelsey Plum became a focal point as one of the bright young stars to carry the league forward in the years to come.

Kelsey Plum shines at incredible WNBA All-Star game

According to ESPN, when Sue Bird saw that Stewart didn’t pick Plum first when the captains drafted, she said she was worried. Bird believed that Plum would be an asset during the All-Star performance, and she was spot on. Plum overcame having the lowest score in the 3-point contest to having the most points of anyone in the All-Star game.

That choice benefitted Team Wilson, who paired Plum with Fowles and made for an incredible dunk highlight.

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“Especially [as] anyone saw yesterday, I had to redeem myself,” Plum said. “I’m not a rack shooter. I’m more of a game shooter. I’m glad it worked out.”

“I was a kid in a candy store. I’m having fun running; I could have just run up and down the whole time and I would have been content.”

The 27-year-old guard now has another trophy to add to her case, albeit it a small one. Plum helped the United States win gold in the 3×3 basketball tournament during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.