Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A high-profile guard made an instant impact in her new home, scoring 20 points in just 20 minutes during her debut.
- Her clutch plays helped secure a narrow victory, but her team remains buried near the bottom of the standings.
- The path to the playoffs now hinges on a series of must-win games against top-tier opponents in the coming weeks.
In Kelsey Plum's debut for the Phoenix Mercury, she proved that the fit works, scoring 20 points in 20 minutes and delivering in key moments en route to a nail-biting win over the Chicago Sky. Plum was traded from the LA Sparks just before the WNBA trade deadline and showed why Phoenix wanted her so badly in the first place despite her pending free agency.
But the win also came with a reminder that Plum still has a lot to do if she wants to drag Phoenix all the way to the playoffs. The team is in 10th place in the WNBA standings entering Tuesday, and not even Plum might be able to make up that much ground.
Kelsey Plum stuns in her Phoenix Mercury debut
Plum's stat line of 20 points and four assists on 60 percent from the 3-point line was impressive enough for a debut with a new team. But the impact she had completely swung the game to the Mercury; she had multiple clutch moments throughout the game to keep Phoenix close, and while Chicago came back from a 12-point deficit, Plum eventually closed the door for good.
Coming off the bench as she rounds back into form, she was a true spark plug for her team. With about a minute left in the game, she sank a 3-pointer for the Mercury to take the lead. They won 106-101, and Plum's scoring ability was on full display throughout.
Kelsey Plum took matters into her own hand and NAILED a triple to lead the Mercury to a win in her debut! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ft9bgbzJrc
— WNBA on NBC and Peacock (@WNBAonNBC) August 4, 2026
Having Plum on the team allowed attention to be taken away from Alyssa Thomas and gave Phoenix another consistent scoring threat. Thomas likes facilitating the offense, so Plum's sole focus can be on scoring now. Whether she stays on the bench or not, the team will always have someone on the floor who can make a crucial bucket. Kahleah Copper, Thomas and Plum combined for 70 points against the Sky. It seemed like Plum was their missing piece, but it might be too late to matter.
Kelsey Plum and the Phoenix Mercury's harsh reality
There's no doubt that Plum became an X-factor in a game that seemed like it was going to get away from the Mercury. The reality is, though, their win doesn't change much about the tough spot that the team is in. Clearly, Plum on the Mercury works, and the whole league would have been on watch if the trade hadn't come so late.
But Phoenix is currently in 10th place in the standings and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. Eight out of their final 12 games are against teams that currently hold spots in the bracket. They'll need to win most of them, especially against the Mystics, to keep their hopes alive.
The Merc have yet to face Washington this season, so they have three games coming up against them. Winning those three will be crucial in their fight to sneak in, as the Mystics are currently occupying the No. 8 seed. Washington also doesn't have an easy schedule ahead, as they have to face the Aces twice next week.
The best-case scenario for the Mercury is that they win most of their tough matchups while at least winning the series against Washington. At the same time, they need to hope Washington goes on a skid, and then maybe they can sneak into a playoff spot. It's a long shot, but if anyone can get it done, then it should be the team with three 2024 Olympic gold medalists on their team.
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