“Had an Itch to Scratch”: Sue Bird and Kelsey Plum Talk About Her Move From Aces to Sparks

Kelsey Plum was in one of the most ideal situations any WNBA player could be in with the Las Vegas Aces. She won two WNBA championships with the team and could’ve contended for multiple more. Instead, she made the bold decision to start a new chapter. One key reason pushed her to turn to a blank page.

Nobody would’ve batted an eye if Kelsey Plum decided to remain complacent with the Aces. She spent seven years in Las Vegas, and it practically became her second home. During those years, she formed lifelong connections with players such as A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. It isn’t easy to put those to the side.

However, Plum’s resolve to be great was far greater. She viewed her move to the Los Angeles Sparks as an action toward that belief.

“If you really believe that you are as good as you think you are and think you can impact winning at the highest level, there’s only one way to find out,” Plum said on Bird’s Eye View.

Plum didn’t enter the WNBA to be just another pretty good player. During her four-year tenure with the Washington Huskies, she set the then-NCAA record for all-time points in women’s basketball history.

In the beginning of her career, Plum had hopes of becoming an all-time great. At the rate she was going with the Aces, that most likely wasn’t going to be the outcome of her career. But, now as the face of the Sparks franchise, she is walking into what she believes is her full potential.

“I would hate to have grandkids sitting on the couch and just being like, ‘I wonder if I would have,'” Plum said.

Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird listened attentively to Plum’s words. She took away one major aspect, which she believes fueled the Sparks star.

“It sounds to me like you really just had an itch that you had to scratch,” Bird proclaimed. “You had to know what that experience is like. What is it to be a leader? What is it like to be the head of the snake?”

The 5-foot-8 guard is currently averaging 20.0 points and 6.1 assists per game, which has helped push the Sparks to become a competent WNBA team.

The Sparks have notably dealt with various injuries throughout the 2025 WNBA season. Fortunately, they are now fully healthy and looking to make a run for a postseason spot. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for Plum, considering that they were the worst team in the league just a season ago.