$491,016 star’s Klutch Sports connection with A’ja Wilson could lead her to Vegas in swap with Kelsey Plum

Seattle Storm’s Jewel Loyd is widely tipped to be involved in a possible trade for Kelsey Plum, especially with her strong connection with Las Vegas Aces superstar and fellow Klutch Sports client A’ja Wilson.

Talk is rife that with Plum deciding to hit free agency this offseason than sign an extension with the Aces, her likely destination is Seattle, which is close to where she starred in college at Washington.

A possible move to the Pacific Northwest could mean that she would trade places with Loyd, who signed a two-year, $491,016 contract extension in 2023 but has expressed her desire to be traded out.

Kelsey Plum is said to be looking to have a fresh start after spending seven seasons with the San Antonio/Las Vegas franchise, where she won back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023.

Pundits and observers believe that a Plum-Loyd swap makes a lot of sense for both Las Vegas and Seattle as it would address their immediate goals of staying competitive. The two All-Star guards are pretty much cut on the same cloth and solid anchors on the backcourt moving forward.

Last season Plum had averages of 17.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 38 games. She also helped the Aces reach the semifinals for the sixth straight year. Loyd, for her part, had numbers of 19.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 37 games for the Storm.

Apart from being key cogs for their respective teams, the two were also part of Team USA, which took the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Washington retires Kelsey Plum’s No. 10 jersey

Perhaps a prelude to her eventual move to the Seattle Storm, Kelsey Plum recently had her No. 10 jersey retired by the University of Washington, where she starred and made NCAA history in her four-year run.

In ceremonies held at halftime of the Huskies’ game against Purdue on Saturday, the school raised its first women’s jersey to the rafters. It was in recognition of Plum’s immense success while donning the Washington jersey from 2013 to 2017.

Foremost of her accomplishments way setting an NCAA record in 2017 for most total points scored with 3,527, which stood atop until Caitlin Clark broke it in 2024.

“It just brings back so many memories. I really feel blessed to share this moment with my family. Life happens so fast. It feels like two weeks ago, I was a senior here,” said Kelsey Plum (via ESPN) of the honor given to her by her alma mater.

Of late, she has been linked to a possible move to the Seattle Storm from the Las Vegas Aces, giving her the opportunity, if ever. to make her mark in the professional ranks in the Washington sports scene.

Edited by Mike Murillo