Kelsey Plum Could Want ‘A Fresh Start’ Away From Las Vegas Aces, per WNBA Reporter

January 21 marks the day when WNBA free agents can begin negotiating contracts with teams. While deals can’t be signed until February 1, the next ten days should be fascinating within the women’s basketball community.

Las Vegas Aces star guard Kelsey Plum is among the most intriguing players to keep an eye on over these next few weeks. Despite the Aces having extended her a core qualifying offer (which is a fully guaranteed, one-year, maximum salary contract), there have been rumblings that Plum could be on a new WNBA team by the start of next season.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Callie Fin suggested this during a January 13 episode of NBC Sports’ On Her Turf show when she said, “It does seem like the most likely scenario is that Kelsey Plum would move on from the Aces.”

The Athletic’s WNBA reporter Sabreena Merchant echoed this sentiment during a January 21 article, where she predicted that Plum and Jewell Loyd (who requested a trade out of the Seattle Storm in December) would swap places.

“Kelsey Plum is the first member of the Aces’ core four to hit unrestricted free agency rather than sign an extension during this current era in Las Vegas. The indications are that Plum wants a fresh start, and that could come in Seattle, close to Plum’s college stomping grounds at Washington,” Merchant wrote.

“Plum is beloved in the Pacific Northwest, and the Storm need a shooting guard now that Loyd asked out. Loyd has a natural connection to the Aces and her three Olympic teammates A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young— all of whom are represented by Klutch Sports.”

Merchant later added, “Las Vegas and Seattle are trying to be competitive in the short term, so it doesn’t make much sense to trade their All-Star/Olympian guards for draft assets or younger players. Better to get a like-for-like replacement — Plum has been a more efficient shooter, while Loyd is a more athletic finisher, but they’re similar enough — and trust that a good season will convince the new shooting guard to re-sign in 2026.”

Fans will find out in the coming weeks whether Merchant’s sentiment comes true.