The Plum Name: Kelsey Plum's Story

I'm really really excited about this one! I had the pleasure of interviewing a very good friend of mine who I also consider a big sister, Kelsey Plum.

Kels and I go way back! If you've read my previous post, you'd know that we were both high school and college teammates and she was ultimately a big impact in my decision to go to UW. I'm fortunate enough to have witnessed some pretty big accomplishments of hers like breaking the single-game scoring school record with 51 points in high school, her McDonald's All American game, and her senior night at UW where she broke the all time NCAA scoring record. It still gives me chills every time I rewatch those highlights! Not to mention one of her most recent achievements, a WNBA Championship. To say I'm proud is an understatement. She's obviously got the accolades on the court, but she's an even better human being and I'm blessed to have someone so special like her in my life!

I'll preface that this guest blogger post will be a little different than others. When I asked Plum if she was interested in being a guest blogger, her response was "I'd love to help! Do I have to write? *laughing emoji*" Honestly I wouldn't expect any other response lmao. So we decided to do a one-on-one interview and I've been able to write up her post FOR her

essentially lmao. Enjoy, it's a great one!

Long before the Plum name has grown into what it is now in the basketball world, the Plum name had already made its presence known in volleyball and football. Kelsey's father, Jim, was a football star at San Diego State, her mom Katie and sister Caitlyn both played volleyball at UC Davis, her other sister Lauren played volleyball at Oregon and professionally overseas and her younger brother also played football at UC Davis. Kelsey originally followed in her mom and sisters' footsteps and primarily played volleyball but when she was 10, she picked up the round orange ball and gave up volleyball when she got to high school at La Jolla Country Day.

Often times, she would go with her dad to play pick-up with other guys. Her dad made it clear to the other guys to not take it easy on her. He'd say, "I know she's a girl, but do whatever and treat her like a guy." Fearlessly, Kelsey continued to play with them and quickly learned how to compete. She understood that if her team were to lose, they'd have to sit and it wouldn't be for a while that she'd get the chance to play again. The only way to stay on the court was to find a way to score and win every game, and ultimately that has become a big part of her athletic success.

But it wasn't always easy for Kels. She had to come off the bench and earn her playing time in high school, but she is grateful to have been in a program and under a coach that prioritizes player development. Plum's game blossomed and she quickly became one of the top high school players in the country and earned All-American honors. With many of her successes also came some failures. Even though she was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2013, one of the many under Coach Terri Bamford, Kels sees herself (in her words) as a "backup" because there were a number of players that were injured and not able to participate. She was also cut from USA twice. The constant fight to be involved in specific conversations developed a hunger inside of Plum and her work ethic is one that is incomparable. She never received any pity from her family either. They'd tell her "there's no excuses, it's no one's fault, get better," so Kels had no choice but to put her head down and grind.

Kels got some heat after she committed to Washington. She was criticized for going somewhere that hadn't seen much success in past years, but she saw a vision and wanted to go somewhere where she could play right away and not be forced to sit for an extended amount of time. She found great value in being able to play and have a good experience, especially in a conference like the Pac 12. Ultimately, playing 35+ minutes per game meant more experience and more improvement faster. Nowadays, schools recruit to build super teams and kids go to places that are already established but with Plum's decision to go to Washington, she was able to create a name for herself and put UW on the map. She finished her college career with a long list of accolades, including yearly Pac 12 honors, national honors, and most notably her legendary senior night game where she posted 57 points, breaking the NCAA D1 Women's Basketball career scoring record. Plum was also the #1 WNBA draft pick to the San Antonio Stars in 2017 and that was where her professional career began.

Plum recalls the transition from college to pro as a "wakeup call" mainly because the ball isn't always in her hands. In college, most teams have their standout and primary players, but in the league, everybody is good, not to mention the league is cutthroat. The transition led Kels to feel overwhelmed and suffocated, and it started to take a toll on her mentally. Kels learned herself and different ways that she can help herself when she's going through a difficult time mentally. Every morning, she prays and meditates. She has become more aware of what she feeds herself, not only in regards to food but other things like social media and what she watches and listens to. Kels encourages others to seek outside guidance however that may look. "Human beings are not meant to be connected, they're meant to be plugged in (to their inner selves)."

Plum shared with me that she didn't realize how much she was subconsciously feeding herself "bad things" until she was aware of her moods after flying. Whenever she would listen and fall asleep to music that was filled with more vulgar things, she would wake up in irritable moods and she eventually realized how the music she was listening to was subconsciously causing this. Now she only listens to gospel music and has noticed a tremendous difference it makes. This type of awareness has played a role in different aspects of her life as well. The way she speaks to others, the way people speak to her. As a woman, she has grown to be more comfortable in speaking up and disagreeing with what others may say. The power that it holds is tremendous.

After her rookie season, Plum started her overseas career in Turkey 4 days after the WNBA season ended and spent the next 7 months there. Kels was able to pull a lot from her experience overseas. She mentions that it definitely helps build a lot of character and it forces you to be grateful for other things that we didn't value before and take for granted, which ultimately provides more perspective for us. She talks about how important it is for any athlete planning to go overseas to understand that it is a business. There can be a lot of bullshit that you will experience and it's important to figure out a way to compartmentalize it. There's a lot of things that won't make sense or that you won't agree with, but in the end, it's your job and you have to disregard the excuses and find a way to get things done. It helps you with your mental toughness, and for Plum, her experience has helped her be more present while playing in the W. She played in Turkey for 2 years but tore her achilles going into her 3rd and hasn't returned since.

Sometimes injuries can be a blessing in disguise and for Plum it was just that. When she tore her achilles, it was a turning point and she had a sort of sigh of relief. The long recovery time gave her time to reflect on her mentality and discover new exercises to build and strengthen her body and mind in different ways. Since it happened during Covid, she was still able to participate in things like the Olympics since they were delayed as well. To her, being a pro means establishing how far you want to take your career and what you will do to get it there. The reality is you are your own boss so you're essentially responsible for everything that is vital for the prolongation of your career in regards to your diet, your body, and your improvement on your field of play. Your ability to manage that reflects your level of discipline and it is important to keep that level of discipline throughout and prevent yourself from dropping in any specific area. Creating that discipline early on will only be beneficial down the line and this is something that Plum learned from the vets before her.

Kels and I discussed the meaning of identity and how finding that identity can be difficult. This is something that she has struggled with herself. She would ask herself "Am I still valuable if I'm not performing at the highest levels?" After much reflection, Kels found that it's important to establish your "why" and to have a better grip on your own identity. As women, we often times struggle with our appearance because there is constant pressure on how we present ourselves, and that mixed with the standards of the "hooper appearance" it can be difficult. Kels has run into criticism about her appearance and has had her own personal battle with it, but she has found a way that makes her comfortable while expressing both her femininity and her on court swagger.

Now Plum had plenty of difficult times and of course has experienced many highs, but there still are some things that she still would change from early on in her career or something she wishes she'd known before. She's found the benefits that mindfulness practices has taught her and utilizes that daily. She also has become more aware of how synergistic our lives are. We talked about how we are taught early on to leave our outside problems at the door and come to the court ready to focus on getting better, but the reality is that basketball and outside life can be difficult to completely separate. For me personally, changes and effects on my body like back pain, appetite, etc. are immediate indicators to me when I'm feeling stressed or I have personal things going on, and those will have a direct effect on my performance on the court. Kels expressed that if everything else isn't in alignment, then we can't be the best versions of ourselves; it's nearly impossible to separate the two and to be mindful of that.

The last thing I'll leave you with is Kelsey's favorite quote, and in this case, it's a verse from the bible: Isaiah 40:31.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and no be faint." Plum says, "the further I get in life and basketball, just know that it's not possible to sustain peace, prosperity and your effect on others without God. You need to answer to something bigger than yourself."