Kelsey Plum won her second straight gold medal in the Paris Olympics as Team USA defeated France, but she also learned a lot of things this time around. Having a bigger role for the Las Vegas Aces to start the season because of Chelsea Gray being sidelined helped her through the Olympics, and she's proud of what the team was able to accomplish.

Plum spoke with ESPN and shared how she handled the responsibility of being a point guard on Team USA.

“For me, I've grown up a lot, especially in the offseason. I think Chelsea [Gray] being out kind of forced me to grow a lot early on in the season and it helped me a ton in the Olympics just in terms of having to be a point guard and not really having a choice,” Plum said.

Team USA came down to the wire against France in the gold medal game, but Plum is happy they pulled out the win and were able to leave victorious.

“I was really proud of our team, it was a tough game, especially at the end, but we pulled it through and I had a lot of fun doing it,” Plum said. “I try to make sure I'm always myself regardless of the environment so I think I was most proud of that than anything.”

Kelsey Plum is a big part of the Aces' success

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Kelsey Plum not only had a big impact on Team USA, but she has always played a large part in the Las Vegas Aces success. This season, Plum is averaging 18.2 points per game and shooting 36 percent from three. Plum has always been a player that could get hot on any night with her shooting, and there have been some games already this season where she's shown that ability.

As the Aces look to win the WNBA championship three years in a row, Plum will be a major contributor to help the team get there. Even though A'ja Wilson continues to dominate as the best player in the league every night, players such as Plum, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young are just as important.

The Aces are currently 17-10 and second in the Western Conference behind the Minnesota Lynx. They've been up and down so far this season, but it's hard to count out a team with as much talent as they have. Getting back to the Finals will be tough this year with teams such as the Lynx, Connecticut Sun, and the New York Liberty playing good basketball, but the Aces have the experience and championship pedigree to get back.

It won't be a surprise if the Aces are once again in the WNBA Finals at the end of the season.