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The Las Vegas Aces were forced to surrender their throne last season after falling to the eventual WNBA champion New York Liberty in the semifinals. They are on a mission to reclaim the sport's crown, but before it can properly begin, head coach Becky Hammon and company must navigate a pivotal free agency period. Retaining Kelsey Plum is presumably priority No. 1, and the organization is making a move to potentially do just that.
The Aces are placing the “core” player designation on the two-time champion and three-time All-Star, per Las Vegas Review-Journal's Callie Fin. For the time being, Plum is under contract for one-year at $249,244. She can still try to pursue another team via a sign-and-trade, but the Aces are at least guaranteeing themselves the opportunity to receive value in exchange.
Will Aces and Kelsey Plum be on same page for 2025?
The offseason is due to ramp up in the coming weeks, with free agency negotiations beginning on Jan. 21. Players can then officially sign after Feb. 1. There are multiple stars available on the open market, but Plum is bound to draw interest around the league. The 30-year-old guard posted 17.8 points and 4.2 assists while making the third-most 3-pointers in the WNBA. Once the 2025 season starts, she will only be three years removed from a third-place finish in MVP voting. Plum remains an undeniable difference-maker.
Although the Aces can still trust superstar A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray to keep them in title contention, replacing a high-level scorer is never an easy task. The Liberty's 2024 championship run does not necessarily mark the end of the Las Vegas empire. But Plum's departure could.
Becky Hammon and the rest of the team will be in win-now mode as long as three-time MVP Wilson is on the roster, regardless of what happens this winter. Their ability to manifest that mindset on the court could be far tougher if No. 10 is playing elsewhere, however. Let the suspense begin.
