One of Unrivaled’s big draws is the sheer star power on the rosters. Even before its inaugural season the league got fans excited by promising opportunities to see Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese, and many others play in the WNBA’s offseason. Kelsey Plum was one of those stars, but she ultimately opted out of the first season due to personal reasons.
This year, nothing stopped Plum from joining Unrivaled, and she finally suited up for the Phantom. As a high-scoring guard who can also defend at a high level, Plum promised to be a walking highlight reel in Unrivaled. So far, she hasn’t disappointed, and her debut came at a perfect time.
With big-time stars like Angel Reese and Sabrina Ionescu opting not to play in Unrivaled this season and other All-Stars like Napheesa Collier and Satou Sabally sidelined with injuries, the league needed an infusion of star power.
Kelsey Plum is thriving in Unrivaled
Phantom currently has a 6-3 record and sits only behind the Mist and Laces in the standings. Led by Kelsey Plum and Aliyah Boston, Roneeka Hodges’s team looks like a possible contender.
Plum impacts every aspect of the game. She leads the Phantom in minutes, points, field goal attempts, and assists per game. She also ranks second in rebounds per game, trailing only Aliyah Boston.
However, Plum isn’t just one of the most productive players on her team. She quickly emerged as one of the best players in the entire league. Nine games in, Plum ranks sixth in points and made 3-pointers per game and third in assists per game.
Plum has been putting on a scoring clinic. She hasn’t scored fewer than twelve points yet and exceeded the 20-point mark four times. She also owns one of the highest scoring outputs of the season. Plum recorded 38 points in 19.6 minutes against the Lunar Owls.
Dearica Hamby and Marina Mabrey are the only players to exceed that mark. Hamby held the Unrivaled record for most points in a game with 40 until Mabrey broke it with a breathtaking 47-point performance in front of a record-setting crowd in Philadelphia. Aaliyah Edwards tied Plum’s output with a scoring masterclass of her own, and Chelsea Gray and Paige Bueckers fell short by just one point.
Despite some hiccups, like lower TV viewership, this Unrivaled season has already been a full-blown success, and the league’s revamped cohort of stars, headlined by Plum, Paige Bueckers, and Kelsey Mitchell, is a big reason why.