When the Las Vegas Aces failed to secure their third consecutive WNBA championship, and Kelsey Plum did not receive an extension with the rest of the core, rumors began to surface that maybe it was time for Plum to move on.
Seven seasons into her WNBA career, Plum has firmly established herself as an All-Star-level player who can score at a high level, space the floor, make plays for her teammates, and bother opponents defensively. Any team would be lucky to have her—the Golden State Valkyries maybe even more so than others. The Valkyries selected their first eleven players in the expansion draft in December and got an interesting mix of veterans and young players. Everyone currently on the roster can defend, and most players are also threats from behind the arc.
What the Valkyries do not have yet is a star, someone who can be the face of the franchise and attract other big names to come to San Francisco. This offseason should offer some opportunities for the Valkyries to land a player like that, either in free agency or on the trade market.
Several stars, like Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, and Nneka Ogwumike could be available in free agency. On top of that, Satou Sabally and Jewell Loyd will be available on the trade market. Rumors have also frequently connected Plum to the Valkyries. They have the facilities and money to attract a star and could offer Plum the opportunity to be the team’s number-one option and have a roster built around her. Plus, she has ties to the Valkyries’ head coach and Kate Martin. Unless Plum is looking to compete for another championship right now, Golden State could be a good place for her.
The Aces made it more difficult for the Valkyries to land the three-time All-Star, but not impossible.
The Las Vegas Aces have cored Plum
Not very surprisingly, the Aces extended a core qualifying offer to Plum, which means the Valkyries will not be able to just sign her in free agency. But that does not mean their pursuit of Plum has to be over.
If Plum truly wants to leave the Aces or the organization feels it is time to make some changes this offseason, other teams will still be able to acquire her in a trade. Plum becoming available could start a serious bidding war across the league. She has already proven that she can be a top player on a championship team and has been much healthier throughout her career than Satou Sabally.
The Valkyries could put together an offer but would have to ship out the fifth-overall pick in the 2025 draft to beat other trade packages. Whether that is a realistic scenario or not really depends on how much the Valkyries value drafting young talent they can develop over being able to win right away.
Now that the Aces have cored Plum, the situation has become more complicated, but the door is still open. Fans might still be able to see Plum wear a Valkyries jersey in the 2025 season. But even if Plum does not end up coming to Golden State, the Valkyries should still be able to make some noise in the offseason.