Plum returns to Seattle as struggling pro
Kelsey Plum set such a high standard during her college career that achieving immediate success at the same level as a professional was going to be challenging.
Throw in a severely sprained ankle that kept Plum out of the San Antonio Stars’ lineup for nearly a month and the pro career for the greatest scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history hasn’t gotten off to the start many expected.
“It’s been difficult to try to get back, and not even to get back but play at the level I’m capable at,” Plum said last week. “It’s a tough shift regardless for rookies, so it’s been an experience for me that is going to help me in the long run. For now, it’s not easy.”
Plum returned to her college town Sunday, scoring eight points as the Stars stayed winless with a 75-57 loss to the Seattle Storm. Seattle is where Plum became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, leading Washington to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a Final Four.
It was Plum’s first trip back since she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Stars. It came with Plum struggling on the court, something she rarely experienced in college.
“It’s definitely frustrating at times because I’m not moving the way I usually do. That change of speed is how I create things for me and my teammates so it’s frustrating,” Plum said. “Percentage-wise? Let’s just say not 100. At the end of the day, I’m playing and it’s not an excuse for how I’m playing.”
Plum has appeared in only eight games, not playing more than 28 minutes or scoring more than eight points. On June 11 against Chicago, Plum was 0-for-4 shooting in 12 minutes and went scoreless. Thursday’s loss to Los Angeles was even worse. Plum played just five minutes and went scoreless. On Sunday, she was 2for-11 from the field. Plum scored at least 20 points in every college game during her senior season.
She’s also adjusting to a different role with the Stars. The entire offense isn’t being run through Plum, as it was at Washington.
“I would think of it as at (Washington) every possession, every single time down the floor, I was called upon to score or create for my teammates,” she said.
Plum is confident her scoring prowess eventually will appear in the pros. She recalled a recent conversation with former WNBA guard and current San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon in which it became clear to Plum how early she is in her career.
“She said, ‘You’ve probably played 100 games in your career like in college, and these women have played like 800,’ ” Plum said. “Just everyone is so much smarter. In college a lot of times, I would read the play and just outsmart people. It’s different here because I’m trying to think while still somewhat limited. It’s frustrating, but it’s life.”
Taurasi breaks WNBA scoring mark
Diana Taurasi scored 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
Taurasi finished with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488. Taurasi broke the record in the closing seconds of the first half, coming around a screen by Emma Cannon near the top of the key and knifing into the lane, past Nneka Ogwumike, for a layup.
The game was stopped and the crowd, which included former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, gave Taurasi a warm ovation. It took the Mercury guard/forward 13 seasons to become the league’s top scorer. Thompson needed 17 seasons to achieve her total.
Ogwumike, who played at Stanford, led the Sparks (8-3) with 18 points and had seven rebounds, and Candace Parker added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Other games: Glory Johnson scored 16 of her season-high 27 points in the third quarter and the visiting Dallas Wings closed on an 8-0 run to beat the Washington Mystics 87-83 . ... Tiffany Mitchell scored a season-high 19 points and the visiting Indiana Fever overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to beat the Chicago Sky 91-79.