When the University of Washington retired Kelsey Plum‘s No. 10 jersey earlier this month, making her the first Huskies women’s basketball player with her number in the rafters of Hec Edmundson Pavilion, it was an opportunity for Plum to reflect on the journey that has taken her from UW to the WNBA.
“I look back now,” Plum said, “and it is really cool to have a full-circle moment, look back and say, ‘Dang, that was a lot of points. I never really thought about it.’ It’s cool. I appreciate that time of reflection. I’m really glad that it’s been at this point of my life because I’m at a different point of my life than I’ve ever been.”
Plum, a two-time WNBA champion and three-time All-Star, isn’t alone among WNBA standouts enjoying the opportunity to return as guests of honor to the college campuses where their journeys started. A day after Plum’s jersey retirement, 2024 Las Vegas Aces draft pick Elizabeth Kitley had hers retired at Virginia Tech. And this Sunday, Plum’s former Las Vegas teammate A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, who broke Plum’s record for all-time career scoring in Division I women’s basketball, will be honored at South Carolina and Iowa, respectively.
They’ll surely experience similar emotions to what Plum felt seeing…
