WNBA Fans Loved What Kelsey Plum Did Before Icing Playoff Game vs. Storm

The Aces star consistently exudes confidence in clutch moments.
Plum scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the Aces' 83–76 win over the Storm on Tuesday night.
Plum scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting in the Aces' 83–76 win over the Storm on Tuesday night. / David Becker / NBAE via Getty Images

Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum is no stranger to the spotlight on a basketball court.

Plum, a three-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion, has been in plenty of high-pressure situations dating back to her collegiate days at Washington. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when Plum was nothing but cool, calm and collected before shooting clutch free-throw attempts in the waning moments of the Aces' 83–76 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.

With 33 seconds to play and the Aces leading by six points, Plum stood on the free-throw line and went through her typical routine. Right before she put up a left-handed shot, Plum broke into a huge smile and swished the free throw.

It gave the Aces a seven-point lead, icing the game and securing a spot in the semifinals.

Tuesday night was far from Plum's first time grinning in a clutch moment at the free-throw line.

She did the same thing earlier this summer during the gold medal game between Team USA and France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. With the Americans leading by three points with 11.5 seconds to go, Plum grinned right before she swished the game-clinching free-throw attempt.

That point mattered, too, as Team USA held off France 67–66 to secure the gold medal.

WNBA fans were loving Plum's big grin Tuesday night:

Plum scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go along with six rebounds and three assists on Tuesday night in Las Vegas's win. Plum and the Aces now advance to the semifinals to battle the New York Liberty—a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals that Las Vegas won in four games.


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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.