Plum leads Sparks to season opening win behind historic performance

The guard's debut couldn't have gone better.

(Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

The price to acquire Kelsey Plum could have been seen as steep.

After all, giving up the No. 2 overall pick in a draft isn’t a small thing.

But it didn’t take long for Plum to show why the Los Angeles Sparks were willing to pay such a high price, as the guard dominated in all facets en route to an 84-67 season-opening win over the debuting Golden State Valkyries.

“I still don’t think I did a tremendous job balancing [when to be aggressive],” Plum said postgame after finishing with 37 points, the most by a player in a season opener in league history.

“But I’ll continue to get better and adapt,” Plum added. “I just appreciate my teammates always looking for me, finding me. The floor was super spaced tonight, which allowed me to get downhill and just trying to get out in transition and do what I do best, which is just play with pace.”

Plum played all 40 minutes on Friday and became the first player in WNBA history to register at least 35 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals in a single game as she added 6 assists, 2 rebounds, and 5 steals while sinking 11 of her 19 field goal attempts.