Kelsey Plum shines for Mercury before even touching down in Phoenix

The five-time WNBA All-Star guard scored 20 points off the bench and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in Monday night's 106-101 win at the Chicago Sky. It was her first game since the Los Angeles Sparks traded her to the Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round selection on Sunday.

Plum's heroics came in clutch against the Sky, a strong second-half team that beat the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces on a game-winner from rookie Sydney Taylor on Saturday.

Mercury guard Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 31 points while forward Alyssa Thomas recorded her second triple-double of the season with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.

After the win, Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts described Copper as a "kid in a candy store" since Plum's arrival.

"She's so dang happy that (Plum) is here. It's neat," Tibbetts said of Copper. "This is the reason why we've tried to go get (Plum) the last couple seasons.”

Copper didn't deny that sentiment.

“The competitive spirit. She’s a hooper. Just to have another a dog out there alongside of us," she said when asked what excites her most about Plum. "She's an incredible player to be able to have her at this point in the season. Yes, it makes me very happy.”

It's been a whirlwind weekend for Plum, who laughed during her halftime broadcast interview when asked about keeping up with the fast-paced game despite not having played since June 21 due to a lower left leg injury.

"I feel good, I swear my cardio's good," Plum said. "I'm just grateful to be back."

Plum was met with a surprise welcome from her new teammates as she arrived in Chicago at 11 p.m. local time on Sunday. Her introductory press conference was held virtually around 5:30 p.m. Monday.

It was just Thursday that Plum was telling reporters she planned to return from an ankle injury for the Sparks as they visited the Portland Fire right at the WNBA trade deadline Sunday afternoon. During her introductory presser with the Mercury, she spoke about her quickly changing circumstances.

“I am where my feet are. It was Portland two nights ago and now it’s here. But that's why I'm a professional," Plum said. "You know, I'm paid to play basketball at the highest level, and that's what I'm going to do tonight.”

Plum said she expected to be on a minutes restriction. She played exactly 20 minutes, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep.

She wore the No. 0 with her new team after previously wearing No. 10. Before the game, Plum noted that she has experience playing under Tibbetts and with Copper and Thomas during their time with USA Basketball. Their familiarity showed as Plum assimilated into the team's offense.

With 13 games left in the regular season, Phoenix still has a ways to go in the hunt for a postseason berth with a 12-19 record. But they made it to the WNBA Finals last season (and were swept by the Las Vegas Aces), and Plum could be a vital addition as the team pursues a return to the league's biggest stage.

Mercury general manager Nick U'Ren was banking on the transition with Plum being seamless. On Monday, he cited the desire for a quicker incorporation of Plum as he described the choice to trade for her instead of waiting until free agency when her contract expires at the end of this season.

"The chance to get Kelsey into our four walls and have her feel what we're all about, have her feel our staff, our players, our organizational dynamic, was really important to us," U'Ren said. "So we wanted to be aggressive in getting her here as early as possible."

ESPN reported that Plum still plans on going through the full free agency process in the offseason. U’Ren said he'd prefer to keep his conversations with the guard private, but implied that he anticipates she'll sign with Phoenix.

"We wouldn’t have done this if we didn’t think she would fit with our group now and moving forward," U'Ren said.