Has Kelsey Plum played her last game for the Phoenix Mercury?

Kelsey Plum set to miss rest of WNBA season and FIBA World Cup:

That would be a brutal outcome for a franchise that gave up valuable assets to bring her to the desert. Plum still showed why Phoenix wanted her. Across 17 games this season between Los Angeles and Phoenix, she averaged 21.5 points and 5.4 assists. But injuries have been a recurring issue throughout her season, and she will also miss the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The bigger question now isn’t what Plum can do; it is whether she will do it in Phoenix.

Plum is heading toward free agency, giving the Mercury a chance to convince her that Phoenix is where she should spend the next stage of her career. There are reasons for optimism as Plum has publicly expressed happiness in the desert and has received a strong welcome from the organization and its fans, but nothing is guaranteed.

If Plum leaves, Phoenix will have to answer difficult questions about whether giving up those assets for five games was worth it. If she stays, the Mercury still have to hope her physical issues don’t continue limiting a player who is entering her 30s. Could the Plum trade become the foundation of the next Mercury era? That makes the upcoming offseason arguably more important than the five games Plum played in Phoenix.