A’ja Wilson breaks her silence on Kelsey Plum trade

Las Vegas Aces Star A’ja Wilson finally broke her silence on the Kelsey Plum trade to the Los Angeles Sparks.

In a recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Wilson expressed her feelings about the trade of Plum and her expectations with having former Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd on board with the Aces.

“Plum was our hard-nosed player that did all of everything in the moment, whenever we needed her,” Wilson said of her former teammate. “In the locker room, she was always someone that spoke her mind. You need that honesty in the locker room. We’re definitely gonna miss her.”

On the flipside of it all, she talked about the excitement of having a teammate like Loyd.

“Jewell is just a phenomenal person, and that’s what we love. We love good-character people in our locker rooms.” Wilson said.  “It was complete silence, like we’re shook, we’re stunned. And all of a sudden, you just hear us screaming, like, ‘Let’s go! We’re talking to each other as teammates!’”.

The Plum/Loyd trade has been one of the most talked about offseason moves in the WNBA.

The Aces traded Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, which also included the Seattle Storm.

In return, the Aces picked up Loyd from the Storm and the 13th overall pick in the 2025 Draft from the Sparks.

The Sparks also sent their 2025 ninth-overall pick and the Storm’s 2026 second-round pick to the Aces.

As the Aces rebuild their roster to compete for another championship this upcoming season, the trade of Plum comes as a shift in the organization.

Plum is a three-time All-Star and a two-time champion. The Sparks are excited to welcome Plum back to her home state of California.