ESPN's Stance on Kelsey Plum's WNBA MVP Chances Turns Heads

There was a lot of intrigue about how Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum would fare in her first season with the franchise after spending the first seven years of her WNBA career with the Las Vegas Aces' organization.

While Plum's scoring ability and star power have never been questioned, some wondered whether her individual potential was limited in Las Vegas because she was surrounded by so many other proven stars, especially since there's only one ball to go around.

And Plum has proven that she's a major force to be reckoned with in Los Angeles. Through six games, Plum is averaging 25.2 points per game (her career high for a single season is 20.2), which is second only to Lynx star Napheesa Collier (26.8).

As a result of her success, ESPN's Alexa Philippou listed Plum as No. 1 in a May 29 article that assessed "WNBA newcomer impact rankings". Philippou also made a strong claim about Plum's MVP hopes.

"As soon as she was traded to L.A., Plum said she was eager to be a playmaker, and she has also shined there, boasting a career-best 5.5 assists per game," Philippou wrote. "According to Elias Sports Bureau, she has scored or assisted on 233 of the Spark's points, tied for the most points scored or assisted on by a player through their first six games of a season.

"It's typically difficult for a player to win MVP on a team with a losing record, but Plum has managed to assert herself into the early conversation," she added.