Kelsey Plum Shares Feelings on Candace Parker's Legacy Ahead of Sparks' Jersey Retirement

A blockbuster three-team trade sent Plum to Los Angeles in late January — cementing both WNBA legends as Sparks.

Plum spoke on her relationship with Parker and feelings entering her former teammate's jersey retirement to the media ahead of Sunday's ceremony.

"Beyond basketball, [she] has just transformed the game," Plum said. "This respect she commands ... that's something that always inspired me.

"She's just been tremendous for women and just moving and raising the bar," she added. "Candace as a teammate was awesome ... She just brought a level of intensity, wisdom, competitiveness that really just permeated the whole locker room — and so we wanted to send her out on a great note. It's weird that I didn't get to play with her in LA — I played with her in Vegas — but I'm super happy for her."

Despite being part of Las Vegas' 2023 championship run, Parker played just 18 games — and was limited due to injuries. Still, Plum further spoke on her tangible impact from the sidelines.

"When you have one of the greatest of all time on your bench, there's always a level of confidence that just is raised automatically," Plum said. "I think, too, just the way she sees the game, just her feedback throughout the game ... her passing ability is what, to me, made her so different from other players.

"Obviously, [Parker] has her size, her skill [and] athleticism, but she could pass so well," she continued. "I didn't get to play with her a long time, but really enjoyed it when I did."