Mercury’s Kelsey Plum reveals Diana Taurasi’s incredible welcome message

Kelsey Plum and Diana Taurasi have quite the bond. The two were a part of the 2024 USA Women’s Basketball Gold Medal team, but their history starts way before that.

Taurasi gave the newest Mercury star a welcome-to-the-WNBA moment in her rookie year, and that was in 2017. Since then, they’ve competed and have had many memorable games against one another.

Now, the player Plum idolized will be engraved in the same franchise. It feels like a surreal moment for the 23.9-point-per-game scorer, and that’s because it is.

“It means everything,” Plum said during her media availability on Monday. “That was the reason I started playing basketball. She actually texted me today and just said there’s no one she’d rather have, and so I’m just very honored.”

Again, the shock value, but those words from Taurasi should not be taken lightly. The latter doesn’t like to give a leg up on her competition, but always had time to speak highly of Plum.

Her intensity, scoring, and winning mentality are all valuable facets of her game. Now, she’ll get to bring that to Phoenix and join forces with Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, also members of that Gold Medal team.

She’ll be on a minutes restriction, as this is Plum’s first game back from the sprained ankle she suffered against the New York Liberty on June 21.

Phoenix is on the road for the next five games before traveling back home. Coincidentally enough, Plum’s first game in front of the Mercury home crowd will come during Taurasi’s Ring of Honor ceremony.

All the attention will be on her performance with her new team, but that text message will continue to sit in her mind as a reminder that she belongs in the Valley of the Sun.