The Details: Plum To Bird – ‘I’m Going To Be Like You’
October 04, 2016 | General, Women's Basketball
Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Kelsey Plum's high school team was playing in a tournament. The point guard was a freshman. But even back then, she was fearless.
Before the start of the tournament, Plum and her La Jolla Country Day teammates were at a banquet. Sue Bird was the guest speaker.
For Plum, this was a big deal. After all, growing up, she collected all things related to the Huskies. Only, we're not talking about Washington, not yet anyway. Back then she was a rabid UConn fan, wearing out VHS tapes featuring Bird and Diana Taurasi.
So, to see Bird in person, well, that was a moment Plum couldn't pass up. Once the WNBA star's speech ended, and after she exited the room, one word popped into Plum's mind: "Go!"
In that moment, Plum excused herself from the banquet.
"I ran out the back door and chased her down," Plum said.
Once she found Bird, she shouted.
"Wait!" she said.
And, for a second, Plum questioned her decision.
"She had some people with her," Plum said. "They were looking at me like, 'Who is this kid chasing us?'"
But, Plum wasn't about to let a few awkward glances stop her. She walked right up to Bird and delivered a message.
"Hi, my name is Kelsey Plum," she said. "I'm going to be like you someday."
Bird looked at the freshman and said, "I bet you will."
And now, years later, the point guards are stars in the same city. Bird, a two-time WNBA and Olympic champion, and Plum, a senior who last season led the (Washington) Huskies to the Final Four.
Bird occasionally works out at the university and just happens to be good friends with Washington assistant coach Morgan Valley, who played at UConn, so Plum often sees the point guard she first met at that banquet.
But, even now, Plum has never brought up that first encounter.
"I'm not sure if she's ever made the connection," Plum said with a smile. "I'm sure she has."
A few days before the Huskies started practicing, Plum stood in the program's practice gym and transitioned from the day she met Bird to the first time she talked to Taurasi.
This encounter happened in Los Angeles. The Huskies were in town to play UCLA. Valley told Plum she would see if she could get Taurasi to make an appearance.
Before the game, though, Plum was told Taurasi wouldn't be able to make it, which was unfortunate, because the guard came out firing. She scored 17 points in the first quarter.
And then, at one point, the ball rolled out of bounds. Plum went to pick up and, when she lifted her head, she saw Taurasi sitting on the baseline.
"I literally had a moment," Plum said. "I've never really had a moment like that with anyone."
She froze for a second and then thought, "You've got to be kidding me."
Plum would finish with 32 points, but the Huskies lost the game.
"I was bummed, because I really wanted to win for Diana," Plum said.
When the game ended, Plum faced one more challenge. How was she going to introduce herself to Taurasi?
"I walked out and thought, 'just keep it super cool, just say hi, introduce yourself," Plum said. "I've been taught from a young age, you can admire people, but don't idolize anyone. If you want to be there, get there, but don't break down and cry. We don't do that."
So, after composing herself, she left the locker room, walked up to Taurasi and tried to remain calm. Then Taurasi did something Plum wasn't expecting.
"Plummer!" Taurasi shouted, before wrapping her up in a big hug.
Looking back on that moment, Plum laughed, "I almost melted."
Basketball provided the opportunity for Plum to meet the players who inspired her. And here she is, the best player in the Pac-12 on a team looking to write a new chapter into a remarkable run that included the both a trip to Final Four and then this summer's journey to Australia.
"It's crazy," she said. "Time flies. I can't even put into words how fast this time has gone. I'm excited. We worked really hard this offseason."
That hard work continues with the team's first practices this week. She has already been through the last first practice of her college career and, with one season left, she is excited to see what comes next.
"We've got a good thing going and we can continue to keep it going," she said. "I'm excited. This is where all the hard work really starts to boil at the top. I'm just excited for the future."
