The list is fairly long when we talk about great ambassadors of women’s basketball. Still, there are some worthy names from the current generation of stars who have done their part to be considered one. Simply because their contributions in preparing future stars have transcended the domains of the hardwood. And that is something the Aces’ charismatic No.10 Kelsey Plum has managed to achieve through her annual Dawg Class.

This year’s WNBA drafts introduced to the world one of the finest classes of guards in the WNBA. From Kate Martin to Nika Muhl, the professional realm is graced with some immense potential of rookies this time around. The fact that fans would have missed out on another such talented prospect in the form of NC State’s Saniya Rivers in the upcoming days if not for Kelsey Plum’s 2024 Dawg Class.

A clearer picture in this regard was provided by the NC State star herself recently while talking to Tyler DeLuca. Rivers said on the No Cap Space WBB podcast, “Not a lot of people know this, but I was not really considering going pro after college. Basketball really stressful. A lot on the body, a lot on the mental. I was considering being done after college. But, I went into Kelsey Plum’s Dawg Class. And my whole perspective of life changed.”

As it turns out, Rivers was one of the participants in the second iteration of this project. On top of that, she even went on to win the DAWG OF THE CLASS award by the end of the week-long drilling session. She flaunted the Dawg bone she received personally from Plum and further evaluated the change in her mindset. Rivers added, “I wear this every day. It’s because I ended up winning the MVP, the Dawg bone. So I wear it every day as a reminder that I’m doing this for a reason. I had to keep going. I’m ready for the next level. This season, I have goals, but I have more individual goals going into the pro.” 

As much as she is impacting the game from the outside, inside Kelsey Plum is managing to slay it.

Kelsey Plum puts on a commanding show against Caitlin Clark

Tuesday evening turned out to be the second time two former college greats came face to face with each other. However, this time around the 2xWNBA champion got the better of the rookie. Not only did the Aces comprehensively brush aside the visiting Fever, but Kelsey Plum ended up being the top performer of the night with her 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

At the same time, the rookie pulled off an offensive double-double comprising 13 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. Clark earlier this year surpassed Plum’s and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer.

Kelsey Plum is a valuable asset in the WNBA. The kind of impact that she creates both on and off the court truly certifies her as a true icon of the sport. Can she lead the Aces to a consecutive third title? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.