Kelsey Plum clarifies her comments at the WNBA All-Star Game
Los Angeles Sparks player Kelsey Plum spoke with Sue Bird on the “Bird’s Eye View” podcast, where she addressed the comments she made after the WNBA All-Star Game. Plum described her words as “a really bad joke.” During the interview, Plum explained the context of her post-game statements on July 19 in Indianapolis, regarding the players’ decision to wear warm-up shirts with the slogan “Pay Us What You Owe Us”, in support of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the league. In the post-game press conference, Plum, who played on the winning team led by captain Napheesa Collier against Caitlin Clark’s team, commented: “The jersey, just a united front, was decided this morning, that’s what we had a meeting for. And, uh, not to gossip, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that.” Sabrina Ionescu, of the New York Liberty, also a member of Team Clark, was sitting next to Plum during the conference and reacted with a joke. Plum responded by trying to lighten the situation: “I’m trying to lighten the situation, okay? But I think it was just that we all agreed before the game. I thought that was a powerful moment and that it conveyed the message.” Plum’s comments sparked debate on social media, with some accusing her of criticizing Clark and the players on her All-Star team. Clark, who was injured, did not play in the All-Star Game. The captains were chosen by fan vote.Plum admitted that, in retrospect, he should have anticipated the seriousness of the moment due to the t-shirts and the attention of the fans. “I should have known it was a much more serious moment than a typical All-Star Game. Because I went into that press conference very happy, you know?” Plum emphasized that, despite her comments, all the players were united and supporting the same cause. “Obviously, we’re all on the same page. We all wear the jerseys. Like, we’re all unified. And I think, if anything, I felt more discouraged because I felt it detracted from the moment of what we were trying to do.” Bird highlighted how players’ comments, even when sarcastic or joking, can be misinterpreted on social media. Plum acknowledged the difficulty of responding to these interpretations. “And if you do, you sound defensive,” Plum said. “So you just have to let it go.”“The questions came, and it was like, ‘CBA, this, this, this’. It was like, ‘Hey, Team Clark, they didn’t make the meeting’. I was joking that they were hungover, even though our team’s nickname was ‘hungover’. So it was like, ‘At least we made it [to the meeting]”.
Kelsey Plum on the ‘Bird’s Eye View’ podcast
