Las Vegas Aces prioritize Kelsey Plum’s role with bold decision ahead of 2025 season: Report

The situation between Kelsey Plum and the Las Vegas Aces took a turn on Saturday after the WNBA franchise made a decision on the point guard's future with the squad. In recent hours, the rumors about the Aces' willingness to ship Plum somewhere else got louder and Las Vegas acted on it the first day of free agency.

Callie Fin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Aces placed the "core" designation on the All-Star guard. Plum was a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning he would be free to negotiate with any other WNBA team.

This designation is similar to the NFL franchise tag, which provides WNBA players with a fully guaranteed, one-year supermax contract. In this case, Plum will earn $249,244, while preventing her sign with another team unless the Aces are involved in the negotiation.

The Aces are reportedly set to move on from Plum and this designation will allow them to get compensation for one of the best point guards in the league.

The San Antonio Stars picked Kelsey Plum with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft. She's been with the team ever since that year and helped them secure the 2022 and 2023 WNBA championships alongside Chelsea Gray and A'ja Wilson. During her potentially last season with the Aces, Plum averaged 17.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while being named an All-Star again.

She also represented Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the French capital.

Kelsey Plum predicted to land in several teams this offseason

The rumors surrounding Kelsey Plum's future haven't stopped coming. The veteran point guard can be a terrific addition to any WNBA team, but Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times has identified three teams that could benefit the most from acquiring Plum's services.

In a Jan. 4 article, the reporter suggested the Seattle Storm as a potential landing spot for Plum in a hypothetical sign-and-trade that would send Jewell Lloyd to Las Vegas.

She added that Los Angeles could also be in the mix for Plum, but noted that landing at a non-contender squad could turn off the three-time All-Star. On Jan. 9, Costabile named the Chicago Sky as another potential option for the 30-year-old guard.

The reporter said that Plum's connection with the Sky's new coach Tyler Marsh could play a key role in this situation. As one of the best point guards in the league, Kelsey Plum won't miss suitors this free agency.