Kelsey Plum out for rest of 2026 WNBA season with lingering leg injury
· Yahoo Sports
Kelsey Plum will miss the rest of the 2026 WNBA season with a lower leg injury.
"I did everything I could to be back on the court, but just ran out of time. After careful consideration with my family, my team doctors, coaching staff and front office, the decision has been made to shut it down through the remainder of the season and focus on getting my body back to 100%," Plum wrote on Instagram.
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"Additionally, I won't be able to represent Team USA in Berlin over the next two weeks. This is not an easy decision as I love to compete, but I know it's the right one for the long term."
"Kelsey is a competitor, and she wants nothing more than to be on the court with her teammates and competing for the Mercury," said Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren via release. "We know how much it means to her to play, and how much she means to our fans. Ultimately, this was about doing what is best for Kelsey’s long-term health and making sure she has the time and support she needs to return to the court at full strength."
Before joining Phoenix, Plum got off to a hot start this season, which helped her earn her fifth WNBA All-Star selection. However, injuries limited her to 12 games in her second season with the Los Angeles Sparks. She missed three games with an ankle sprain suffered on May 26. Eight games after her return, she sustained a left leg injury on June 21 that sidelined her for six weeks.
Plum didn't play again for Los Angeles. On Aug. 2, the Mercury guard was traded to Phoenix. She made her Mercury debut on Aug. 3, scoring 20 points in 21 minutes, shooting 60% from the floor and adding four assists in a 106-101 win against the Chicago Sky. The veteran guard played three more games after her debut and was set to face off against her former team on Aug 11. However, Plum wasn't in the lineup that day.
She was ruled out of the Mercury's matchup against the Sparks with left lower leg tightness that limited her to 14 minutes in the Mercury's 95-75 loss to the Washington Mystics on Aug. 9. With 9:19 remaining in the second quarter, Plum went down near half court after Mystics guard Georgia Amoore pushed Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb into Plum. The sequence resulted in a foul on Amoore. Plum got up under her own power and returned to the game before being shut down in the second half with left calf tightness.
"We wanted to be safe," Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said at the time. "We'll just see the next couple (of) days how it looks."
In total, Plum played in five games for Phoenix, averaging 15.8 points and 2.8 assists before being shut down for the season. She last suited up on Aug. 25 in a 94-84 loss to the Mystics. In 17 minutes of play, she tallied 10 points, plus one assist and one steal. Plum's leg injury will now hold her out of the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup. Mystics guard Sonia Citron will take her place.
With Plum out for the rest of the season, all eyes will now turn to her WNBA offseason, where the 32-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent. It remains to be seen if she will return to Phoenix. Still, Mercury and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi is already advocating for Plum to re-sign.
"My pitch to Plum? Where else would you rather be? You've tried the rest," Taurasi said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelsey Plum out for rest of 2026 WNBA season with lingering leg injury