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Kelsey Plum · Admittedly under the weather during a Game One that she promised to “throw out of the window,” Kelsey Plum responded with a Game Two that blew the doors off of the Seattle Storm’s defense. One more late-game push away from helping secure the Las Vegas Aces’ sixth-straight WNBA semifinals berth, Plum flips the switch into unstoppable mode, calling for an isolation against the defensively-gifted Gabby Williams. Setting her sights to the rim with blur-like speed, Plum, despite a size disadvantage, absorbs contact with a decisive gather step before flipping up a high-arcing and-one finish that bounces gently off the cylinder upon falling in. On an offensive mission from the game’s opening tip, Plum — alongside two fellow Olympian teammates — scored all 28 of the Aces’ first quarter points, planting the seeds for both a marquee showing and the Aces’ 11th-straight home playoff win on September 24, 2024. The three-time All-Star returned to her usual bucket-getting style in the closeout win, erupting for 29 points (matching a postseason career-high) on 11-of-15 shooting, complemented by six rebounds, three assists, two 3-pointers, and a game-high +19 plus-minus. · State of Mint