Kelsey Plum returned to face the one guard who had beaten her in August, and the moment before tipoff told the story. The veteran guard had already caught the attention of the WNBA with a heartfelt moment with Paige Bueckers courtside amid her return from a three-game absence.

Plum and Bueckers shared a hug before the Wings guard went through with her warmup. The league’s official account shared the moment between the two on X.

“KP & PB 🫶 Pregame laughs between Paige Bueckers and Kelsey Plum before the @DallasWings take on the @LASparks,” the caption read.

Bueckers and Plum have shared the court multiple times, including suiting up for the US national team earlier in the year during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico. Having already won Olympic gold, Plum was a veteran to Bueckers, who was making her national tournament debut.

So, it’s understandable where that bond is coming from. Even in the WNBA, Plum and Bueckers were part of one of last season’s thrillers in August. Bueckers scored 44 points in the game against the Sparks, a terrific rookie performance. Unfortunately for her, Plum hit the buzzer-beater to win 81-80.

With the two teams squaring off in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game on Friday, anticipation for the game is at an all-time high once again. Beat reporter John W. Davis had already confirmed before the game that Plum would participate in the game after the right ankle sprain she sustained in practice before a game against the Washington Mystics.

Plum’s return couldn’t have come at a better time: the Sparks are 4-6 and need her league-leading 26.8 PPG as well as team-high 6.3 APG to stay competitive. Without her, the Sparks lost back-to-back games against the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces.

A few hours before the Dallas game, Plum shed light on her recovery process, which helped her rush towards game fitness. “I have been just rehabbing like a maniac, sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, red lighting my way back,” Plum said as per Davis.

“I’m not going to try to like blow it out of proportion, but there’s a reason I didn’t travel, coz it felt like if I got those four or five days to really lock in here and see if I can get my swelling and bruising down,” the Sparks guard further added when asked about her reason for not traveling with the team due to injury.

Despite these hurdles, Plum didn’t just want to be available; she wanted to compete.

Kelsey Plum Eager for the Competition Against the Dallas Wings

Coming off an injury to face a stacked backcourt like that of the Dallas Wings is never easy. After all, every team doesn’t have the luxury to start Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd in their rotation. But Kelsey Plum was unfazed by it, and she was clear to put it out before the game.

“I think for me, I really look forward to competition, and no better competition than some of the guards over there on both ends of the floor. So, I’m super excited,” Plum said, according to Southern California News Group reporter John W. Davis.

However, the Sparks were outplayed by the Wings at the Crypto.com Arena. While Kelsey Plum was impressive in her return with 27 points on 10 of 16 from the field, Paige Bueckers’ team was outright better.

Bueckers recorded a double-double with 18 points and 14 assists. Arike Ogunbowale led the night for Dallas with 30 points, while Jessica Shepard added 22 to the scoreboard. The Sparks couldn’t make efficient defensive stops, allowing the Wings to take 77 shots from the field.

Plum’s team led by one entering the fourth, but Dallas outscored them 27-18 to seal the win. Kelsey Plum and the LA Sparks are 1-5 at the Crypto.com Arena after this defeat and 4-6 overall in the season after this defeat. They host Portland Fire up next on June 7.