The Los Angeles Sparks came into the Chase Center in red-hot form, winning 8 of their last 9 games. The Valkyries, on the other hand, were desperate to snap out of their two-game losing streak and keep their maiden playoff push alive. Backed by a fired-up home crowd, Coach Nakase’s squad rose to the occasion, handing Kelsey Plum and co a tough loss and walking away with a much-needed win.

Since Cameron Brink’s return, the Sparks had won 3 of their last 4 games, and our prediction of them being a postseason threat with a healthy Brink was starting to look spot-on. But tonight served as a reality check. Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini combined for 30 points, leading Golden State to a 72-59 victory.

But the game wasn’t without its share of drama. When you’re used to winning, frustration can boil over – and that’s exactly what happened to Kelsey Plum. With just 3:51 left on the clock and the Sparks staring at only their second loss in 10 games and trailing by 15, the guard let her emotions get the best of her. Plum appeared to kick Veronica Burton in the shin during a play, which got a flagrant called against her. The Chase Center is used to watching such plays, but they are not usually the ones on the receiving end.

Golden State fans know all about Draymond Green’s fiery moments, and tonight, Kelsey Plum gave them a dose of deja vu. Who needs an NBA offseason when the WNBA keeps delivering reel-worthy drama? Plum’s questionable challenge on Veronica Burton set social media ablaze, with many comments echoing the same sentiment.

Fans see shades of Draymond Green in Kelsey Plum’s foul on Veronica Burton

“Draymond-esque in her technique 😂,” one fan wrote, while another joined in saying, “Sum Draymond would do.” Draymond, who recently won the NBA Hustle Award for the 2024-25 season, has long carried the “dirty player” label thanks to his fiery on-court antics. Just ask Dillon Brooks! “No, I think the dirty player is Draymond [Green], giving him a little push as regular basketball players do,” Brooks had said during this year’s playoff series.

Draymond Green’s rivalry with Rudy Gobert has also given fans no shortage of drama. Who could forget the infamous chokehold incident during the 2023-24 season that earned Green a five-game suspension? So when Plum’s flagrant foul on Burton happened, fans couldn’t help but draw parallels. One fan joined in to say, “Kelsey Plum is a f—— goon lol Draymond Green styles“.

Kelsey Plum was catching strays left and right after the foul, and one fan even said, “Plum is doing her best to make herself not likeable this season even more than normal.” That likely refers to an earlier incident when a video surfaced of Plum interacting with a fan waiting outside her hotel. She said the whole thing made her uncomfortable, calling it “weird” and admitting she was “turned off” by a fan waiting outside the hotel for autographs. Those comments didn’t sit well with the fans, and Plum faced quite a bit of criticism for it back then.

However, for today’s play, there weren’t only Green comparisons cropping up, but Grayson Allen came into the mix as well. “Kelsey Plum = Grayson Allen,” wrote one fan. During his NCAA days, Allen was given the title of a “serial tripper,” so you can see where that parallel came from.

As a sophomore, Allen made headlines for tripping Louisville’s Ray Spalding, earning a flagrant foul for his troubles. Just weeks later, he repeated the move on a Florida State player, though the ACC decided not to bench him after looking into it. The following season, Allen promised to “play the game the right way,” but things didn’t quite stick. He tripped an Elon player again.

But does any of it make you wonder why Kelsey plays the way she does, so hard? Valkyries fans might want to blame T.J. McConnell. “Playing hard is a skill,” he said on a podcast, and that stuck with Plum. She even said, “I just try to be a menace” and doesn’t slow down, no matter what possession it is. Another person you can thank? Bill Laimbeer, who coached her with the Aces. She called him a “bad boy” who helped her sharpen those skills.

Lastly, one fan said, “She’s kind of boring to watch.” Calling the 2x WNBA champion and a 4x WNBA All-Star boring certainly feels a stretch, but such was her performance tonight. She went 1-9 from the field and scored just 4 points tonight.”Plum Dawg” is close to her career best, averaging 20.4 points per game for the Sparks since leaving the Aces this summer, and will be eager to bounce back and lead L.A. to their first playoff appearance since 2020.