"Draymond Green would be proud": WNBA fans mock Kelsey Plum's "Karate Kid" kick on $78,831 Valkyries guard

The LA Sparks saw their three-game winning streak snapped Saturday in a 72-59 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, posting their lowest point total of the season and getting a season-worst outing from Kelsey Plum.

In the fourth quarter, frustrations boiled over as Plum, guarding Veronica Burton, appeared to try to kick the ball but instead caught Burton in the shin.

The two exchanged words briefly before Plum was assessed a flagrant foul. Fans on X had fun with the moment, joking that Draymond Green, known for kicking incidents, would be proud of Plum’s foul on the $78,831-salaried Valkyries guard.

“Draymond Green would be proud of her,” one fan said.

“That’s Draymond/Grayson Allen level of dirty,” another said.

One fan compared Kelsey Plum's move to a scene from “The Karate Kid,” saying:

“I saw that move in The Karate Kid when Daniel went out for the soccer team. Bobby doing Johnny's dirty work.”

Here are other reactions.

Kelsey Plum, Sparks struggle against Valkyries

Kelsey Plum, playing her 264th career game, turned in one of her 25 lowest-scoring performances, going scoreless in the first half on five shots and finishing with four points, four rebounds and four assists on 1-of-9 shooting.

It was her first single-digit scoring game of the year, coming right after a six-game stretch in which she averaged 22.8 points.

As a team, the Sparks shot just 32.8% from the field and 23.6% from three-point range. Their 59 points were a season-low and a stark drop from the triple-digit totals in each of their previous three games.

Dearica Hamby was a bright spot, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting as the Sparks fell behind by as many as 19. Rae Burrell and Julie Allemand added 10 points each.

Burton paced Golden State with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Cecilia Zandalasini chipped in 14, while Janelle Salaun scored 11 for the Valkyries.

The Sparks return home for two games, against the Seattle Storm on Sunday and the New York Liberty on Tuesday, before hitting the road to face the Dallas Wings on Friday and the Washington Mystics next Sunday.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro