Kelsey Plum can’t believe Paige Bueckers after comical exchange: “Rookies talking s**t is crazy”

The Dallas Wings and LA Sparks squared off Friday night, but the highly anticipated battle between Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers didn’t happen, as Bueckers was out due to a concussion. The Sparks rolled to a 93-79 win.

With Bueckers sidelined, Plum took the spotlight, finishing with 11 points and nine assists. Plum was taken aback by the rookie’s boldness during their quick exchange after the game.

In a clip shared by the WNBA on X, Plum and Bueckers shared words postgame. Walking off afterward, Plum turned to the camera and said:

“Rookies talking s**t is crazy. Rookies are built different here.”

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Kelsey Plum is no stranger to rookie energy, having been in the league since 2017. This season marks her debut with the Sparks, a team loaded with young talent like Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink.

Bueckers, this year’s No. 1 overall pick out of UConn, entered concussion protocol following the May 29 loss to Chicago. She had already missed three games, all of which Dallas lost.

Kelsey Plum high on Sparks’ young players

In her Sparks introductory press conference in February, two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum raved about teammates Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink, calling them the top young duo in the league.

“I think Cam is a Defensive Player of the Year waiting to brew,” Plum said (per The Athletic). “(The Sparks have) the best young frontcourt in the league, and it’s not even close.”

Jackson and Brink averaged 9.2 combined rebounds last season. Brink, a Defensive Player of the Year contender before her knee injury limited her to 15 games, finished second in blocks (2.3) and added 1.1 steals per game.

Their main rivals for young frontcourt supremacy? Chicago’s Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, who put up a dominant 21.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game combined in 2024.

Jackson’s numbers have dipped this season to 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Brink, recovering from an ACL tear in June 2024, is expected back at some point this season.

Cameron Brink #22 of the Los Angeles Sparks walks the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on Friday - Source: Getty

The Sparks opened the season 3-6.

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