"There's no place like Seattle" inside Kelsey Plum's UW jersey retirement
By Rowan Schaberg, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Hours before the doors of Alaska Airlines Arena opened, thousands of fans dressed in purple and gold lined up along Montlake Boulevard, waiting eagerly in anticipation. With a highly-coveted signature bobblehead and “Forever 10” rally towel in hand, the crowd gave their beloved Husky a standing ovation without even needing the announcer or the cameras to point her out as she walked into the sold out crowd–the first sellout since she had last played on that same court. In a city that has been the breeding ground for basketball talent for decades and has been represented by greats who have embraced it as their own, only one player in University of Washington women’s basketball history has been able to bring the Seattle basketball community together in this way.
Sights from pregame as Kelsey Plum was applauded as she entered the arena, sharing moments with another Husky great in Spencer Hawes and recreating her viral popcorn moment with Harry the Husky. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
Kelsey Plum is widely regarded as one of the most–if not the most–decorated athletes in UW history. But she didn’t just make a name for herself amongst Seattleites; her game left a national impact. While at Washington from 2013-2017, Plum became the all-time NCAA scoring leader with 3,527 points, setting the Pac-12 single-game scoring record with 57 points on the legendary senior night in which she claimed the lead. She broke a 33-year-old NCAA free-throw record with a whopping 912 points. Under head coach Mike Neighbors (now at Arkansas), Plum led the Huskies to their first Final Four in school history as a junior in 2016, narrowly missing a spot in the national championship game. Her dominating performance on the program, conference, and national levels awarded her countless awards–including the Naismith Trophy– in her senior season, along with being named the AP, ESPNW, and Pac-12 Player of the Year. A clear favorite in the 2017 WNBA Draft, Plum became the first Husky to be drafted No. 1 overall. In her seven-year professional career, Plum is a two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces, a three-time WNBA All-Star, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
On Saturday, Plum fittingly became the first UW women’s basketball player to have their jersey retired, commemorated with a halftime ceremony unveiling her iconic No. 10 jersey in the rafters of Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The current Husky squad took a few minutes out of their halftime huddle to give their flowers to Plum, lining the tunnel to give her a heartfelt welcome back to the Emerald City. Plum took a moment to hug Dalayah Daniels, a Seattle-native turned UW superstar who was gaining recognition as a high school phenom during Plum’s collegiate era. Plum danced her way onto the court to join her family members in watching a tribute video featuring the coaches and teammates of Plum’s storied career. A single spotlight drew everyone’s attention to the rafters of “Hec Ed,” where a new banner was slowly being revealed. Plum took a deep breath, gazing up at her name and number as the crowd roared–actually barked–for the player whom they affectionately call Plum Dawg.
Kelsey Plum, surrounded by family and friends in attendance with her, look on as tribute videos and special messages were shared on the big board prior to her jersey retirement, sharing some words with current Washington athletic director Pat Chun as well. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
Finally, it was time for Plum to address the crowd. A top-30 high school recruit from Poway, California, Plum recalled how people questioned her decision to choose Washington–a program that, at the time, hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament in nearly a decade. With offers from Maryland, Gonzaga, and Oregon, among others, Plum explained that she was inspired by her sister to elevate an underdog program (no Husky pun intended) to the national stage.
“As soon as I stepped on campus, UW was home,” Plum said. “There’s no place like Seattle.”
After a long pause for cheers from the crowd that considers Plum an honorary city native, she concluded her speech by thanking UW support staff, her family, and everyone who helped her along the way, leaving listeners with the message that they can achieve anything they can possibly dream of.
With her jersey retired and in the rafters of Alaska Airlines Arena inside of Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Kelsey Plum shared some words with the sellout crowd in attendance before speaking with local media about the day. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
Eight years after her graduation, the gathering on Saturday proves Plum’s unforgettable impact on the Seattle basketball landscape. She brought UW basketball to heights that it had never seen before and will likely not see again for years to come. The gratitude from the community is clear, and Plum made sure to emphasize that the feeling is mutual.
“I just really appreciate the love in coming here,” Plum said in a post-ceremony conversation with the media. “There’s a lot going on in different places in the world, right? But for people to take the time to come here and celebrate with me, I just feel honored.”
When reflecting on what it is exactly that made Seattle feel like home on that initial visit to campus and why she still has that feeling 12 years later, Plum gushed about the city’s unique love for women’s basketball.
“Seattle loves their sports, but in particular, basketball,” Plum explained. “Not having an NBA team here for so many years and then obviously the [Seattle Storm] being so prevalent and so successful, the women’s game has just elevated immensely in Seattle, maybe in a way it wouldn’t have if there was still an NBA team.”
When the game ended, as the Washington Huskies took victory over the Purdue Boilermakers in blowout fashion, the jumbotron shared one more thank you for Kelsey Plum to cap an incredible day at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
Plum spoke to the dedication of Storm fans who quickly turned into die-hard UW women’s basketball supporters during her era and have continued that support to this day. Daniels offered her unique perspective as both a UW athlete and a Seattleite, lighting up while reflecting on Plum’s legacy post-game.
“I took a few [recruiting] visits while she was here, so it’s actually crazy,” said Daniels, the fifth year who transferred home from Cal after her sophomore season. “I just know that this was the right way to end my college career, just being at home, it’s such an amazing place to be. With players like [Plum], who have helped build this foundation, it’s just really special to see it all come back together and it was so nice to celebrate here tonight.”
While the sold out crowd came to see Plum, they stayed to watch Tina Langley’s squad pull out a dominant 87-58 point win over the Purdue Boilermakers. The current Husky squad is making waves in their inaugural Big Ten season, with junior Elle Ladine becoming just the fourth player in program history to score 40 points against Northwestern last month. Although they are still far from the caliber of the 2016 Final Four team, following in the footsteps of Plum’s era is always the goal.
“We are so excited to have her number in our rafters,” Langley said. “She’s known for the exceptional hard work that she puts in, but she’s also an incredible person and caring and humble, so that will be a great example to us daily.”
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