Shaquille O'Neal Didn't Hesitate When Naming His 'Favorite' WNBA Player
Shaquille O'Neal has been a strong advocate for the growth of women's basketball.
Like many others around the sporting world this year, Shaq has weighed in with his thoughts on this season's crop of stellar rookie talent. But when naming his favorite player in the league, the Hall-of-Fame center went with a more experienced WNBA star.
During an episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq named Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum as his favorite player in the W.
The subject came up when discussing the impact of Caitlin Clark on the growth of the women's game.
"Don't say 'Oh, we're getting new sponsorships because of Caitlin [Clark].' No. What about Angel [Reese]? What about [Kamilla] Cardoso? What about my favorite, Kelsey Plum?" Shaq asked.
Plum set the all-time women's college basketball scoring record during her all-time great collegiate career with the Washington Huskies — the same record that was later broken by Caitlin Clark this past season. Plum is fresh off back-to-back All-Star selections and two WNBA titles with the Aces.
Sep 26, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) drives past Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) in the second half during game two of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena. Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Plum is averaging 18.8 points and 4.7 assists per game, but the Aces are a disappointing 6-6 to start the year.
Las Vegas will face off against the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night.