If I had to name a player who truly stands out in the WNBA for her off-court achievements, it wouldn’t take me a minute to say: Kelsey Plum. And if you need proof, just look at her love for cigars. Interestingly, that love only developed about three years ago, during a pivotal playoff run with the Las Vegas Aces. Plum had promised the team that if they won, she’d celebrate by smoking a cigar. Well, they did win—and the cigar became more than just a celebratory prop.

Since then, Plum’s appreciation for cigars has grown so much that she even launched her own cigar brand. She lit one up again after the Aces won their second championship ring, and then once more after taking home gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But cigars aren’t her only off-court highlight. On January 17, 2020, Plum kicked off her broadcasting journey as an analyst for the Pac-12 Network during a game between Arizona State and the University of Washington women’s basketball teams. Still, what’s even more fascinating than all her accolades and ventures is the story behind her journey to becoming the force she is today.

Where is Kelsey Plum from? What’s her nationality?

Born on August 24, 1994, in Poway, California, Kelsey Plum hails from a family with a rich athletic heritage. She’s got sports in her genes; her mother, Katie, was a volleyball player at the University of California, Davis, while her father, Jim, earned All-American honors in football. Naturally, Plum was drawn to sports.

While her two older sisters, Kaitlyn and Lauren, followed their mother’s footsteps and played volleyball, and her younger brother Daniel played football at UC Davis, Plum found herself longing for an entirely different sport. Although she initially leaned toward volleyball, that began to change once she entered high school; basketball gradually stole her heart.