Phoenix Mercury star Kelsey Plum and Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko shared an accidental hug before Wednesday’s game ended.
With just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the contest at Gateway Center in College Park, Ga., Plum sprinted down the floor and along the sideline looking to catch a pass. However, the ball went out of bounds, and Plum ran straight into the arms of Smesko.
Fortunately for Plum, Smesko was there to break her momentum. Otherwise, she could have crashed into Atlanta’s bench or, worse, suffered an injury.
Here is a video showing that moment.
Kelsey Plum bear hugs Dream coach Karl Smesko while going after the ball 😅 pic.twitter.com/QaCUf7ezfu
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 6, 2026
It has been a whirlwind of late for the five-time WNBA All-Star. The game against the Dream was just Plum’s second with the Mercury since getting surprisingly traded by the Los Angeles Sparks to Phoenix in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder.
As for the game, the Mercury ended up suffering a 96-82 loss despite Plum scoring 19 points on 6/10 shooting from the floor.
Phoenix’s defeat hurt the team’s chances to make the playoffs, as the Mercury drop to 12-20, 6.5 games off the final spot in the current postseason picture.
Plum and the Mercury will look to bounce back on Friday against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
