Kelsey Plum isn\u2019t just playing in Unrivaled; she\u2019s also using it as a training space for Team USA. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and scoring machine, who has averaged 22.6 points in her last five games, has found the perfect place to work on her skills before international competition gets serious.<\/p>\n
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The 3\u00d73 circuit gives Plum a chance to compete at a high level without the usual stress, which lets her try out new strategies and get ready for the physicality of playing basketball around the world.<\/p>\n
Plum explained her two-pronged approach to the tournament during a recent talk with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing I wanted to work on with Unrivaled\u2014two things,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne is just the high paint game. There\u2019s no mystery: people guard me at the arc, and they guard me at the rim. So just having that high paint game, and really, I work on it all the time, but it\u2019s different to work on it in a game and just have the level of\u2014you know what?\u2014I\u2019m not going to be results-based. I\u2019m just going to be super intentional about getting in there and either getting a floater or a mid-range off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plum\u2019s focus on the mid-range is a sign of planned growth.<\/p>\n
She has averaged 22.6 points over her last five games, with her best performance being 38 points on 16-22 shooting on January 10. She is getting better at playing inside<\/a>, which is important for international competition.<\/p>\n FIBA tournaments make driving lanes much smaller, so guards have to work from the middle of the court. Plum uses Unrivaled\u2019s physical speed as a training tool to help Team USA get ready for the World Cup, which starts on March 11 in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
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