Kelsey Plum ’13 Returns Home to LJCDS
WNBA star and Torrey alumna visits campus, reconnects with teachers, and reminds students what can grow from dreams, gratitude, and community.
Kelsey Plum ’13 has played on some of basketball’s biggest stages. She is a two-time WNBA champion, four-time All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and one of the most accomplished players in women’s basketball history. But when she returned to La Jolla Country Day School, she summed up what the campus still means to her in one word:
Home.
Now a guard for the Los Angeles Sparks, Plum visited LJCDS for a full-circle celebration with students, faculty, staff, coaches, and former teachers. The visit brought together generations of Torreys to honor not only Plum’s extraordinary basketball journey but also the relationships, gratitude, and community roots that helped shape her along the way.
“I just want to say thank you so much for welcoming me back,” Plum shared with the community. “This is home. I’m so proud to be a Torrey.”
Her visit came as the Sparks prepared to face the Nigerian Women’s National Team in a 2026 WNBA preseason game on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 12 p.m. PT at Viejas Arena on the San Diego State University campus. The historic matchup highlights the global growth of women’s basketball and brings one of the sport’s brightest stars back to the city where her dreams first took shape.
The moment followed last year’s “Battle of the Torreys,” when 85 members of the LJCDS community traveled to LA’s Crypto.com Arena to watch Plum and fellow alumna Te-Hina Paopao ’20 share the WNBA stage.
A Full-Circle Moment
For Plum, returning to campus was about more than basketball. It was about honoring the people and place that helped her grow.
“I can’t thank how many people have made an impact in my life and just allowed me to become the human being that I am today,” she shared with students. “These years at La Jolla Country Day are extremely special, and the classmates that you have, the relationships that you build here, will be for life. Take advantage of that.”
“I can’t thank how many people have made an impact in my life and just allowed me to become the human being that I am today,” she shared with students. “These years at La Jolla Country Day are extremely special, and the classmates that you have, the relationships that you build here, will be for life. Take advantage of that.”
As students gathered to welcome her back, Plum reflected on seeing the same spirit she remembered from her own days as a Torrey.
“I have the same joy that I had when I was playing here,” she said. “I had big dreams when I was a young girl, coming in and wanting to be in the WNBA. It’s kind of a full-circle moment to be able to be here with my team, play for the Sparks.”
That sense of joy, possibility, and belonging made the visit especially meaningful for students, many of whom saw firsthand what can grow from talent, character, discipline, and a community that believes in them.
Plum’s return also held deep significance because of the people she saw, including former teachers, coaches, mentors, and fellow alumni who supported her during her years at LJCDS.
Plum’s journey is remarkable. At LJCDS, she scored more than 2,000 points, helped lead the Torreys to four section titles, and won the 2012 CIF Division IV state championship. She went on to become a record-breaking college player at the University of Washington and one of the most recognizable names in the WNBA.
But her message to students was not only about chasing big dreams. It was about recognizing the value of the people beside you while you grow.
A Champion Player. A Champion Person.
Athletic Director Jeff Hutzler described Plum’s return as a powerful reminder of the kind of person LJCDS hopes to develop.
“There’s no better example of what a Country Day student, alum, person, and human being is like than Kelsey Plum,” Hutzler said. “Having her come back and reconnect, and see the Jungle student fan zone that she helped start, see the new gym, and see Coach Bamford’s name on the floor—it just means a lot.”
For Hutzler, her legacy extends well beyond basketball.
“She’s not only a champion ball player, but a champion person,” he said. “It makes me really proud of her and proud of the school.”
Plum’s return also held deep significance because of the people she saw, including former teachers, coaches, mentors, and fellow alumni who supported her during her years at LJCDS.
Roots That Keep Growing
For Alumni Manager Katie Sigeti, the visit captured something essential about the Country Day experience: Torreys come back.
“One of the things that makes our school so special is that alumni come back all the time to visit their roots and the extraordinary people who have shaped their lives,” Sigeti said. “Having Kelsey return home to Country Day, especially during Teacher Appreciation Week, where she had the opportunity to visit with many of her former teachers, was really special.”
For current students, Plum’s visit also offered a living example of what is possible when a young person pursues a dream with courage, commitment, and support.
“Alumni like Kelsey are exceptional role models for our students,” Sigeti said. “For the Torreys who follow in their footsteps, they are an extraordinary example of the power of hard work in pursuit of a dream. For our current students, observing fellow Torreys who once walked their path and pursued their passions with such success, and then greeting them when they return home to LJCDS, has a tremendous impact. Kelsey is a true testament to what it means to be a Torrey for life.”
That message was visible throughout the visit as Middle and Upper School students gathered to welcome Plum home, celebrate her success, and see one of their own return with gratitude. For students with dreams of their own, the moment made aspiration feel close, human, and possible.
Plum’s journey is remarkable. At LJCDS, she scored more than 2,000 points, helped lead the Torreys to four section titles, and won the 2012 CIF Division IV state championship. She went on to become a record-breaking college player at the University of Washington and one of the most recognizable names in the WNBA.
But her message to students was not only about chasing big dreams. It was about recognizing the value of the people beside you while you grow.
At Country Day, success is never only about what students achieve. It is about who they become, how they care for others, and the impact they are prepared to make in the world.
Plum’s visit was a celebration of all of it: the dream, the work, the relationships, the gratitude, and the joy of coming home.
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