BRADENTON, Fla. – Raven Johnson attempts a steal at the top of the key, freeing the ball. MiLaysia Fulwiley is a blur in transition, completing a behind-the-back finish to the basket that draws oohs and aahs from the crowd — and curses from the bench — while Johnson tells her no one can guard her.
There’s Asiaha James and Kate Martin splashing the 3 in transition, Saniya Rivers bringing the energy on both ends, and Nika Mühl stares at a referee as a defender tries to call for a moving screen.
Two weeks after the national semi-finals, the echoes of the Final Four resonate at the IMG Academy. Instead of the packed crowds and bright lights of Cleveland, this gym is mostly empty. It’s discreet work that will allow these players to return to the forefront next season, or at the next stage of their career.
In the middle of every drill and scrimmage is Kelsey Plum, the WNBA All-Star who caused these collegiate stars to flock to Florida just days after the WNBA draft and the end of their NCAA seasons. This is the second edition of her annual Dawg class, designed to bring together the best guards in the country, those who aspire to become a professional like her. Whether the WNBA is a few weeks, months or years away, Plum wants to make sure it helps these players move on to the next phase of their basketball journey.
This year’s group included Johnson, Fulwiley, James, Rivers, Martin, Mühl, KK Arnold, Azzi Fudd, Georgia Amoore, Dyaisha Fair, Ta’Niya Latson and Shyanne Sellers.
“When I came out of college, I was kind of on an island in terms of understanding the WNBA and that transition and what it took,” Plum said. “My idea was just to help.”
DAWG COURSE DAY 3: THE SUMMARY pic.twitter.com/Ga19cnsZ3C
– WSLAM (@wslam) April 22, 2024
The Dawg Class, sponsored by Under Armor Next, invites college guards to train with Plum but also gain access to its entire network of resources. Over the weekend, in addition to on-field practices and live matches, the players had sessions with Plum’s performance coach Susan King Borchardt, her mental preparation coach David Elaimy and her coach Noah The rock.
Plum also reiterated that if attendees could benefit from connecting with someone else, she would be happy to make an introduction.
“If you don’t get what you need here, I know a lot of people,” Plum said. “Last year, Raven Johnson said to me, ‘Hey, Chelsea Gray is my favorite player. “I’m like, great, I know Chelsea Gray, let’s get in touch, because I really believe it’s a community and it’s a strength that we have in women’s basketball, but I don’t think not that we use it to our advantage. .”
With a wide variety of assets at her disposal, and now campers, Plum wants to make Dawg Class a holistic event that offers something for everyone.
For Johnson, the 2023 camp marked the birth of his revenge tour. She came out of the 2023 Final Four doubting herself after South Carolina’s loss to Iowa and benefited from Plum’s mentality of being a “dude” and overcoming adversity. Classes with Elaimy helped her regain self-confidence.
“(Elaimy) was telling me you need to do things more than just basketball to improve your mental health,” Johnson said. “I took responsibility and did a lot of things to improve my mental health. He was talking to me about confidence last year – what he was telling me, I took those words of encouragement into the season. I think my confidence has increased a lot between last year and this year.
With a better understanding of her mental approach, Johnson came to her second camp with a different goal: She wanted to learn from Plum’s footwork, particularly how she gets downhill, no matter what the defense does. Johnson wants to develop his basketball IQ and read defenders rather than relying on his athleticism to get by on offense.
At 5-foot-8, Johnson is similar in size to Plum, making Plum’s movements on the court a useful model. Georgia Amoore found herself following the Aces star for the same reason. Amoore is another two-time member of the Dawg class who needs as much instruction as possible from Plum to understand how small guards can succeed in the WNBA.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Kelsey, and I think a lot of my stature and other things resonate with her,” Amoore said. “If I could spend some one-on-one time, watch how she works… that would be the biggest benefit for me.”
Although their listed heights may have been a little generous, Amoore, who is 5-6, and Dyaisha Fair, who is 5-5, were particularly in tune with Plum’s footwork in practice, the way she positions the ball and the angles of its movement. end. It was clear that both men were emulating these five-on-five drills, knowing the uphill battle that awaits them in the pros.
For Fair, that challenge is coming soon. Four days before arriving in Bradenton, she was drafted by Las Vegas, along with Martin. The duo was grateful for all the advice on how to stay in the WNBA, especially as second-round picks, but they had the added benefit of getting insight into the Aces organization.
“The talent that comes into the W is so good, but they don’t even get a chance to develop because of external circumstances,” Plum said. “Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin, they’re going to try to make the Aces roster. They are excellent basketball players. What if this week I could at least help them prepare? Hey, this is what training camp looks like. That’s what Becky (Hammon) likes. This is how you should enter, and it has nothing to do with a jump shot.
One player who couldn’t even make a jump over the weekend was Fudd, who is rehabbing the ACL she tore in November. Still, the UConn guard was eager to return to Plum’s camp to check in with Borchardt and make sure she was taking care of her body. In addition to leading pre- and post-practice sessions, Borchardt observed all basketball action to ensure she and her team had performance plans in place for each athlete.
Fudd has rehabilitation resources available at UConn. But coming back from an injury can be isolating. Being around Plum, who went through similar challenges, was an added source of motivation. Fudd said she doesn’t like to ask for help, but knowing that a WNBA athlete she admires has her entire team relying on her makes things easier.
“She went through a lot of the struggles that we go through,” Fudd said. “His openness and vulnerability with us is really valuable, at least for me. The things I’m experiencing, I’m not alone. I got it. I have other resources. Her sharing her stories and her transition to the league and how she really experienced it, and how the mental side really helped her, that’s something I really want to work on. I just know that it’s okay to talk to people and get that kind of help and ask for help.
The campers all had the opportunity to make bracelets with a word that set their intention for the weekend, and Fudd chose “unbreakable.” After everything her body has endured, she wanted to remember that she is still strong and still in this echelon of players.
CLASS DAWG: Saniya Rivers (@Ihoop___22) pic.twitter.com/yub6GIhEtJ
– WSLAM (@wslam) April 21, 2024
This is part of the magic Plum was trying to create with the Dawg class. She wants players to be excited when they are invited, to consider it an honor. And once at camp, even though she can direct them to what they need, Plum wants to be that primary resource. She is heartened that members of the Dawg Class of 2023 heeded her suggestion to watch more film and updated their strength and conditioning regimens on her recommendation. She stays in touch with them throughout the season, noting that she watched Virginia Tech so much in 2023-24 that her mother might like Amoore more than her.
As Plum says, the Dawg class is not a one-stop shop. The 12 players present are in his corner; she wants to maintain relationships with them and be everything they need moving forward. Even as collegiate competitors, the players all want to learn and help each other.
“The vibes are good and none of these girls are envious or jealous,” Amoore said. “We’re competitive, but it’s not ugly. We obviously want the best for each other. And I think, especially in women’s sports, you have to be competitive, but you can’t cause unnecessary problems, because we’re trying to build something bigger than what it is.
By bringing players together, Plum helps them achieve more as a collective than they could alone. As they begin work on the 2024-25 season, there’s a good chance that next year’s national champion will once again feature a Dawg-class player.
(Top photo by Kelsey Plum, courtesy of Under Armour)