New Phoenix Mercury superstar guard Kelsey Plum accidentally bear hugged Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko while going for the basketball in her team's road loss on Wednesday night.
Plum went for the basketball as it was going out of bounds and embraced Smesko to keep her from crashing into the Dream bench when it became clear she was falling.
Smesko steadied her from landing on the court, and the two shared a quick hello before Plum returned to the game. You really don't often see a coach keeping a player from crashing like this; we're sure Plum and Smesko shared a laugh about it after the game.
Kelsey Plum bear hugs Dream coach Karl Smesko while going after the ball 😅 pic.twitter.com/QaCUf7ezfu
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 6, 2026
Thankfully Smesko was there to steady Plum from what
could have been a serious fall.
When did Plum join the Mercury?
She landed with Phoenix at Sunday's WNBA trade deadline via a trade with the Los Angeles Sparks.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kelsey Plum surprised Dream coach with a mid-fall bear hug
