Kelsey Plum was as shocked as everyone else when she found outshe had been dealttothe Phoenix Mercury close to the Aug. 2 WNBA trade deadline.Plum dealt with trade rumors leading up to the deadline, butprepared herself to make her return from injury whether it was with the Los Angeles Sparks in Portland on Aug. 2 or elsewhere.And it ended up being elsewhere."I'm where my feet are. Two nights ago, I was in Portland, and nowI'mhere (in Chicago)," Plum said in her introductory conference. "But that'swhy I'm a professional, and I'm paid to play at the highest level, and that's what I'm going to do tonight."Plum will suit up for the Mercury against the Chicago Sky on Aug. 3,playingwith arestriction of 20 minutes.It will be her firstgame since June 21.She wasn't too concerned about her on-court chemistry and lack of practice, as she's studied the playbook and film while on her journey from Portland to Chicago.The uncertainty of whereshe'dend up in the final48 hoursof the trade deadline was overwhelming. But once she got the news of joining the Mercury, she felt more at ease knowing that she had played with starsKahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas while on Team USA, along with being coached by Nate Tibbetts on the national team.On Aug. 2, Plum landed in Chicago around 11 p.m.and was greeted by her new teammates and staff."To be receivedbytheteammates and the staff and the organization, I'm just super grateful," Plum said. "Ican'tsay how thankful I am to go out and compete tonight."Plum comes in with an expiring contract worth$999,999 andis expected to help thestrugglingMercury (11-19)claw their way back into the postseason in the final two months.Even though the Mercury surrendered point guard Monique Akoa Makani and two picks, including a first-rounder, Plum's future with the team beyond this seasonremainsunclear.Generalmanager Nick U'Rendeclined to reveal his discussions with Plum about her intentions beyond the 2026season, butsaid heintends forher to be part of the team's future."I think shefits in with our currentgroupand we certainly hope we're building something she's a part of fora longtime," he said. "Wewouldn'thavedone this if wedidn'tthinkshe'scapable of fitting in both now and moving forward."U'Ren alsodidn'twant to wait for free agency to pursue Plum for the 2027 season and wanted to be "aggressiveandget her here as early as possible.""The chance to get Kelsey into our four walls and have her feel what we're all about and feel our staff and players and organizational dynamic was really important to us," U'Ren said.Plum understands the task ahead with a pivotal five-game road trip that could make or break the Mercury's postseason hopes.Andshe'snot backing down from the challenge."Whatthey'vedone from afar, they were in the Finals lastyear,andit'sbeen a tough road this season with injuries and getting all their players on a roster, butthere'sstill a chance," Plum said."In my mind,that'swhatI'mthinking about. Justchipping away and winning gamesand fighting to get into the playoffs."Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortizon X.Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newslettersso youdon'tmiss a thing.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kelsey Plum opens up about trade before Mercury face Sky