WNBA Star Kelsey Plum Shows Embarrassing Lack Of Tax Knowledge

WNBA star Kelsey Plum surprised many with her contract decision this offseason. The Los Angeles Sparks guard opted to sign a one-year deal, rather than a multi-year supermax contract. The monetary figure was surprising, too.

Plum, 31, signed a one-year deal for $999,999 - just shy of $1 million. She had been eligible for a $1.4 million supermax deal under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, Plum chose to take a pay cut, helping the Sparks build a championship-level roster around her.

In a recent interview, Plum explained why she decided to sign for $999,999, instead of $1 million. She said it's because of California's tax rate. She claimed that if she had signed for $1 million, it would've cost her $13,000. There's a 13 percent marginal tax rate on people who make $1 million and more in California.

"I saved like $13,000 in not claiming a dollar," she explained to YouTuber Austin Franklin, in a clip that has gone viral.

Plum was referencing the California Mental Health Services Act, known as the MHSA or "millionaire's tax."

However, tax experts claim that Plum is getting her numbers wrong.

Tax experts call out Plum for lack of knowledge

Tax experts claim that Plum is either uninformed are greatly misguided by her tax experts. They say she would not have owed $13,000 if she had $1 added to her contract. Instead, she just would've owed $0.13 on the $1 that brought her to $1 million.

"Someone please explain marginal tax rates to Kelsey Plum. If she earned one more dollar, she would be taxed 13 cents…not $13,000. And even if that were true, she is ignoring jock taxes, endorsement income, etc," Joe Pompliano shared.

Unless Plum is trolling everyone, she got this wrong.

"A basic understanding of taxes, their brackets, marginal rates, etc should be taught in every high school in America. In no circumstances are you "saving money" on taxes by turning down any amount of raise. The $1 would be taxed higher than the rest, that's it 🙄," one shared.

Unfortunately, it's quite common for people in America to think that they will actually be losing money by taking a raise, since their taxes will get higher.

Tax knowledge is needed by most.

Copyright The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 7:55 AM.