Tom Brady congratulated Kelsey Plum on the Aces' WNBA championship after she barked at him early in the season

• Kelsey Plum and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun to win the 2022 WNBA championship.
• Tom Brady congratulated the All-Star guard and her team after meeting them early in the season.

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — Tom Brady and Kelsey Plum forged a bizarre acquaintanceship throughout the 2022 WNBA season.

So the legendary Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback congratulated the All-Star guard and her Las Vegas Aces teammates on winning this year's WNBA championship Sunday night — because that's what friends-of-sorts do.

Back in May, Brady sat courtside at Las Vegas' Michelob ULTRA Arena for what turned out to be a WNBA Finals preview: the Aces against the Connecticut Sun. But before taking the court that day, Plum made sure to introduce herself to the most decorated player in the NFL.

"I went right up to him," Plum said after the game. "I dapped him up, gave him a big hug, and I was like, 'Man, you're a dog, I love you.'"

Then she barked like a dog.

"He looked at me and he was like, 'Yeah!'" Plum added. "We connected."

Though her teammates were skeptical — albeit amused — by the 28-year-old's antics at the time, Plum was correct about making a lasting impression on Brady. She put on a show for the seven-time Super Bowl champion, dropping 18 points and a game-high seven assists in Las Vegas' 89-81 win.

A month or so later, Brady showed his appreciation by sending Plum a gift: his red Bucs jersey with a handwritten note scrawled over the white No. 12.

"Kelsey, you are amazing," the message written over the No. 1 said.

Brady's signature appeared over the No. 2 along with "Good luck!" and "L.F.G."

Plum played it a bit cooler this time around.

When Brady acknowledged her and her teammates' massive feat Sunday night — a 78-71 win over the Sun to clinch their franchise's first-ever WNBA title — the Southern California native responded as though the pair goes way back: