The WNBA trade deadline has never been full of activity, but there was hope that with the new CBA, this season would be different. However, that did not turn out to be the case — Sunday’s deadline came and went with just two deals in the books.
On Friday, the Toronto Tempo traded the rights to Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick for Connecticut Sun forward Aneesah Morrow. Then, in the middle of Saturday night/Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Sparks traded their leading scorer Kelsey Plum for Monique Akoa Makani, the Mercury’s 2027 first-round pick and 2028 second-round pick.
We have already graded both of those trades — the Tempo and Sparks both earned an A, while the Sun and Mercury got a D — but there’s a lot more to process about the state of the WNBA headed down the stretch of the season, even with the lack of player movement.
Kelsey Plum trade grades: Mercury make a head-scratching move; Sparks embrace the rebuild
Lindsay Gibbs
Here is a closer look at the winners and losers of this trade deadline:
Loser: The Mercury’s asset management
We can start with the good: The Mercury got five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum, who has missed the last six weeks with a left leg injury, but is set to return soon. She has been averaging 23.9 points per game this season, which, per Elias Sports Bureau, is the highest points-per-game average for a player that changed teams midseason (min. 10 games played) in WNBA history.
In other words, this trade was a big deal!
However, context really matters here. Phoenix gave up Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder to the Sparks – meaning they gave up a lot of future investment. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee Plum will stay, because she will still be a free agent in the offseason.
The Mercury do technically get better right now, but they are 5.5 games out of playoff position with 14 games remaining in the regular season. Best-case scenario, Plum likes playing with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper and appreciates that Phoenix is close to her home in Los Angeles, so she decides to stay longer than a few months. Playoffs or not, that could work out well for the Mercury. But still, given Plum will be a free agent, that could have happened in the offseason anyway. Worst-case scenario, they miss the playoffs, Plum leaves during the offseason and Phoenix misses a chance at some of the top fresh talent that will be available at next year’s draft and see their best young player flourish in Southern California.
Winner: Minnesota Lynx stay on top
Napheesa Collier‘s one-year supermax deal meant there were preseason murmurs that she might not want to be in Minnesota long-term, and therefore could potentially be in trade discussions this summer if things went south. However, it seems like the Lynx‘s superstar is happy where she is, and the feeling is mutual. Minnesota didn’t make a trade at the deadline, which was the smartest decision, because why mess with something that is already working so well?
The Lynx are at the top of the league standings even though Collier just recently made her season debut after having surgery on both ankles. Most of that success is due to the addition of point guard Olivia Miles, who is in the middle of a historic rookie season after the Lynx selected her No. 2 overall.
After a 108-100 victory against the Fever on Sunday, the Lynx boast a 25-6 overall record amidst a 10-game winning streak and have a 3.5-game lead over the second-place Aces. In the win over Indiana, Miles and Courtney WIlliams scored a combined 55 points and Collier flirted with a triple-double with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. She has hardly shown any rust in the four games since her return, averaging 18.3 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.7 steals and one block per contest.
Equally as important for the Lynx, no other top team got any reinforcements before the trade deadline, including the Aces and the third-place Golden State Valkyries, who many thought might be a landing spot for Plum. Life at the top remains sweet.
Loser: The Liberty — and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton — stand still
The Liberty, currently No. 8 in the standings, have been struggling this season, which makes their trade deadline inactivity puzzling, especially when it comes to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Laney-Hamilton had been a starter for the team since joining in 2021, including during the 2024 championship season. However, she has only started five games this season and is averaging 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while playing under 17 minutes per game.
She missed all of 2025 due to surgery and rehabilitation on her left knee, but new head coach Chris DeMarco has insisted she is healthy. In recent weeks, she has fallen completely out of rotation, leading to speculation that she would be traded. But nothing materialized.
The Liberty, who were preseason title favorites after adding Satou Sabally in free agency, have been shaken by injuries all season, and general manager Jonathan Kolb seems to be betting on improved health down the stretch. Breanna Stewart is playing at an MVP level, Sabrina Ionescu has rediscovered her form after struggling with an early-season back injury and Jonquel Jones did just win the All-Star MVP award, so she’s in fine form. So it’s not a completely foolish bet, especially considering Leonie Fiebich, who has missed the last month with a left foot injury, is expected to return soon. The key might be whether Sabally can recover enough from her second concussion in the last 10 months to help the Liberty make a run.
Winner: The race for the No. 8 seed
Heading into the trade deadline, the playoff race looked all but over. And it still pretty much does — the Liberty hold the eighth and final spot, but have a five-game cushion over the Sparks at No. 9. However, there are five teams within one game of each other from No 9 through No. 13 in the standings, and two of those teams — the Mercury and the Tempo — improved (in the short-term, at least) this weekend.
With one-third of the season remaining, there is still an outside chance for a team to knock the Mystics or Liberty out of the postseason, if things break the right way.
For context, here is what No. 7 through No. 13 look like in the standings. (We can leave the No. 14 Sun and No. 15 Storm out for now, since they’re so far behind):
| 7 |
Mystics |
16-12 |
7.5 |
| 8 |
Liberty |
17-13 |
7.5 |
| 9 |
Sparks |
11-17 |
12.5 |
| 10 |
11-18 |
13 |
|
| 11 |
Mercury |
11-19 |
13.5 |
| 12 |
11-19 |
13.5 |
|
| 13 |
Tempo |
10-18 |
13.5 |
Do any of these teams have a real chance to win the title this year, or even make it to the semifinals? Probably not. It would certainly have been more interesting if the real contenders had taken some swings. However, Plum helping Phoenix fight for the postseason and the Tempo finally getting a presence in the post does add intrigue to August and September.
Worth noting: The Liberty have already won the season series against the Mercury, but the Mercury do have three games against the Mystics in August which will certainly be worth circling on the calendar.
Loser: Sun fans got a disappointing final season
This is the Sun franchise’s last season in Connecticut before relocating and becoming the Houston Comets. The relocation was a disappointing decision for Sun fans, and this final campaign is hardly giving them something to cheer for. The Sun are second-to-last in the standings with a 7-22 overall record and are going to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
WNBA trade grades: Tempo get much-needed frontcourt boost with Aneesah Morrow; Sun keep flailing in final year
Isabel Gonzalez
The one bright spot for Sun fans this year has been watching the young team compete and grow. But they lost a familiar face on Friday when the Sun traded Aneesah Morrow for the rights to Maria Kliundikova — who has only played three WNBA seasons since 2018 — and a 2028 second-round pick. Morrow’s departure leaves this roster with a shortage of depth in the post, and Connecticut didn’t even get any impactful players in the short-term to lessen the pain.
Rebuilding is never an easy process, but it’s particularly hard to swallow when the bright future that awaits will be across the country in another uniform altogether.
Winner: The Sparks (finally!) commit to rebuilding
Losing Kelsey Plum does not make the Sparks any better this season. However, once it became clear that Plum was likely to leave Los Angeles in free agency anyway, the Sparks absolutely had to trade her at the deadline to get something that would help their future.
Monique Akoa Makani, the Mercury’s 2027 first-round pick and the Mercury’s 2028 second-round pick is not a bad haul at all. With this trade, the Sparks are committing to the rebuild. The class of 2027 could be loaded with talent such as JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker, among many others. And after not making the playoffs since 2020, a young new look might be the fresh start this franchise needs. Perhaps their luck is changing already, as the Sparks snapped a six-game losing streak with a 106-101 win against Portland on Sunday.
