Who wins Sunday’s blockbuster WNBA trade involving All-Stars Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum, plus the No. 2 pick of the upcoming draft?
As reported by ESPN, the three-team trade fulfills Loyd’s trade request by sending her to the Las Vegas Aces to replace Plum, who will join the Los Angeles Sparks via sign-and-trade after the Aces used their core designation to take her out of free agency. Meanwhile, the Storm move up from No. 9 to No. 2 in April’s draft — which could facilitate an offer to land the No. 1 pick from the Dallas Wings if top prospect Paige Bueckers of the UConn Huskies prefers not to play in Dallas.
WNBA free agency, which opened for negotiations on Jan. 21 with players free to sign contracts starting Feb. 1, has moved slowly as the league’s other teams awaited the outcome of negotiations between Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Seattle. Expect more blockbusters now that this domino has fallen, though none might be as important as a trade remaking the roster of the two-time champion Aces and heralding the Sparks’ return to playoff contention.
Let’s break down the implications and grade the trade for…
