The two teams that met in the 2021 WNBA Finals — when the Chicago Sky knocked off the Phoenix Mercury for the first championship in franchise history — came together Tuesday to complete the biggest trade of the 2024 WNBA offseason to date. Finals MVP Kahleah Copper is headed to the Valley of the Sun in a deal that lands Chicago the No. 3 pick in this year’s WNBA draft and a 2026 first-rounder.
Although the Mercury finished with the WNBA’s worst record last season and the Sky made the playoffs as the eighth and final seed, it’s Phoenix that’s pushing to win now, with Diana Taurasi in the twilight of her career. Copper is the kind of athletic, high-scoring wing the Mercury have long sought to pair with Taurasi and Brittney Griner.
Meanwhile, Chicago is seeking to replenish its draft coffers after last year’s ill-advised sign-and-trade deal that gave up control of the Sky’s first-round picks through 2026 for Marina Mabrey.
What does this trade mean for both teams and the rest of the league? And who got the better value? Let’s break it down.
Mercury get: Forwards Kahleah Copper and Morgan…
