A three-team trade between the Sparks, Aces and Storm will serve as the flare that set WNBA free agency ablaze.
A deal that has been in the works for weeks — sending Storm guard Jewell Loyd to the Aces, Aces guard Kelsey Plum to the Sparks and the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, plus Sparks center Li Yueru to the Storm — was finalized on Sunday, sources told the Sun-Times.
Beyond the stars who headlined the blockbuster trade, the package includes the Aces receiving the No. 13 pick in the 2025 draft from Los Angeles, and the Sparks receiving the No. 9 pick and a 2026 second-round pick from Seattle. The Storm will also receive the Aces 2026 first-round pick.
Trade talks were first initiated after Loyd asked to be moved out of Seattle following an investigation into the coaching staff which concluded with no violations found. Despite the findings, there was an understanding that moving on from the franchise would be necessary for Loyd, who was drafted by the Storm with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 and won two WNBA titles in Seattle. The Sky were in talks with the Storm at one point regarding a potential trade that would have sent the No. 3 overall pick to Seattle in exchange for Loyd.
Those discussions fell apart after it was made clear that Loyd’s preferred destination was Las Vegas.
The deal won’t be official until Feb. 1, but the agreed to terms now gives all three franchises the freedom to navigate free agency with a more solidified salary cap. The Storm have, in principle, cleared Loyd’s $249,032 salary from their books, while the Aces and Sparks will both have less cap space to work with to go after other free agents.
The Aces cored Kelsey Plum on Jan. 11, which comes with a one-year supermax qualifying offer. Plum and her team can negotiate different terms that could result in her taking a team-friendly deal, giving the Sparks more cap space to go after other costly free-agents.
The core tag also gave Plum self-determination over where she ended up, which could indicate that she plans to remain with the Sparks beyond the 2025 season.
Free agents are expected to sign one-year deals in anticipation of a new collective bargaining agreement that will need to be ratified before the 2026 season to prevent a work stoppage. Improved salaries and long-term benefits are among the top priorities for the WNBA Players Association in negotiations. Under the current CBA rules, Plum will still have one more eligible core year. There’s no guarantee, however, that the rules pertaining to the core designation remain the same, which adds a layer of risk to the Sparks acquisition.
Plum’s addition in Los Angeles answers a need in the Sparks backcourt, but some believe drafting Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles would have offered a better long-term answer. If Plum remains with the Sparks beyond the 2025 season — which was indicated to the franchise according to a league source — then her value exceeds any player the Sparks could have picked up with the No. 2 overall pick.
Adding Plum, a two-time WNBA champion, to join their young tandem of Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink puts their rebuild on the fast track when considering the rest of their roster. Plum’s former championship teammate Dearica Hamby will be another key piece in the Sparks snapping their four-year playoff drought.
Meanwhile, Loyd’s addition in Las Vegas helps maintain their status as a title contender. As long as three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is in an Aces uniform their title window will remain open. However last year it was clear that they needed to restructure the support around Wilson. Beyond adding Loyd, the Aces will look to make another big move in free agency that strengthens their frontcourt.
The upside of this trade for the Storm remains to be seen. Developing a new culture that centers guard Skylar Diggins-Smith is a strong path forward for one of the WNBA’s most storied franchises. Forward Gabby Williams was cored Jan. 14 and the expectation is that she will remain in Seattle. If they can re-sign unrestricted free agent Nneka Ogwumike, the Storm could evade a rebuild entirely by getting the right player with the No. 2 overall pick.