Right before free agency begins, the WNBA is getting a drastic shakeup.
The Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm agreed to a multi-team deal that will see Kelsey Plum head to Southern California and Jewell Loyd to Sin City, ESPN's Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne, Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou reported Sunday, citing league sources.
Blockbuster WNBA deal: The Seattle Storm are trading six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multi-team move that sends three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources tell me, @ramonashelburne, @alexaphilippou, @kendra__andrews. pic.twitter.com/OlRb37RKIA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2025
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Seattle will acquire the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft from Los Angeles along with 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru.
The Sparks will get the No. 9 overall selection from Seattle, while Las Vegas will receive the No. 13 pick from Los Angeles, the report added.
Loyd, a two-time WNBA champion and six-time All-Star, had requested a trade from Seattle in early December. The 31-year-old, who had been with Seattle her entire career, put in the request shortly after an external investigation into reported accusations of harassment and bullying by the Storm's coaching staff was cleared.
Noelle Quinn has led the Storm as head coach since 2021. ESPN previously reported, citing a source, that Loyd was the player who filed the complaint leading to the investigation. Quinn was also Loyd's teammate from 2016 to 2018.
WNBA
Loyd, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, will head to an Aces team led by star A'ja Wilson. Las Vegas won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 but did not have enough to three-peat.
Plum was a vital member on those championship-winning teams, but will head to a rebuilding organization headlined by young stars Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink, the latter returning from a torn ACL. Los Angeles last won the title in 2016 but has struggled to contend since. Former Ace Dearica Hamby is also on the squad.
Hamby reacted to the news on social media:
🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽 https://t.co/6IIuhimGuy pic.twitter.com/oIlU6emi5g
— Dearica Marie Hamby (@dearicamarie) January 27, 2025
Seattle finished the recent regular season 25-15 but were swept by Las Vegas in the first round of the playoffs. Loyd led the Storm in scoring alongside key members in Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor.
The Dallas Wings own this year's first-round pick, which is headlined by UConn star Paige Bueckers. Fellow Husky Azzi Fudd and USC's Kiki Iriafen are also some top prospects, one of which Seattle could take at No. 2.