The midseason transaction deadline for the league occurred on Tuesday, resulting in some uncommon WNBA trades.
This season saw at least three in-season trades league-wide, the first time since 2017, due to challenges with salary cap and roster space.
Seattle Storm signs Olympic silver medalist Gabby Williams
One of the major highlights was the signing of Gabby Williams by the Seattle Storm. Williams, known for her defensive skills, returned to the Storm after playing for her European club and the France national team in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Like her previous contract in 2023, Williams signed a rest-of-season deal with the Storm. She has been a consistent player for Seattle since being traded by the LA Sparks in 2022.
In a team release, Williams expressed her excitement about rejoining the Storm and finishing the season strong alongside her talented teammates.
She joins a strong starting roster that includes Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, and Ezi Magbegor.
WNBA trades, hardship signings rock midseason rosters
The Washington Mystics made moves by trading Myisha Hines-Allen to the Minnesota Lynx and acquiring Sika Koné and Olivia Époupa. They later waived Époupa and Didi Richards. The Phoenix Mercury also engaged in trade activity by sending Sug Sutton to the Mystics for the rights to Klara Lundquist.
Other significant trades included the Chicago Sky trading Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun during the Olympic break.
Hardship signings were also prominent in this week’s WNBA trade news, with Monique Billings signing a seven-day contract with the Mercury and Odyssey Sims joining the LA Sparks.
Although the trade window is closed, deals can still take place as long as teams have the necessary salary cap and roster space.
