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WNBA free agency got started with a blockbuster trade on Sunday, as the Storm, Aces, and Sparks agreed to a three-team deal that sent Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas, Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles, and the No. 2 overall pick to Seattle.
On Tuesday, we got our second major trade of the week when word broke from ESPN’s Alexa Philippou that longtime Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas was going to the Phoenix Mercury in a trade. Thomas was set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but was given the core designation by the Sun meaning she would have to get moved via a trade. As for what the Sun are getting in return, that remains a mystery for the moment.
Thomas, who has finished in the top-5 in MVP voting in each of the last three years, is a 5-time All-Star and has led the Sun to a pair of Finals appearances in her 11 seasons in Connecticut. She is one of the best defenders and passers in the WNBA, and will bring one of the league’s most unique skillsets and toughest personalities to Phoenix. Thomas will join a very talented Mercury roster, headlined by Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, and (until she says otherwise regarding retirement) Diana Taurasi. Brittney Griner, meanwhile, is a free agent, and adding Thomas signals the Mercury aren’t going to wait around for their longtime star center to make a decision to add reinforcements to the roster — even if they certainly could bring her back as well.
The challenge for second-year head coach Nate Tibbetts will be figuring out how to best get all of those players in their preferred spots, but adding Thomas gives them a superstar caliber addition and will make them a threat to other top teams in the WNBA in 2025.
