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In one of the biggest trades in WNBA history, Las Vegas Aces great Kelsey Plum was jettisoned from one of the best teams in the league to the last-place Los Angeles Sparks in a wild three-team deal.
The Las Vegas Aces are the WNBA’s current dynasty team. Led by top star A’ja Wilson and head coach Becky Hammon, the team has gone to the playoffs the last six seasons. The WNBA Finals in three of those years, and won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
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However, their run of dominance and a chance at a three-peat was cut short in the semifinals of last year’s playoffs by the eventual champion New York Liberty. The team could easily go into next season confident that Wilson and fellow All-Star Kelsey Plum are enough to make another run at a championship this year.
Well, it seems the front office thought they could be better, and decided to give up Plum so they could get one of the best WNBA players of the last decade.
Kelsey Plum stats (2024): 17.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 37% 3PT
Kelsey Plum sent to Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas Aces land Jewell Loyd in massive WNBA trade
“The Seattle Storm are trading six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multiteam move that sends three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks,” ESPN reported on Sunday night.
In the massive deal, Seattle will also acquire the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and 6-foot-7 center Li Yueru from the Sparks. Along with Plum, Los Angeles is getting the No. 9 pick from Seattle, and the Aces will receive LA’s No. 13 pick.
Jewell Loyd stats (2024): 19.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG
Kelsey Plum has been one of the core members of the Las Vegas Aces for the last few years. Reaching the WNBA All-Star game in the last three seasons. However, Loyd is one of the league’s best players of the last decade and earned All-Star appearances six times since 2015.
Loyd also brings a championship pedigree having helped Seattle win a pair of WNBA Finals in 2018 and 2020.
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