WNBA: Did the Aces play right card in swapping Plum for Loyd?

The Kelsey Plum era in Vegas has officially reached the end, while the Jewell Loyd era is about to begin. Loyd will join the Aces as part of the three-team blockbuster that will send Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks via a sign-and-trade.

Here’s a look back at what Plum brought to the Aces, what Loyd can offer and whether the deal is a win for the organization:

The end of an era

In her seven seasons with the Aces, Plum gathered three All-Star appearances, two championships, a Sixth Player of the Year award, an All-Rookie team selection and an All-WNBA Team appearance, all while solidifying herself as a fan and league favorite with the squad.

While moves like this ultimately remain a part of the business of basketball, it is a tough moment in Vegas, as a pivotal member and beloved figure in this organization’s history has officially moved forward in her career.

Turning the page

Although Plum may be gone, Loyd arrives with the opportunity to possibly make an even bigger impact for this Aces squad off the rip. Last season alone, Loyd averaged 19.7 points , 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in roughly 34 minutes of action, solidifying her spot as a WNBA All-Star for the sixth time in her career.

Loyd, very similar to Plum, is now on a new squad for the first time in her career after spending the past 10 seasons with the Seattle Storm, the organization that drafted her No. 1 overall back in 2015. The Aces will be able to capitalize off of her championship and playoff experience, as well as benefit from her high level of play on both ends of the floor.

Emotions aside, the Aces are bound to be even more of a problem with Loyd. This will remain an extremely difficult team to beat moving forward.

Aces ace the trade

Because the Aces were inevitably going to have to move on from Plum, the biggest question mark was what the return would look like. Loyd, plus the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft, is as good of a return for Plum, as well as the Aces’ first-round pick in 2026, which the organization also had to include in the trade, as you could hope for. By coring Plum, Vegas was able to trade her for assets, as opposed to watching her walk in free agency for nothing in return. They dealt Plum to a desirable destination, and they acquired a two-time champion in Loyd in the process.

This deal keeps the Aces at a championship level and allows Plum an opportunity to keep winning at a high level as well. This is as good of a deal as one could hope for from all sides. It’s time for the next chapter.