One trade every WNBA team could make at the deadline

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It’s that time of the year: the WNBA trade deadline. Historically, there isn’t a bonanza this time of year the way there is in the NBA or some other pro men’s sports leagues, but with a clear line between buyers and sellers this season, there could be some deals.

Here is one deal that I think could benefit every team in the league.

Minnesota Lynx

Best move: 2028 second-round pick and Anastasiia Kosu to Chicago for Jacy Sheldon

If Chicago decides to give up on Jacy Sheldon, she could give the Lynx some bench guard depth. It won’t take the first-round pick the Sky absurdly moved for her in the offseason, but they could get some asset return while Minnesota gets another capable ballhandler. Perhaps Anastasiia Kosu, who has shown some promise in 11.1 minutes per game with Minnesota, can sweeten that deal.

Toronto’s Isabelle Harrison could be another option if the Tempo decide they’ve already hit their ceiling for this season. Perhaps they could convince the Sparks to give them a draft pick to take on a veteran like Erica Wheeler, who has another year left on her deal at 36 years old.

Golden State Valkyries

Best move: Kayla Thornton, Juste Jocyte, Nadia Fingall and 2027 first-round pick to Phoenix for Alyssa Thomas

Alyssa Thomas would be an ideal fit for a Valkyries team that needs a scorer and size, and the Mercury should be blowing up their roster and trying again. She will make $1,200,000 each year on a three-year deal that began this season.

It might take a first-rounder (which the Valkyries don’t seem to value too terribly) and then match the contract, which a combination of Juste Jocyte, Nadia Fingall and Kayla Thornton would do.

Kelsey Plum might be a possibility if the Sparks rebuild, and she has a history working with Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase in Las Vegas. She was averaging 23.9 points per game through 12 games before her lower left leg injury, and the Valkyries need a reliable scorer. A backcourt of Veronica Burton with Plum and Gabby Williams would be dangerous.

That would certainly take a first-round pick, and maybe a young player like Jocyte, whose fit with Golden State has remained unclear, and Thornton’s contract would also fit in that deal.

They could also solve a size issue if they went for Dallas’ Alanna Smith, who has struggled to find her place with the Wings this year after winning the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 alongside A’ja Wilson.

Las Vegas Aces

Best move: Brianna Turner to Dallas for Odyssey Sims

Last year’s midseason trade for NaLyssa Smith was one of the best deals all year, and they likely only need to do something similar this year. Perhaps it’s moving a redundant player like Brianna Turner for a low-risk bench player with experience, such as guard Odyssey Sims.

Connecticut’s Kennedy Burke could be a good offensive player off the bench for Las Vegas. It wouldn’t take a ton of value to give the Sun a chance to clear some cap space, but the Aces might not have that space.

If the Sparks really blow things up, perhaps the Aces can snag Rae Burrell on an expiring deal to make up for the black hole of offense Stephanie Talbot has been in the starting lineup.

Dallas Wings

Best move: Alanna Smith and a 2027 first-round pick to Indiana for Monique Billings, Makayla Timpson and Grace VanSlooten

Brianna Turner could make up for some of the size from Alanna Smith, and the Aces might be willing to move her since A’ja Wilson and NaLyssa Smith already make up a dynamic duo in the paint. Turner doesn’t do a ton offensively (1.4 points per game in 10.6 minutes) but could do a lot more as a rim protector alongside Jessica Shepard, who is a scoring menace.

Maybe they move Smith, who is on a three-year, $3,748,500 maximum contract deal, to a different environment where she might be able to find her game again. That might be the Valkyries, close to where she played in college at Stanford, but it might also be a hard sell for a team that has chemistry working. They might have to attach some draft capital to make it an appealing deal.

Indiana Fever

Best move: Monique Billings to Connecticut for Olivia Nelson-Ododa

The Fever need some more depth up front since Monique Billings hasn’t been a huge factor. They could go big and trade for Alanna Smith, which would cost a high draft pick and maybe a young player like Makayla Timpson.

Connecticut’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa is another option, and she played under Indiana head coach Stephanie White when she coached the Sun. The $735,000 cap hit would be a lot, but perhaps Indiana could unload Billings’ contract in that trade to be flipped somewhere else, too.

Atlanta Dream

Best move: Sika Kone and a first-rounder to New York for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton

This leads well into the next team, but adding Betnijah Laney-Hamilton would solve some problems. They have a ton of bigs and not a lot of wing play, and that burnt them in their five-game losing streak. Laney-Hamilton could help if she finds her shot again.

Forward Sika Kone would be a low-cost addition for a Liberty team that doesn’t need a ton of depth.

The Dream could also move Te-Hina Paopao, who would start on most teams but is buried behind Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada and Isobel Borlase.

They desperately need a veteran wing, but Paopao might not fit with New York’s established lineup, either. Perhaps there is a package to Golden State for someone like Cecilia Zandalasini.

New York Liberty

Best Move: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to anywhere for any value

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton missed all of last season following surgery on her left knee and came back and played at least 24 minutes in the Liberty’s first three games. Since then, she’s had four DNPs and has been a non-factor offensively.

She seems like a likely player to be moved at the deadline, so it comes down to fit. Toronto could be a trade partner if their coach Sandy Brondello would run it back with her former Liberty guard. Toronto also has $557,557 in cap space per Her Hoop Stats — more than enough room to fit Laney-Hamilton’s $400,000 contract — and the league’s worst defensive rating.

Rebekah Gardner or Rebecca Allen might also bring some value after Pauline Astier’s emergence changed the way the Liberty can operate.

Washington Mystics

Best move: Cotie McMahon to Dallas for Maddy Siegrist

If the Mystics wanted to go wild, they could create a package for Kelsey Plum, but it doesn’t seem likely they are quite ready to compete for a title this year.

Maddy Siegrist could be a fit as a scorer with a little more experience. In Dallas, her minutes have been sliced in half as Azzi Fudd’s role has grown. Siegrist has shot well on minimal volume this season, and she got up threes at a high rate during her standout career at Villanova. It’s a move that would help Washington around the fringes.

Portland Fire

Best move: Karlie Samuelson to Washington for Angela Dugalic and 2028 second-round pick

Karlie Samuelson could be a solid veteran shooter for a team who needs a bench boost, like perhaps Washington. She is on an expiring contract, and the Fire could add another young player or pick to build around coach Alex Sarama’s free-flowing philosophy.

Toronto Tempo

Best move: Isabelle Harrison to Minnesota for Anastasiia Kosu

Laney-Hamilton could help with their defensive disaster if they want to try to make the postseason this year.

Isabelle Harrison could be their most valuable trade chip to a contending team, such as Indiana or Minnesota, to add a draft pick or young player. They could go for Seattle’s Ezi Magbegor, but the cap math there is a bit more complicated.

They also are reportedly shopping their first-round pick, which could get them a rare young post player, especially if the Sparks decide to shop Cameron Brink.

Los Angeles Sparks

Best move: Kelsey Plum to Golden State for Juste Jocyte, first-round pick and Kayla Thornton

After letting go of general manager Raegan Pebley, it’s hard to read that as anything other than a reset. They tried to contend this year by bringing in several veterans and now have a ton of long-term deals for aging players and little to show for the last six years outside the postseason.

Kelsey Plum is the player with the most value, as an elite scorer on an expiring contract. She left the Aces for LA with the intention of being a leader for a contending team. Perhaps the Sparks can get some first-rounders and start over with a plan to build around whatever first-round picks they have and Rae Burrell. But, it’s a pretty brutal situation for a team that genuinely has some unmoveable contracts between Ariel Atkins, Erica Wheeler and Dearica Hamby.

Phoenix Mercury

Best trade: DeWanna Bonner to Washington for Cotie McMahon

This has been an epic fail of a season for the Mercury, who made it to the WNBA Finals last year before being swept by the Aces. Nothing has worked since, with a wildly disappointing campaign even with some key returners.

It would be intense to trade someone like Alyssa Thomas, but she has two years left on her deal and could bring a lot of value for a contending team. Golden State, Indiana or Dallas might fit there.

If they don’t feel the need to hit the reset button, DeWanna Bonner could also help a contending team. Her $500,000 contract should make at least one contender take a flyer on her expiring deal.

Chicago Sky

Best move: Jacy Sheldon for any value

The Sky should be trying to move Skylar Diggins, but her value is likely lower by the day as she sits out with a knee injury.

They might also look to recoup the lost value from when they traded a FIRST ROUND PICK for Jacy Sheldon. Her coming off the bench for Minnesota or Indiana could help elevate teams that are in contention and don’t have a ton of guard depth.

Connecticut Sun

Best move: Olivia Nelson-Ododa to Toronto for Teonni Key, 2028 second-round pick

Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Kennedy Burke are Connecticut’s most tradeable players, and perhaps guard Saniya Rivers, but there really isn’t much there. It’s also hard to read what the Sun want to be long-term with a move to Houston on the horizon and eight players under contract beyond this sunset season.

Nelson-Ododa is on tap to make $700,000 over the next season and could clear up some cap space for the new era. Burke, who is on an expiring contract but makes $1,000,000 this year, might be a fit for Golden State as a bench scorer, but they don’t have the cap space.

The Sun would benefit from moving her contract even with a small return, such as rookie forward Teonni Key from Toronto.

Seattle Storm

Best move: Ezi Magbegor to Toronto for 2027 second round pick, Isabelle Harrison and Kia Nurse

Seattle signed Ezi Magbegor to a three-year, $3,750,000 deal in the offseason, and though she’s been back for just four games, already it seems like she might bring the Storm more value as a trade piece.

She’s an established player with a track record of being one of the league’s best defenders, but Seattle is in heavy rebuild mode and giving playing time to Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson.

One player they could ship for some value is Jordan Horston, who could be a reclamation project for a team where she would play some more, like Toronto or Connecticut as it prepares for its transition to Houston. Horston is playing a career-low 18.3 minutes per game, and her shooting efficiency has plummeted. Maybe a change of scenery could revitalize what looked like a promising career.

Center Stefanie Dolson could also be a fit for a team like Golden State or Dallas that needs another big, and if the Storm don’t move Magbegor, Dolson becomes redundant in the Storm’s big lineup.

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