The Las Vegas Aces make a significant move, acquiring six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm in a three-team trade. The deal also sees Kelsey Plum head to the Los Angeles Sparks and Li Yueru move to Seattle. Draft compensation plays a crucial role, with Seattle receiving the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft and the Aces' 2026 first-round pick.
Just five days before WNBA free agency kicks off, one of the biggest trades in league history took center stage. It’s the first deal to ever feature two former No. 1 overall picks. the Las Vegas Aces are acquiring six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm in a three-team trade. As part of the deal, Las Vegas will send two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks . Center Li Yueru, who appeared in 38 games for the Sparks last season, will go to Seattle.
Draft compensation is a major part of this blockbuster move. Seattle will receive the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft, previously owned by the Sparks, along with the Aces’ 2026 first-round pick. Los Angeles trades down to No. 9 overall in the 2025 draft, while also sending the No. 13 pick to the Sparks. Depending on your outlook, this can be considered a massive gamble for the Sparks. Rarely do you see a franchise pass on a No. 2 draft selection, especially for a player in their thirties. After all, Plum doesn’t exactly match up with the timelines of second-year talents Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, both lottery picks for Los Angeles in 2024. In theory, the Sparks could have saved this year’s draft pick for Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, widely considered the best college prospect after UConn’s Paige Bueckers.Also, there’s a chance Plum could be a rental for Los Angeles. Earlier this month, the Aces placed a ‘core designation’ on Plum before she was able to hit unrestricted free agency. The core designation tool gives impending free agents a fully guaranteed, one-year contract at supermax value ($249,244) but it’s meant to protect the franchise by allowing them to look for potential trades instead of watching a player walk for nothing. Plum got her max salary, but didn’t have the opportunity to choose her destination.Considering Plum had the right to veto any trade, her signing off on Los Angeles could indicate she’s willing to stay long-term. The Sparks have to be confident Plum will stick around to mentor their young players — or else they wouldn’t have parted with the highly-coveted draft pick.The Los Angeles Sparks can now add a dynamic movement shooter to the starting lineup. Plum took 54.5% of her shots from three last year, a huge positive for a team that’s starving for spacing around Brink and Dearica Hamby. There’s another dynamic: Hamby and Plum developed a strong relationship during Hamby’s tenure in Las Vegas, so the chemistry should be fast-tracked. For the Storm, they get a chance to inject some youth into their team by drafting second overall in a few months. Loyd, who logged over 10,000 career minutes with Seattle (including playoffs),in early December after multiple players filed complaints over harassment and bullying by Seattle’s coaching staff. When the franchise conducted an external investigation and it found no violations, Loyd knew it was time for a fresh start elsewhere. Following a 25-15 season and early playoff exit, Seattle can now focus on the draft and trying to re-sign free agent Nneka Ogwumike. While a rookie selected at No. 2 won’t replace Loyd’s experience or scoring output, the relationship had run its course. The team might take a hit in the short-term, but they are banking on this being a net positive after retooling the roster. Las Vegas, meanwhile, decided to shake up its core and maximize the A’ja Wilson era. The Aces are clearly trying to capitalize on as many title opportunities as possible. An argument can be made that Plum is a better player than Loyd because of the stark contrast in efficiency last season — Plum finished with a 56.3% true shooting mark and helped increase the team’s 3-point volume, while Loyd had the least efficient year of her career at 49.7% true shooting and wasn’t reliable from deep.But we’re still talking about a player that won the WNBA scoring title less than two years ago, and someone that should thrive off the attention Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray will command in the half-court. So, while it’s not necessarily a home run because sacrificing shooting is never ideal, there are still a few areas Loyd will boost the Aces’ title chances. She offers more size defensively than Plum, which leads to more lineup flexibility and helps alleviate some of the pressure on Las Vegas’ backcour
WNBA Las Vegas Aces Seattle Storm Trade Jewell Loyd Kelsey Plum Los Angeles Sparks Draft
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