Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to Mercury for picks, Akoa Makani
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- Los Angeles Sparks traded five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury before the 3 p.m. ET Sunday trade deadline, receiving guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.
- Kelsey Plum is the WNBA's No. 2 scorer at a career-high 23.9 points per game, but she is on an expiring one-year, $999,999 deal and plans to test free agency after the season; she turns 32 on Aug. 24.
- The Phoenix Mercury (11-19, 12th in the league) need to win 11 of their 14 remaining games just to reach .500 — making a 2026 playoff push a steep climb even with a new Plum-Copper backcourt.
- The Mercury grade lands at B: they gave up a first-round pick in an expected quality draft and a young guard for a possible rental, though Phoenix's Mortgage Matchup Center and Kahleah Copper's pedigree could help retain Plum long-term.
- The Sparks grade lands at B+: the move effectively punts on 2026 after their championship bid collapsed (10-17, 11th in the league), but delivers draft capital and a young shooter in Akoa Makani (43.6% from three).
- The Sparks' broader 2026 strategy is now viewed as a failed venture: they traded the No. 4 pick (Rickea Jackson) for Ariel Atkins, signed 36-year-old Nneka Ogwumike and Plum to one-year deals, and fired GM Raegan Pebley in July.
Why it matters: Both teams are well below .500 with little realistic path to the 2026 playoffs, so this is really a bet on Plum's free-agency decision. Phoenix surrendered a first-round pick in a quality draft class for a player on an expiring $999,999 deal; if Plum walks, the Mercury lose both cap flexibility and draft capital on a roster whose core (Alyssa Thomas turns 35 in April) is aging out of contention.
