Kelsey Plum heads to Phoenix Mercury in blockbuster deal hours before WNBA trade deadline

Kelsey Plum is headed to Phoenix.

The Los Angeles Sparks traded the five-time All-Star defender to the Phoenix Mercury precocious Saturday nighttime successful speech for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round prime and a 2028 second-round pick.

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The blockbuster woody came conscionable hours earlier Sunday afternoon’s WNBA commercialized deadline and sent the biggest disposable sanction connected the marketplace to a Mercury squad trying to marque different postseason run.

LA Sparks defender Kelsey Plum (10) reacts astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional against the Golden State Valkyries astatine Crypto.com Arena. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Plum, a two-time WNBA champion, has not played since June 21 due to the fact that of a little near limb injury. She was expected to instrumentality Sunday against the Portland Fire connected a minutes restriction, though it is not yet wide whether she volition beryllium disposable erstwhile Phoenix visits the Chicago Sky connected Monday.

The 31-year-old was putting unneurotic 1 of the champion statistical seasons of her vocation earlier the injury. Plum is averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists done 12 games — some vocation highs — and led the league successful scoring earlier this season.

Her clip successful Los Angeles lasted lone a play and a half.

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Los Angeles Sparks defender Kelsey Plum (10) drives past Chicago Sky defender Ariel Atkins (7) successful the archetypal fractional astatine Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin/Oncea-Imagn Images)

The Sparks acquired Plum earlier the 2025 play successful speech for the No. 2 wide pick, hoping the seasoned defender could assistance accelerate a rebuild centered astir Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. Seattle yet utilized that enactment connected Dominique Malonga, who became an All-Star successful her 2nd season.

But the gamble ne'er produced the turnaround Los Angeles envisioned.

The Sparks missed the playoffs successful 2025 and presently beryllium astatine 10-17 aft losing six consecutive games. They person gone conscionable 2-9 during Plum’s latest lack and are successful information of missing the postseason for a sixth consecutive year.

MERCURY'S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER STAR'S INJURY

Los Angeles besides parted ways with wide manager Raegan Pebley successful July, leaving adjunct wide managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen successful complaint connected an interim basis.

Plum was acceptable to go a escaped cause aft the play and reportedly did not program to re-sign with the Sparks, making her the league’s astir salient commercialized campaigner up of the deadline. The New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream had besides shown interest.

Alyssa Thomas side-steps disfigured Caitlin Clark foul, claims to beryllium receiving threats. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Instead, she lands with a Phoenix squad that appears determined to support pushing guardant contempt its ain disappointing record. The Mercury are 11-19 and six games down the eighth-place Liberty for the last playoff spot.

So Plum has her enactment chopped retired for her.

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She should instantly supply Phoenix with different proven scorer, secondary playmaker and championship-tested guard. She could besides instrumentality immoderate of the violative load distant from Alyssa Thomas, who leads the Mercury with 8.3 assists per game.

The determination marks lone the 4th clip successful WNBA past that an All-Star has been traded during the season.