Analysis

The 2026 WNBA Trade Deadline was simultaneously quiet and loud. It was quiet in that few deals were executed across the league, but loud in that an All-Star was traded midseason for only the fourth time in league history.
Let’s dive into the deals that have been completed and how they can impact both the 2026 stretch run and the future of the franchises involved.
<hr />
<h2>Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani and draft compensation (Aug. 2)</h2>
<div id="attachment_267921" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-267921" class="wp-image-267921" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2281947509-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kelsey Plum with Kahleah Copper #2 of the Phoenix Mercury</div>
Phoenix Mercury get:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">G Kelsey Plum</li>
</ul>
Los Angeles Sparks get:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">G Monique Akoa Makani</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2027 first-round draft pick</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2028 second-round draft pick</li>
</ul>
The biggest deal of the 2026 Trade Deadline sees All-Star guard Kelsey Plum headed from Los Angeles to Phoenix in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round draft pick and a 2028 second-round draft pick.
Plum is averaging a career-best 23.9 points per game over 12 games this season, but has not played since June 21 as she has dealt with ankle and lower leg injuries.
She earned her fifth career All-Star nod this season and joins Brittney Sykes (2025, Mystics to Storm), Katie Smith (2005, Lynx to Shock) and Dawn Staley (2005, Sting to Comets) as the only All-Stars ever to be traded midseason in league history. None of the previous three matched Plum’s scoring average the year they were traded.
What this means for the Sparks: Before this season, Plum signed a one-year deal with the Sparks and was set to hit the free agent market again at the end of the season. With reports that she was not planning to re-sign with the Sparks, L.A. found itself with few options: play the season out and risk Plum leaving in free agency while getting nothing in return, or trade her at the deadline and grab assets to help spark a rebuild.
The Sparks had previously been burned by star players leaving in free agency — Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray in 2021 as well as Nneka Ogwumike in 2024. This time, L.A. acted proactively at the deadline to add a young guard in Akoa Makani and a potential lottery pick in what appears to be a stacked 2027 draft class headlined by JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo.
With Plum still sidelined due to injury (L.A. went 7-5 with her in the lineup versus 3-12 without her) and the team mired in a six-game skid — dropping them to 11th place, 5.5 games back of the final playoff spot at the time of the deal — the Sparks decided to move the former two-time champ with an eye toward their future.
However, Plum was not the only veteran on the Sparks’ roster. If L.A. commits to a youth movement, will there be more deals to come in the offseason with veterans such as Dearica Hamby and Ariel Atkins (both signed through 2028), Erica Wheeler (signed through 2027) and Ogwumike (a free agent after this season)?
What this means for the Mercury: Phoenix is taking a risk with this move as Plum has indicated that she plans to explore free agency in the offseason. There is a chance that the Mercury gave up a young guard and a lottery pick in the upcoming draft for a 14-game rental on Plum.
At 11-19, the Mercury sit 12th in the WNBA standings, a half-game back of L.A. and six full games back of New York (17-13) for the eighth and final playoff spot. With only 14 games to play, the Mercury would have to catch fire to make a late-season sprint toward the postseason as they hope to avoid becoming the first team since 2008 (also the Mercury) to miss the playoffs a year after appearing in the WNBA Finals.
There’s another way to think about this deal from Phoenix’s perspective — this could be an extended free-agent pitch to Plum. This trade allows her to come to Phoenix and experience their team’s culture, roster, coaching staff, facilities and fanbase firsthand, in hopes that she will want to make The Valley her long-term home.
On the court, Plum should seamlessly complement Phoenix&#8217;s core of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner. Phoenix can also use Plum’s scoring punch to boost its bottom-third ranked offense, which ranks 11th in scoring (83.5 ppg) and 12th in offensive rating (104.7). 
With a core of veteran players — Bonner in year 17, Thomas in year 13, Copper in year 11 and Plum already in year 9 — the Mercury are in win-now mode. Will they have enough time to make a run at the eight seed and try to make some noise in the playoffs against the league’s top teams? Or will they be able to bring Plum back for another season to make a fresh start at a Finals run in 2027?
Official Releases: <a href="https://mercury.wnba.com/news/phoenix-mercury-acquire-two-time-wnba-champion-and-five-time-all-star-kelsey-plum">Phoenix Mercury</a> | <a href="https://sparks.wnba.com/news/los-angeles-sparks-acquire-monique-akoa-makani-2027-first-round-pick-and-2028-second-round-pick-from-phoenix-mercury">Los Angeles Sparks</a>
<hr />
<h2>Sun trade Aneesah Morrow to Tempo for rights to Maria Kliundikova and draft pick (July 31)</h2>
<div id="attachment_267922" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-267922" class="wp-image-267922" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2273173559-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Aneesah Morrow</div>
Toronto Tempo get: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">F Aneesah Morrow</li>
</ul>
Connecticut Sun get: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Rights to F Maria &#8220;Masha&#8221; Kliundikova</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2028 second-round draft pick</li>
</ul>
The Tempo and Sun tipped off trade deadline activity on July 31 with a deal sending forward Aneesah Morrow to Toronto for the rights to Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick.
In her second season after being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Morrow has posted career-best numbers while establishing herself as one of the league’s top rebounders. Over 20 games with Connecticut this season, she averaged 8.9 rebounds (including 2.7 offensive boards) in just 23.2 minutes per game.
Kliundikova has not played in the WNBA this season after Toronto selected her in the 2026 Expansion Draft. The former first-round pick (No. 11 overall in 2018) last played for Minnesota in 2025 after beginning her WNBA career with Los Angeles in 2018 and 2019. She brings career averages of 4.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 50.3% shooting over 74 games.
What this means for the Tempo: Toronto boosts its frontline depth while not giving up any assets on its current roster since Kliundikova is not playing in the WNBA this season. 
Beyond adding a talent in Morrow on a rookie-scale contract through 2028 (the final season is a team option), Toronto also directly addresses an immediate need. The Tempo currently rank in the bottom third of the league in every rebounding metric: 11th in offensive rebounding rate (28.8%) and 14th in both defensive (65.3%) and overall rebounding rate (47.2%).
Among players who have appeared in at least 20 games this season, Morrow ranks fifth in offensive rebound percentage (10.3%), first in defensive rebound percentage (28.3%) and second in total rebound percentage (18.6%), trailing only All-Star Angel Reese. No player has been better at cleaning the defensive glass than Morrow, which should immediately help a Tempo team allowing a league-worst 14.6 second-chance points per game.
Morrow’s offensive game has shown flashes — she posted 21 points in each of her final two games with the Sun — but has not been as consistent as her work on the boards. Morrow is averaging 11.6 points per game on 42.1% shooting this season compared to 7.7 points on 37.5% as a rookie. If her offense continues to trend up and she remains a beast on the boards, this deal will only look better for Toronto. 
What this means for the Sun: Connecticut adds a pair of assets in the rights to Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick to potentially use in future deals once the franchise completes its transition from Connecticut to Houston following this season.
The move also opens up minutes — Morrow ranked fourth on the team at 23.2 minutes per game — for others to use as the team continues to develop young talent ahead of their relocation.
Official Releases: <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/toronto-tempo-acquire-forward-aneesah-morrow-from-connecticut-sun">Toronto Tempo</a> | <a href="https://sun.wnba.com/news/connecticut-sun-acquire-rights-to-maria-kliundikova-and-2028-second-round-pick">Connecticut Sun</a>

rapid-reactions-trade-deadline-2026

Rapid Reactions: WNBA Trade Deadline 2026

Expansion Draft

wnba-expansion-draft-2026-results

Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo Select 22 Players in WNBA Expansion Draft 2026

free

phoenix-mercury-vs-minnesota-lynx-game-highlights-5

Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx - Game Highlights

minnesota-lynx-vs-golden-state-valkyries-game-highlights

Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries - Game Highlights

top-plays-of-the-day-09-06-2025

Top Plays of the Day, 09/06/2025

minnesota-lynx-top-plays-vs-golden-state-valkyries

Minnesota Lynx Top Plays vs. Golden State Valkyries

top-plays-of-the-day-09-01-2025

Top Plays of the Day, 09/01/2025

minnesota-lynx-top-plays-vs-dallas-wings-3

Minnesota Lynx Top Plays vs. Dallas Wings

minnesota-lynx-vs-dallas-wings-game-highlights-5

Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings - Game Highlights

minnesota-lynx-top-plays-vs-connecticut-sun-4

Minnesota Lynx Top Plays vs. Connecticut Sun

Latest

Maria Kliundikova

Career Highlights:
<ul>
<li>No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft (Los Angeles)</li>
<li>Career-high 24 points in the Sparks season opener at Las Vegas on May 26, 2019</li>
<li>Career-high 11 field goals made at Las Vegas on May 26, 2019</li>
<li>2019 Euroleague Champion with UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)</li>
</ul>
Transactions: 
<ul>
<li>Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in the first round with the 11th overall pick of 2018 WNBA Draft</li>
</ul>
2021 (Los Angeles):
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Vadeeva did not play in the 2021 WNBA season</li>
</ul>
2020 (Los Angeles):
<ul>
<li>Opted out of the 2020 WNBA season</li>
</ul>
2019 (Los Angeles): 
<ul>
<li>Scored a career-high 24 points in the Sparks season opener at Las Vegas on May 26, 2019</li>
<li>Career-high 11 field goals made at Las Vegas on May 26, 2019</li>
<li>Returned to Russia to play with her team, missing 13 Sparks games for overseas commitments</li>
<li>Averaged 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and one steal in 12 minutes per game</li>
</ul>
2018 (Los Angeles):
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 25 games for the Los Angeles Sparks during her rookie campaign joining the team in June after getting her visa</li>
<li>Shooting 52.7% from the field and shot a promising 33.3% on 3-pointers.</li>
<li>Career game against Phoenix Mercury on August 12th scoring a season and career-high 16 points</li>
</ul>
Russia:
<ul>
<li>Vadeeva made her international debut at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Bulgaria, where Russia placed sixth</li>
<li>Vadeeva once again participated, returning to the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Hungary, where Russia won the title, taking home their fifth Under-16 Championship</li>
<li>Vadeeva was then named to the national team for the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in her home nation and placed on the All-Tournament Team</li>
<li>Made her senior international debut at EuroBasket Women 2015, at just the age of 16</li>
<li>In her debut tournament, Vadeeva averaged 12.3 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game</li>
<li>Named to Russia’s roster, for EuroBasket Women 2017 in the Czech Republic.</li>
<li>From 2017-2020, Vadeeva has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), competing in EuroLeague alongside WNBA stars Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Griner and Kayla McBride</li>
</ul>
Overseas:
<ul>
<li>From 2017-2020, Vadeeva has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), competing in EuroLeague alongside WNBA stars Courtney Vandersloot, Brittney Griner and Kayla McBride</li>
<li> In 2014, Vadeeva began her professional career with Sparta&amp;K Moscow, playing in the</li>
<li>Russian Premier League and the EuroCup</li>
<li>In 2016, Vadeeva moved south and signed with Dynamo Kursk, still playing in the Premier League as well as the EuroLeague. In the 2016–17 season, Dynamo Kursk took home the title</li>
<li>Played alongside the likes of Nneka Ogwumike, Angel McCoughtry and Epiphanny Prince</li>
</ul>
Personal: 
<ul>
<li>Maria Vadeeva (born July 16, 1998) is a center for the Los Angeles Sparks.</li>
<li>She is a native of Russia and has a brother named Ivan</li>
</ul>

The exclusive negotiating rights of Maria Kliundikova were traded from the  Toronto Tempo to the Connecticut Sun.

The  Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Maria Kliundikova.

Maria Kliundikova was drafted in the 2027 Expansion Draft by the  Toronto Tempo.

Traded to Sun

Expected to stay overseas in 2026

Receives qualifying offer

Chosen by Toronto

Struggles in Game 4 loss

logo-changemaker-ally

att2

logo_changemaker_aws_wht

CarMax+Logo-White

DEL_PRI_ALL_WHT

google-logo-transparent

Nike-Logo-PNG

Get a courtside seat. Every week. With WNBA League Pass, watch live games across the league.

wnba_league_pass_logo_PRIMARY_RGB_fire (3)

PRESS PLAY ON THE WNBA