The Los Angeles Sparks are trading Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick, per ESPN. Plum, a five-time All-Star, is averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game this season — both career-highs — but she’s appeared in just 12 games due to a litany of lower-leg injuries.
Plum was long-rumored to be in trade talks ahead of Sunday’s midseason trade deadline; the Sparks are 10-17 and losers of 6 straight games (all without Plum). If she was unlikely to re-sign this offseason, as was widely reported, Los Angeles had to trade her to recoup some value for their top asset.
Now, they’ll lean back into the rebuild, acquiring a prospective lottery pick in next year’s draft and a promising young player in Akoa Makani.
The Mercury are 11-19 and currently sit six games out of the playoff race. Plum immediately provides them with a massive offensive boost. But was it worth giving up draft capital for a potential one-year rental?
Here are the biggest potential winners and losers from the blockbuster trade that sent Kelsey Plum to Phoenix.
Potential Winner: Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks shouldn’t have made the Kelsey Plum deal two years ago. Instead, they should have leaned into the rebuild, drafted Dominique Malonga — who is already an All-Star — and built for the future. But they went all-in, it backfired, and it’s time to course-correct. While the return for Plum wasn’t massive, it’s still sizable, especially when she was likely to walk away for nothing this offseason. Now, they’ll have two top picks in 2027 — their own and Phoenix’s — and begin to truly rebuild, albeit a few years delayed.
Akoa Makani, who was an undrafted rookie last year, is a sneaky big part of this deal, too. She is averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game this season, while continuing to establish herself as a strong perimeter defender.
Potential Loser: Golden State Valkyries
The Valkyries still seem to be a piece away from championship contention, though this roster has been pretty successful as-is. But Plum was long rumored to land in Golden State, and trading for her at the trade deadline seemed like a feasible pathway forward.
Could the Valkyries have acquired Plum for a few picks and a young player? Golden State has the assets, but clearly didn’t prioritize going all-in.
That move may pay off long-term, but it’s also possible that Golden State will regret not trading for one of the league’s top guards when they had the chance. They’re currently 19-10 — owners of the WNBA’s third-best record — but have lost two straight. If they suffer an early playoff exit this season, the decision to not go all-in for Plum will be revisited. At the same time, if Golden State learned Plum was unlikely to re-sign in the offseason, the decision to not go for her makes perfect sense.
Potential Winner: Kelsey Plum
The Los Angeles Sparks are going nowhere this season; that much is clear. So, it’s inherently a win for Plum to head elsewhere. Phoenix is not too far from home, and while they’re out of the playoff mix right now, they’re trending upwards, having split their last 14 games and winning three of their last four. There were better win-now destinations for Plum, but the worst-case scenario would have been not getting traded at the deadline at all.
Potential Loser: The Phoenix Mercury
The deal could be fruitful if Plum signs a long-term extension with the franchise. But if she walks in the offseason, it’s a disastrous move for the Mercury, who give up one of their most consistent young players as well as critical future draft capital. It’s especially risky because Phoenix is unlikely to make the playoffs this season, so in a worst-case scenario, Plum is a one-year rental on a team that won’t even make the postseason.
But in a best-case scenario, a roster headlined by Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper — and fresh off a WNBA Finals appearance — adds one of the league’s best guards for the long term. The effectiveness of this move will be measured based on whether Plum signs an extension.
