The Los Angeles Sparks made a blockbuster trade in the wee hours of Sunday morning, sending five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury. This move marks the fourth time in league history that an All-Star has been traded midseason.
The Mercury sent Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-rounder to the Sparks in exchange for Plum. Plum, who was the top target in the league leading up to the trade deadline, has only played in 12 games this season due to ankle and lower leg injuries. Despite her limited availability, she was averaging a career-high 23.9 points and 6.4 assists on 52.7/38.3/80.6 shooting splits through June. The Washington alum was named to her fifth All-Star team this year.
‘Kelsey is one of the league’s most dynamic players,’ said Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren. ‘She is a fierce competitor with a winning mentality who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Her combination of shooting, explosiveness, and decision-making allows her to create offense at a high level and makes her one of the league’s most complete guards. We have wanted Kelsey here for a long time, and we’re excited to finally bring her to Phoenix as we continue to build on our foundation.’
The Mercury face the Chicago Sky on Monday night, and Plum will reportedly be with Phoenix for the game. However, her playing status is still undetermined. Prior to the trade, the Sparks had listed Plum as ‘probable’ for their Sunday afternoon game against the Fire. Plum was picked No. 1 overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Stars and moved with the franchise to Las Vegas in 2018, becoming a key part of the Aces’ first two championships in 2022 and 2023. She was traded to the Sparks before the 2025 season but has struggled with injuries, including an ankle injury earlier this year and a lower leg injury that has kept her sidelined for over a month.
Mercury Grade: D
The Mercury have received Kelsey Plum in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-rounder. While Plum will immediately provide the team with much-needed offensive firepower, the trade has raised several questions. Plum has only played in 12 games this season, and her playing status is still undetermined. Furthermore, unless they make major offseason moves, 2027 will be the seventh year in a row that the Mercury won’t have a first-round draft pick.
The odds of making the postseason are slim, and the odds of making a run like last year’s are even slimmer. With or without a miracle finish to the season, Plum is going to become an unrestricted free agent and reportedly still plans on going through the full free-agency process. This means that even if Plum re-signs with Phoenix and decides to make her home in the Valley, it was not necessary to give up real assets to make that happen when they could have signed her in free agency anyway.
Sparks Grade: A
The Los Angeles Sparks have received Monique Akoa Makani, the Mercury’s 2027 first-round pick, and the Mercury’s 2028 second-rounder in exchange for Kelsey Plum. While the Sparks had to trade Plum due to her injuries and limited availability, they have managed to get a pretty decent haul. Akoa Makani is a promising young talent who has started 16 games for the Mercury this season and is averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 boards, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. The second-year guard from Cameroon started in all 11 of the Mercury’s postseason games in 2025.
‘We’re excited to welcome Monique to the Sparks,’ said Sparks assistant general manager Zach Knowlton. ‘She is a talented young player with tremendous upside who competes on both ends of the floor. Her athleticism, versatility, and work ethic make her a great fit for our organization, and we’re looking forward to helping her continue to develop in Los Angeles.’
While Akoa Makani is a great piece, the real win here is the first-round pick. The 2027 Draft is expected to be a deep one, and Phoenix is likely to be a lottery team. It is befuddling why the Mercury would give up that big of an asset for a 14-game rental amidst an all-but-lost season, but the Sparks should be thanking their lucky stars that they did.
The Sparks can’t undo the mistakes of their past, and they are all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year this fall. However, with this trade, they’ve embraced the rebuild and gained some pieces that could be crucial to making said rebuild a success.
