WNBA Trade: Kelsey Plum to Sparks, Jewell Loyd to Aces, No. 2 Pick in Draft to Storm

A massive trade is shaking up the WNBA.

According to Shams Charania and numerous ESPN reporters, a three-team deal between the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, and Los Angeles Sparks will see multiple superstars and draft picks on the move.

The reported deal centers around Jewell Loyd heading from the Storm to the Aces, with Kelsey Plum going to the Sparks. The key return for the Storm will be the 2nd pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which was held by Los Angeles.

Blockbuster WNBA deal: The Seattle Storm are trading six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces in a multi-team move that sends three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources tell me, @ramonashelburne, @alexaphilippou, @kendra__andrews. pic.twitter.com/OlRb37RKIA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2025

Other parts of the trade include the Storm receiving Li Yueru from the Sparks, the Sparks getting the 9th pick from the Storm, and the Aces acquiring the 13th selection from the Sparks.

The deal obviously has a lot of moving parts, but the key pieces are clearly Plum, Loyd, and the draft compensation heading to Seattle. Which was the basic framework that has been in the public sphere and was first reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Loyd had notably requested a trade from the Storm and now the six-time All-Star will join the core in Las Vegas alongside A'ja Wilson and company. Meanwhile, Plum (a three-time All-Star herself) will get a fresh start with a young squad in Los Angeles and a chance to be a headline act in LA. Of course the Storm receive a highly coveted asset with the opportunity to select from the second spot in the draft.

It's safe to say the WNBA free agency period has gotten started with a bang. And these three franchises will have notable new faces when the season tips off.