WNBA Trade Deadline Moves We Want to See and Bold Predictions for the Stretch Run

The race to the playoffs is about to go full force.

With the Sparks sitting at 10–16 at the All-Star break, guard Kelsey Plum could be an intriguing trade target for several contenders. | Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images

The All-Star break is behind us and things are about to get serious rather quickly around the WNBA. 

Players have a short turnaround to hydrate and regroup after a raucous weekend in Chicago, with games picking up again Tuesday. There’s also the looming trade deadline, which is at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 2. 

Before the second half of the season gets underway, let’s make some bold predictions. 

What move do you want to see at the trade deadline?

Clare Brennan: Kelsey Plum traded to the Valkyries. The Sparks are, for lack of a better term, bumming me out. They’re egregious on defense, and with Plum currently injured, lackluster on offense. Plum, notoriously, has that dawg in her, and I think I speak for all WNBA audiences when I say it’s a joy to watch her lock in for the postseason. I’d like to see her go to a contender where she can compete for a championship, especially in a season when she is averaging 23.9 points per game through 12 games. (This is, of course, contingent on her injury timeline, as she is still rehabilitating a lower left leg injury.) While there is an argument to be made that the Valkyries shouldn’t mess with success, now 19–8 and third in the league standings, a sharpshooter could elevate Golden State from a deep playoff team to a champion. 

Dan Falkenheim: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton traded to the Tempo. Let’s unwind the current ongoing saga first. After missing all of last season following surgery on her left knee, Laney-Hamilton came back and played at least 24 minutes in the Liberty’s first three games. Was she the same player that helped key New York’s championship run in 2024? Not quite. That doesn’t fully explain why DNP - Coach's Decision has appeared next to her name in three straight games, games in which Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich have been absent and the team has struggled to contain the perimeter. Is Laney-Hamilton really that unplayable that even her defensive instincts aren’t of use?

There isn’t a lot that is clear about Laney-Hamilton’s current situation. What is clear is that she can’t help the team if she’s not playing. So, let’s now turn to a familiar face: Sandy Brondello. Laney-Hamilton was a crucial member of the Liberty’s starting lineup when they won a title under Brondello. Toronto also has $557,557 in cap space per HerHoopStats—more than enough room to fit Laney-Hamilton’s $400,000 contract—and the league’s worst defensive rating. Laney-Hamilton could help and, if the price is right for both sides, Toronto may be one of her best landing spots.

Blake Silverman: Maddy Siegrist traded to the Mystics. Washington is 14–12 with a 3.5-game cushion on the Fire for the last playoff spot at the All-Star break. The “big three” of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin has balled out this season and put the Mystics in position to be a frisky playoff team. Michaela Onyenwere, who’s in the midst of a career season herself, has put up 10.1 points per game and shot 43.2% from three-point range. The Mystics need more shooting, though, and Siegrist is on the outs in Dallas with her minutes cut in half since Azzi Fudd’s arrival as the top pick this year. Siegrist has shot well on minimal volume this season and she got up threes at a high rate during her standout career at Villanova. It’s a move that would help Washington around the fringes. Maybe the Mystics make a play for a star like Chicago’s Skylar Diggins, but with how the young team has thrived, I wouldn’t rock the boat too much. 

What’s your bold prediction for the second half of the season? 

Brennan: A team other than the Liberty or Aces will win the WNBA championship. Either New York or Las Vegas has ruled the league over the last four seasons, but there will be a changing of the guard this year. The Lynx look most poised to usurp the giants, but the Wings and Valkyries are right there with the league’s top teams. With Napheesa Collier’s future in Minnesota somewhat unknown, and considering Olivia Miles’s unprecedented rookie campaign, is this the year to get it done for this iteration of the Lynx? After a run of falling just short of a fifth banner, there is a now-or-never feeling growing inside the Target Center. 

Falkenheim: The Dream tighten up in the half-court and earn the No. 2 seed. Atlanta’s numbers—fifth in offensive rating, fourth in defensive rating—look good because it is the league’s best transition team on offense and allows the fewest fast-break opportunities on defense. That’s a good combination to have. Entering the All-Star break, though, the Dream have the league’s second-worst half-court net rating. Between Brionna Jones’s return and the defensive personnel that Atlanta has, it’s hard to see how the Dream’s play won’t improve on both ends of the floor. If it does, watch out.

Silverman: Portland or Toronto sneak into the playoffs. The top eight teams seem to be solidly in place, but whether it's Washington falling off or even the Liberty completely going off the rails, the playoff field can’t be completely set at the All-Star break—right? As the league’s newest teams, both the Fire and the Tempo have had their fair share of ups and downs. That said, Portland has been much better than initially anticipated while Toronto started out hot but has fallen off since Brittney Sykes’s injury. Sykes is progressing toward a return and the Tempo should get Kiki Rice back at some point, too. Meanwhile in Portland, Carla Leite has had a breakout year while Bridget Carleton, Megan DiLeo and Emily Engstler have been key to coach Alex Sarama’s operation. If any team sneaks into the playoffs, expect it to be one of the expansion franchises.

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