BLOCKBUSTER DONE DEAL?

ESPN reports that a three-team trade between Seattle, LA, and Las Vegas is done.

Per ESPN NBA Insider, Shams Charania, the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, and Los Angeles Sparks have agreed to a three-team trade that will send All-Star guard Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas, All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles, and the Sparks’ #2 overall draft pick to Seattle. In order to get this deal across the finish line a few additional pieces needed to be included.

Beyond the major pieces, the Storm will also be sending LA their 2025 first-round pick (9th overall), while the Sparks send 6’7” Center Li Yueru to Seattle, and LA’s second-round pick (13th overall) to the Aces.

Jewell Loyd’s time in Seattle has come to an end. This appeared to be inevitable after the conclusion of the Storm’s 2024 WNBA season. In mid-November, reports came out regarding an official complaint filed against the Storm’s Coaching Staff. I wrote about that to cover what we knew at the time.

In December, the independent external investigation announced that it did not find any legitimate evidence of abuse against the players. Immediately after that, Loyd requested a trade out of Seattle. Once it became evident that the Storm franchise was not interested in firing Coach Noelle Quinn, Loyd made it public that she wanted out.

I wrote about potential trade options the Storm could try to find by dealing their talented All-Star Shooting Guard. While I didn’t predict the Storm getting LA’s #2 overall pick, I did mention that Seattle trading for the #3 overall pick OR trading with the Aces for Kelsey Plum, could be options. I wasn’t too far off.

What’s Next?

Seattle’s off-season immediately becomes more interesting. After trading away Loyd, the team frees up nearly $250,000 more in salary cap space. According to HerHoopStats, the Storm should have roughly $960,000 to spend on Free Agency. This does not currently factor in the Core tag price of Gabby Williams, a reserved contract for Li Yueru, or the potential re-addition of Nneka Ogwumike. Nneka is an Unrestricted Free Agent but everything I have read and seen reported has indicated that she is likely to re-sign with the Seattle Storm this off-season.

Could the extra salary cap space allow them to go after a player like DeWanna Bonner, Tiffany Hayes, or even a reunion with Alysha Clark? Or maybe they go after another big like Brittney Griner, Emma Meesseman, Brionna Jones, Natasha Howard, or Elena Delle Donne (if EDD tries to play this season).

It’s certainly possible the team will try to build around their core from last season, minus Loyd. If Ogwumike and Gabby Williams return, the team’s starting lineup is potentially full already. It might look something like this.

PG: Skylar Diggins-Smith
SG: Gabby Williams
SF: Jordan Horston
PF: Nneka Ogwumike
C: Ezi Magbegor

If they keep that group together, then the rest of Free Agency might just be spent trying to improve the team’s bench. Seattle needs more three-point shooting and another post player.

The other interesting situation we should keep an eye on is whether or not the Storm now make a play for the #1 overall pick. Just a few days ago, I wrote that it wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities that the Storm could try to make some moves to acquire the #1 pick and draft Paige Bueckers.

I’m sure it sounded extremely far-fetched at the time. I believe I was even asked, “What are you smoking?”

I’m sure it doesn’t sound too crazy right about now, huh?

Now obviously, there is NO GUARANTEE this is going to happen. But IF some of those reports are true… that Paige Bueckers does not want to play for the Dallas Wings organization and plans to use her leverage to end up on a different team. Well, now the Storm have put themselves in a prime position to take advantage of that opportunity.

This is especially true because they still hold the LA Sparks’ 2026 first-round pick as well as their own. In theory, the Storm could offer the Sparks the #2 overall pick and one of those two first-round picks next year to swap with Dallas. There are possibly some other options but I won’t get into those now as the above is the most likely scenario in my eyes.

The neat thing is, even if Seattle doesn’t trade with Dallas or get Paige Bueckers; there are at least a couple of other prospects that should be exciting as part of the Storm’s future core.

Depending on which mock draft you look at now, Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and USC’s Kiki Iriafen are the other top prospects the Storm will likely be scouting much more over the next couple of months before April’s WNBA Draft.

How are you feeling Storm fans? Are you happy with the trade? Are you sad to see Jewell Loyd go? Does the WNBA Draft become more exciting for you now?

Notes:
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Photo Credits: ESPN

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