WNBA Trade Deadline Recap: Biggest Moves and Final Deals

 

In what was a heavily anticipated trade deadline filled with rumors, only a few transactions were made. That said, these few roster changes may be pivotal to teams' playoff pushes.

Toronto Tempo Land Aneesah Morrow Ahead of Deadline

Kicking off what many hoped to be a frenzy of trades coming in just days before the deadline today (August 2 at 3 pm EST), the Connecticut Sun traded Aneesah Morrow to the Toronto Tempo for the rights of Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick on July 31, 2026. Just at a glance, it may already be safe to say that the Tempo won this trade. Throughout the first half of the season, it was clear that the Toronto Tempo were stacked in guard play, but not so much in the post and Aneesah Morrow is the exact answer. In just her second season in the W, Morrow has made a huge jump since her rookie season going from averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds to 11.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Not only has Morrow improved her averages, but she has also had several breakout games in which she has scored 20+ points. Alongside this success within her scoring, Morrow has also already put up 9 double-doubles for the Sun. As the Tempo look to enhance their rebounding and interior scoring, it will be exciting to see how Morrow's playstyle translates to playing beside such a strong backcourt in Toronto's Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes (once healthy). As previously stated, in return for Morrow, the Connecticut Sun received the rights to Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick. While the 2028 pick may come in handy down the road, the Sun's new rights to Kliundikova are not necessarily an immediate benefit. In her three seasons in the WNBA (2018, 2019, 2025), Kliundikova averages 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in her career in the W. Although she has scored a career-high of 24 points in 2019 and has more experience in the league than Morrow, the Sun's acquiring of Kliundikova is a headscratcher at the moment simply due to the uncertainty of her future in the WNBA. Will Aneesah Morrow make a smooth transition in Toronto, and will the Connecticut Sun have a great turnout from Maria Kliundikova and their new 2028 second-round pick?

Chloe Bibby Signs Offer Sheet from Minnesota Lynx

Since the end of June, Chloe Bibby had been on a Developmental Contract with the Chicago Sky, limiting her permitted games played to twelve due to the contract's terms. Bibby had participated in four games for the Sky thus far where she averaged 5.5 points and 1.5 assists per game. On July 31, 2026, the Minnesota Lynx offered Bibby a standard contract through an offer sheet in which the Sky could choose to match it and keep Bibby. Although the Chicago Sky valued Bibby and her flexibility under the Developmental Contract, they could not match the Lynx's offer sheet due to a lack in cap room. Because of this issue within the Sky being financially unable to provide Bibby a standard contract, the Minnesota Lynx acquired Bibby on August 1, 2026. Bibby is now on a standard contract worth $270,000, the league's minimum since the signing of the new CBA back in March. Following this transaction and just before the trade deadline, Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve commented on her squad saying, "Our roster is complete. We will not be making any trades." This remark by Reeve comes after many speculations of the Lynx potentially trading their MVP-caliber star forward, Napheesa Collier.

Kelsey Plum Headlines Deadline-Day Trade

Rounding out the 2026 WNBA trade deadline was arguably the biggest trade this season and it includes 5x All-Star Kelsey Plum. Approximately four days prior to the trade deadline, reports were released saying that Kelsey Plum did not intend to return to the Los Angeles Sparks once the 2026 season concludes. Considering that the Sparks traded what would be the Second-Overall Pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft (now 1x All-Star, Dominique Malonga), they obviously wanted something in return for Plum. Leading up to the trade deadline, the Sparks were scrambling looking for a team that was willing to trade for Plum while also getting something equal in return. Many reports lead to LA having conversations with the New York Liberty, Golden State Valkyries, and several other teams. That said, most teams had noted that the LA Sparks' asking price was far higher than what they were willing to give up due to Plum's lingering injury and free agency status following this season. Because of this, many believed that Plum would no longer be traded prior to the deadline, allowing for her to enter free agency after the season, and leaving the Sparks with nothing in return. However, early this morning (August 2, 2026) at approximately 2:00 am EST, the Los Angeles Sparks finalized a deal with the Phoenix Mercury. In this trade, the Sparks will send Kelsey Plum to the Mercury in return for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick. Akoa Makani has averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game thus far this season. While the Sparks' future is seemingly bright due to the fact that they now have these picks, it was an interesting choice for the Mercury. The Phoenix Mercury are currently six games back from making the playoffs and obviously want to win now. Plum is the temporary answer to this desire to win, though she could leave the team in the offseason in free agency. Will the Phoenix Mercury's future with Plum play out in their favor?

As an LA Sparks fan, thank you, KP.