Mercury's Kelsey Plum trade with Sparks makes WNBA history

The Phoenix Mercury made a major statement at the 2026 WNBA trade deadline, acquiring All-Star guard Kelsey Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks early Sunday morning. The move is framed as a historic midseason impact: The Athletic’s Alexa Philippou cited Elias Sports Bureau data showing Plum’s 23.9 points per game this season is the highest scoring average among players to change teams midseason (with at least 10 games played). Phoenix sent guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to Los Angeles. Plum joined Phoenix coming off a lower-leg injury from June, so her return date remains unclear. She signed a one-year, $999,999 deal with the Sparks, so Phoenix would need a long-term extension or a core designation to keep her beyond 2027. Phoenix is 11-19 and next hosts the Sky on August 3 at 9 p.m. ET.