Bullet point summary by AI
- Each WNBA contender faces unique roster challenges with the trade deadline approaching, and targeted moves could dramatically shift playoff odds.
- Proposed trades aim to address specific weaknesses — from bench depth to defensive holes — without disrupting core strengths.
- The debate centers on whether to act now or wait for more options, with some teams risking too much for marginal gains.
We don’t see a lot of big in-season trades in the WNBA. The whole “hard salary cap” thing is part of it, and the relative lack of value for draft picks is another. But that doesn’t mean trades shouldn’t happen. We need more trades!
Will these proposed WNBA trades happen? Probably not, honestly, but I’d argue that these moves would strengthen the top title contenders around the league ahead of the deadline.
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx were recently without point guard Olivia Miles for a couple of games, and in that stretch, the team lost to the worst team in the WNBA. It highlighted that while Minnesota is very good, it’s also very thin in a few important spots.
The Chicago Sky, meanwhile, traded a first-round pick this offseason for Jacy Sheldon in what was a short-sighted move for a team that seemingly tricked itself into thinking it could be a contender. (To be fair, it might have worked out if Rickea Jackson had stayed healthy.)
So, let’s fix some things. The Lynx get a capable secondary ball-handler who can steady the bench unit and step up in a pinch if Myles or Courtney Williams is out, and the Sky get at least a draft asset — albeit not nearly as valuable what they gave up. The team also gets Anastasiia Kosu, who is only 21 years old and is under contract for 2027 with a team option for 2028. She hasn’t been able to find much of a role in Minnesota, but could be really useful for the rebuild that Chicago desperately needs to undertake.
Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces have one clear hole in the starting lineup: Stephanie Talbot, who is averaging 3.5 points per game. The team also just lost some bench scoring after cutting Chennedy Carter, though the addition of Justine Pissott looks to potentially solve this issue.
But while Pissott has looked really good in her two games so far, those are also the first two games of her WNBA career. Can Vegas really count on her to sustain this level of play?
One solution: trade for another wing. The Los Angeles Sparks are going the wrong direction right now with Kelsey Plum out, and with Rae Burrell on an expiring deal, there’s no real reason to keep her around when you can get future draft capital. A 37 percent shooter from 3-point range, Burrell would give the team a catch-and-shoot threat who would provide an instant upgrade over Talbot.
Golden State Valkyries
You might notice there is no trade graphic in this section. You might be asking, “Hey, Justin, did you forget to embed that?” But the answer is “no.” I didn’t forget anything. I actually just believe that the Golden State Valkyries don’t need to worry about making any trades.
That’s not to say this is a perfect roster. The Valkyries’ offense hasn’t been particularly good this season, so you could argue that adding someone who can score inside would help with the team’s biggest flaw — Golden State currently ranks last in the league in 2-point field goal percentage.
But this team also has the league’s best defense, a unit so good that it almost doesn’t even matter that the offense struggles. This is a group that can make any game against any team into an ugly one, and making any trades puts you at risk of, in an attempt to improve the offense, winding up getting only marginally better on that end at the expense of messing up your identity. Don’t chase after scoring right now; in the offseason, you’ll have far more options to figure that side out without sacrificing too much on defense. In the middle of the season, you don’t have that luxury.
Dallas Wings
Alright, this one is kinda wild, right? But here’s my thinking: why not?
The Alanna Smith signing has been a disaster for the Wings. Maybe it’s injury. Maybe she’s just a bad fit. But for whatever reason, last year’s co-Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as she’s fallen to the fringes of the rotation.
Is Brittney Griner a good fit in Dallas beside Jessica Shepard? The lack of shooting is a concern on the offensive end, but Griner would provide the rim protection on defense that the team is sorely missing. That’s probably worth more than the weirdness of the offensive fit, and if it doesn’t work out, then it’s not really that big of an issue — Griner is a free agent in 2027, so the team would have the cap room to make a different splash move in the offseason.
Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty
A two-fer here, as New York has a glut of wings and Atlanta could use another wing. This probably doesn’t put the Liberty any closer to a title, but I’m not sure that’s really something that can realistically happen at this point.
The Liberty have just dealt with so many injury issues this season. Add in the weird fit of their players and you get a team that is severely underperforming expectations. It’s not even really clear how to patch things up on the fly, so maybe the best move here is to move a player who has been in and out of the rotation for future assets.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has been on the outside of the Liberty core lately, seeing reduced minutes and even having games where she doesn’t see the floor at all. But in theory, she’s a productive wing with shooting upside who stands a good chance at solving one of the key issues in Atlanta — namely, a lack of 3-point shooting upside.
