Ending days of speculation, the Los Angeles Sparks have finally traded Kelsey Plum on Saturday, just ahead of the trade deadline, to the Phoenix Mercury. The blockbuster deal involves Plum going to the Mercury and Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-rounder heading to LA, as per Shams Charania.

As per earlier reports, Plum had rejected a contract extension with the Sparks. The one-year $999,999 contract she signed before the start of the 2026 season is set to expire at the end of the campaign. With Plum showing hesitance to sign a new deal, the Sparks had to make the decision of trading the five-time All-Star.

Things have not been smooth in LA for the past month. In mid-July, the Sparks parted ways with General Manager Raegan Pebley. Additionally, coach Lynne Roberts also indicated that the franchise could see a whole host of changes owing to their poor performances this season.

“Everything is on the table,” Roberts said on Thursday, as per John Davis.

“We’re not where we want to be, and so we’ve got to evaluate everything, and maybe that’s keep the group intact, maybe it’s not. We’ve got to evaluate everything. We have to figure out what we need to do to get this franchise where it needs to be.”

Plum has been the silver lining in this Sparks team that has struggled to close out games this season. Before getting sidelined with a lower leg injury, she was averaging 23.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point line. But she did not feature in any game for the Sparks since June 21 and was sidelined for five weeks due to injury.

Plum, who will soon turn 32, now joins a Phoenix Mercury team sitting at 11-19, making the move all the more surprising. Contenders like the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, and Golden State Valkyries had all been linked with the five-time All-Star, with many expecting her to land on a team firmly in championship contention.

The challenge ahead remains enormous. Even if Phoenix somehow wins all 14 of its remaining games, a playoff spot still wouldn’t be guaranteed. The Mercury would also need the 17-13 Liberty to finish 7-7 or worse, or the 16-12 Mystics to go 9-7 or worse, just to keep their postseason hopes alive.

At first glance, the trade raises plenty of questions. If Plum were to leave in free agency after the season, the Mercury would have surrendered two draft picks and a promising young player for just 14 regular-season games.

But the Mercury front office likely doesn’t make a move of this magnitude unless it believes Plum is willing to commit beyond this season.

After Satou Sabally left Phoenix for the Liberty this offseason, last year’s finalists have struggled offensively, ranking 12th in the WNBA in offensive rating. Plum’s arrival could be exactly what the Mercury need, with the five-time All-Star having ranked among the league’s top 11 scorers in each of the past five seasons.

Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas are both under contract through next season, and Plum appears to be a natural fit alongside the duo. She can slot in at point guard without carrying the same playmaking and scoring burden she shouldered in Los Angeles.

And with Copper and Plum represented by the same agent, the Mercury front office will likely be optimistic about securing a new deal with the two-time WNBA champion sooner rather than later.

If Plum does re-sign, the assets Phoenix parted with won’t feel nearly as significant. According to The Athletic, the Mercury haven’t had one of their own first-round draft picks on the roster during her rookie season since Alanna Smith.

For the Sparks, on the other hand, trading away Kelsey Plum was a course correction from the mistake they made two years ago. But does it solve their issues?

Trading Away Plum Does Not Solve The Sparks’ Problems

The Sparks sacrificed a lot to get Plum. They traded away their second overall pick from the 2025 draft to the Seattle Storm as part of a three-way trade that ultimately landed Plum in LA and Jewell Loyd in Las Vegas. While the Plum trade did not work out for the Sparks as intended, the pick they gave up turned out to be Dominique Malonga, who recently featured in the All-Star game and became the youngest player ever to dunk in the signature event.

This “win-now” strategy has very clearly backfired. The Sparks are 10-17 for the season and currently on a six-game skid. Now that Plum is traded, the chances of making the playoffs this year appear even slimmer.

From the Sparks’ perspective, they received a solid return, especially considering Plum was set to become a free agent and could have walked away for nothing this offseason. The 2027 first-round pick is currently projected to be a lottery pick, although the chances of it becoming the No. 1 overall pick are slim. Still, those draft picks should help the franchise continue building around its young core, led by Cameron Brink.

The Sparks also quietly acquired a valuable piece in Monique Akoa Makani. A career 41% three-point shooter, she emerged as one of the WNBA’s better pick-and-roll defenders last season. The 25-year-old is averaging 9.4 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds this year, giving Los Angeles a young two-way player who fits neatly alongside its rebuilding core.

Granted, Monique Akoa Makani is a fine player, but replacing the top scorer of the team is never easy, as only A’ja Wilson averaged more PPG than Plum before her injury.

Plum’s recent injury was scheduled for reevaluation on July 30. Having already missed five weeks of action, the lack of offensive firepower further made things difficult for the Sparks.

With injuries to notable players like Cameron Brink, the Sparks have especially struggled with their defense this season. And now losing their top scorer should only add to their problems.

It would be fair to say the Sparks have officially pulled the plug on this season and shifted their focus away from a “win-now” approach. With their attention now firmly on the future, don’t be surprised if veterans like Nneka Ogwumike, Dearica Hamby, Erica Wheeler, and Ariel Atkins also become trade candidates in an effort to stockpile as many future assets as possible.

As for Plum, the priority now shifts to regaining full fitness and returning to the top of the league’s scoring rankings.