WNBA trades we want to see: Mabrey to Storm, Hines-Allen to Fever

The Aug. 7 WNBA commercialized deadline mightiness not nutrient overmuch successful the mode of fireworks. The WNBA's hard wage headdress makes in-season deals challenging, and 10 of the league's 13 teams are wrong striking region of the playoffs, meaning much are looking to adhd endowment for the agelong tally than commercialized it away.

Still, it's imaginable for teams to assistance their playoff propulsion astatine the deadline. We've already seen 1 in-season trade, with the Las Vegas Aces acquiring NaLyssa Smith from the Dallas Wings and plugging her instantly into their starting lineup. And the Minnesota Lynx bolstered their squad for past year's Finals tally by adding Myisha Hines-Allen astatine the deadline.

With that successful mind, let's instrumentality a look astatine immoderate realistic trades that could shingle up WNBA rosters looking up to this year's playoffs and beyond.

Storm adhd Mabrey to backcourt

Seattle Storm get: Guard Marina Mabrey
Connecticut Sun get: Forwards Alysha Clark and Katie Lou Samuelson, 2026 first-round pick

In the aftermath of the commercialized sending Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas this past offseason, the Storm are successful an absorbing spot heading into the deadline. Seattle is competing for home-court vantage successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs and besides owns 3 first-round picks successful the 2026 draft, with other ones coming from the Aces and Los Angeles Sparks.

That could enactment Seattle successful presumption to upgrade present portion keeping an oculus connected the future. All-Star Brittney Sykes would astir apt apical the Storm's privation list, but with the Washington Mystics successful playoff position, she mightiness not beryllium available. There's nary specified interest with Mabrey, who unsuccessfully requested a trade from Connecticut past offseason. With the Sun astatine 3-20 and Mabrey headed toward unrestricted escaped agency, a deadline woody makes sense.

The biggest situation for Seattle successful dealing for a backcourt upgrade -- with Ariel Atkins of the Chicago Sky different plausible enactment -- is creating headdress room. The Storm person $223 of abstraction close now, per the Her Hoop Stats WNBA wage headdress database, meaning Seattle would person to nonstop backmost a large wage successful return. Inevitably, that would beryllium Clark, who has averaged less than 13 MPG during a 4-4 Storm agelong starting July 9.

Losing Clark's seasoned beingness would beryllium achy for the Storm, and everyone progressive would surely privation a buyout statement that would let her to articulation different contender. If Seattle is superior astir winning a playoff series, however, the squad could usage much scoring threats. Only the Storm's 5 starters are averaging much than 5 PPG this season. Mabrey, who has scored treble digits each of the past six seasons, would beryllium a immense upgrade with her shooting and playmaking.

A Mabrey woody won't apt recoup what Connecticut gave up to get her midseason past twelvemonth -- a costly prime swap that allows the Chicago Sky to swap the Phoenix Mercury's first-round prime for the Sun's, each but guaranteed to beryllium successful the lottery. Seattle's ain first-round prime volition apt onshore extracurricular the apical 10. But that's amended than letting Mabrey locomotion successful escaped bureau adjacent offseason.

Edwards returns to Connecticut

Connecticut Sun get: Forward Aaliyah Edwards
Washington Mystics get: Guard Bria Hartley, 2026 first-round prime (worse of Chicago/Phoenix), 2027 second-round pick

ESPN's Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou reported astatine the commencement of the period that the Mystics are working to commercialized Edwards, who has been surpassed connected the Mystics' powerfulness guardant extent illustration by rookie All-Star Kiki Iriafen. After starting fractional of her games and averaging 21.8 MPG arsenic a rookie, Edwards is down to 14.2 this season.

When she has played, Edwards has been somewhat much productive this season, and she's a twelvemonth removed from being drafted No. 6. If the Sun could get the erstwhile UConn Huskies prima for their post-swap-pick, which would beryllium 13th if the play ended today, that would beryllium a beardown summation to their younker movement.

The looming enlargement draught is 1 imaginable inducement for Washington to get what it tin present for Edwards. Draft picks don't request to beryllium protected, opening a spot for 1 of the Mystics' different young players. Additionally, Hartley mightiness assistance Washington astatine constituent guard. Back successful the WNBA aft a two-season absence, she has changeable 35% connected 3s for Connecticut.

Lynx load up for playoffs

Minnesota Lynx get: Forward Emily Engstler
Washington Mystics get: Forward Diamond Miller, 2027 second-round pick

Depending connected what happens with Edwards, Engstler could beryllium 1 of the astir absorbing players to ticker astatine the deadline. After she averaged 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes successful 2024, Engstler was a commercialized people past offseason, according to a league source, but the Mystics rebuffed offers for her.

Even much truthful than Edwards, Engstler has been buried connected Washington's extent illustration this season. Saturday was the archetypal clip Engstler played much than six minutes since July 3. She hasn't changeable good this play aft hitting 47% of her 3s past play connected a tiny illustration of attempts (57), but she continues to rack up rebounds, steals and blocks astatine awesome rates.

Because she's making the WNBA minimum, Engstler is gettable for conscionable astir immoderate team. This woody sends her to Minnesota, which hasn't recovered accordant extent beyond apical reserves Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard. With fewer helping options disposable to beryllium signed to low-cost contracts, the Lynx could inquire Engstler to play connected the perimeter, thing she has done astatine times with the Mystics.

On the different side, Washington would instrumentality a flier connected Miller, the No. 2 prime successful 2023, who has totaled conscionable 437 minutes implicit the past 2 seasons.

Fever upgrade frontcourt

Indiana Fever get: Forward Myisha Hines-Allen
Dallas Wings get: Center Damiris Dantas, 2026 second-round pick

Like Mabrey, Hines-Allen could plausibly beryllium connected the determination midseason again. She mislaid her starting occupation successful precocious June, and Dallas is hoping to get guardant Maddy Siegrist backmost by season's end. When Siegrist was diagnosed with an anterolateral tibial plateau fracture successful mid-June, the Wings' merchandise said she was "expected to marque a afloat betterment and instrumentality to the Wings lineup aboriginal this season."

After shooting 36% connected 3s past season, divided betwixt the Mystics and Lynx, Hines-Allen is down to 30% this season. Since Hines-Allen is simply a vocation 35% shooter, betterment should beryllium expected. Even that down play from Hines-Allen has been amended beyond the arc than Dantas, shooting 26.5% (34% vocation but conscionable 31% since 2021).

As a 3rd station down starters Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard, Hines-Allen should beryllium an improvement. And with the Wings 5 games retired of the eighth seed, getting thing successful instrumentality would astir apt marque this commercialized worthy it.