Report: Jewell Loyd Traded to Aces; Kelsey Plum to Sparks in 3-Team Deal with Storm

Some of the WNBA's biggest stars are reportedly on the move with a major three-team trade.

On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne, Alexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews reported the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks completed a trade that sent Jewell Loyd to the Aces and Kelsey Plum to the Sparks.

Charania noted there is also plenty of high-profile draft compensation being included in the move:

While the draft picks are notable, especially the No. 2 selection that could allow the Storm to pick someone such as Olivia Miles or Sonia Citron from Notre Dame, Loyd and Plum are the headliners of the deal.

Plum has been with Las Vegas since the 2018 season and was a key part of the star-studded lineups that won back-to-back championships during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The combination of A'ja Wilson, Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and others made the Aces unstoppable at times.

While they will miss Plum's presence, Loyd is also one of the league's best perimeter players and should step right into the lineup in effective fashion.

She has been with the Storm her entire career since she was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 WNBA draft and built a resume that includes two championships, a Rookie of the Year, six All-Star selections, three All-WNBA nods and a scoring title.

That scoring title came in 2023 when she posted 24.7 points per game, and she followed that effort up with 19.7 points a night last season. The Aces will once again be in title-or-bust mode in 2025, and Loyd is someone who can take full advantage of all the spacing that comes from the double teams Wilson faces.

As for Plum, she brings plenty of star power to a Sparks team looking to turn the corner and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season.

Plum's resume includes two championships, an All-WNBA selection and three All-Star nods, and she could take on even more responsibility with her new team now that she is no longer teammates with Wilson and others in Las Vegas.

There was already reason for optimism in Los Angeles with Cameron Brink (No. 2 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) and Rickea Jackson (No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft) as young building blocks.

Now they have a veteran and a champion to help them compete in the immediate future as they look to establish themselves as a force in the playoff race.