Can Kelsey Plum Push the Mercury Into Contention?
The WNBA trade deadline has come and gone, and while the league didnt see a flood of moves, one blockbuster trade changed the conversation. Zena and Sabreena break down the Phoenix Mercurys acquisition of Kelsey Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks and discuss what this move means for Phoenixs playoff hopes and the race for the postseason. Before diving into the trade deadline fallout, the duo opens the show with the ongoing controversy surrounding Sophie Cunninghams comments on transgender girls in youth sports, which sparked rallies and counter-rallies WNBA games. Sabreena breaks down what happened at those rallies, the conversations happening around the league, and Cheryl Reeves call for leadership, accountability, and inclusivity within the WNBA. To close out the episode, we look ahead to the future of All-Star Weekend and discuss which cities could be strong contenders to host the 2027 WNBA All-Star Game. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: Sign up for the No Offseason Newsletter: 00:00 Intro 15:29 Sabreena Scale 16:55 Why the Mystics are trending in the right direction 24:42 Dallas Wings head to American Airlines Center in 2027 29:19 Analyzing the quiet WNBA trade deadline 35:51 Evaluating team strategies and missed opportunities 41:43 Phoenix's new offensive dynamics with Kelsey Plum 47:55 How far can Kelsey Plum take the Mercury? 50:35 Why did the Sun trade Aneesah Morrow? 53:46 How Aneesah Morrow fits the Tempo's vision 56:32 Where should the 2027 WNBA All-Star game be? Related links and articles: Follow and listen to the audio podcast: Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever youre listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube: @No-Offseason -Instagram: @tanooffseason [ -TikTok: @no_offseason [ Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings -Layshia on IG: @layshiac -Annie on X: @anniecostabile -Produced by Taneka Burrell -Executive Produced by Andrea B. Scott Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: Full Episodes Playlist: Shorts Playlist: Thumbnail: Michael Hirschuber / Stringer / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
Video Transcript
Most of the teams on the, the lower side, like, have young players that they don't wanna give up, right?
They're not exactly teeming with the veterans who are gonna help playoff teams right now, you know?
Like, the reason- why a lot of players signed with Seattle, and Connecticut, and Los Angeles, and you know, it's because they're at stages of their career where, like, they wanna help mentor young players, and, like, they're not thinking about, like, playing in post-season contending scenarios right now.
So like, they're, it's harder to find the players who are gonna help a contending team right now.
Mm-hmm.
You know?
When you can only, you can kind of only trade with, like, teams who are not making the playoffs because if you trade with teams who are making the playoffs, you run the risk of seeing them right away in the post-season, and then it's just, it's tough.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to No Off-Season.
I'm Zena Cada.
And I'm Sabrina Merchant.
And today on the show, the WNBA trade deadline delivered one major shakeup, but left us with plenty of questions.
Kelsey Plum is now a member of the Phoenix Mercury, but why was the market so quiet otherwise?
And is the addition of one superstar enough to change Phoenix's playoff hopes?
But first, one of the biggest conversations around the WNBA lately wasn't just about a blockbuster trade or what happened on the court.
Over the weekend, the Minnesota League's head coach, Cheryl Reeve, weighed in on the rallies supporting Sophie Cunningham as another one took place in Portland.
And Sabrina, you were there for one of those.
It sparked, Cheryl Reeve to be, to discuss this with media there at the game.
Love to play a little clip of her comments.
Well, I don't think we should feel like our safe space is being threatened.
That, that's what I enjoy about the WNBA, and I think we have to continue to safeguard that, that, I don't think these demonstrators are, not being peaceful or, I mean, not that I've seen.
I, I haven't seen all of it.
I haven't heard everything that's happening, but, everyone has a right, to peacefully assembly, right?
That's whether you agree with them or not, it doesn't matter.
It happens every day in all corner and discussions.
And, it's not about agreeing.
I think, you know, you can have an opinion, you know, in this space.
I think the, the commissioner and the league have a responsibility to ensure that any topic that, could be problematic for players that they perceive, to be unsafe or threatened in any way, or discriminated against, I think that's, you know, that's something that's fair, for our leadership, and I'm quite sure that they have eyes on and ears on to make sure, that it's a safe spa- space, space for everyone.
That's what makes our league beautiful.
Now, that piece, was posted on X originally by Andrew Dukowitz, and, definitely encourage everyone to go listen to it.
We'll link it in our show notes.
But what I particularly appreciate was the way that Cheryl Reeve finished her comments, Sabrina.
She said, "It is my hope that we demonstrate leadership in this space," as in the WNBA.
"You can voice your opinion, have a strong opinion, but it's a safe space for everyone, regardless of whether or not we agree."
And that's where the clip cuts off.
Now, you were there on site, for this rally.
Let us know, what was it like?
What did you see?
What did they say, the people that were participating in this rally?
And then let's talk a little bit more about what Cheryl was talking about in terms of leadership.
Right.
So just, to back it up real quick, obviously Sophie Cunningham had her comments in an ESPN article about not supporting the inclusion of transgender girls in youth sports, and doubled down on that when asked about it later.
So in response to that, there have been a group of people who agree with Sophie who have been, assembling, at WNBA games that the Fever are at.
So that was first in Seattle, which, you know, we talked about how, their owner, Celeste Keaton, was, suspended for five games because of her interactions with some of the protesters who were at the game.
Then there was another one in Portland that I was at on Friday, and then there was another one in Minnesota when the Fever played there on Sunday, which incidentally, great game, wish we were talking about that, but, this is a thing- Yeah that has happened in the WNBA where Sophie Cunningham's comments have inspired a group of people who have views about the exclusion of transgerend- transgender girls from youth sports and are making their feelings heard.
And so I was there in Portland, about an hour and a half before the game started.
There was a group of people, maybe, like, 15 people, who, standing there holding signs that said, like, "Thank you, Sophie," or "XXXY", demonstrating.
Like, there was a group called, Democrats With an Informed Approach to Gender, all basically vocalizing their opinions that, you know, they believe that women's sports is a place only for biological women.
Mm-hmm.
And as you would expect with, any protest, there was counter-protesters, and there were people, you know, who are fans of the Portland Fire who also just saw that there was a protest that was an anti-trans protest and wanted to make their feelings in favor of the transgender community.
And so they were there holding transgender flags, signs that said, you know, inclusion, and, like, things that suggest that basketball is a place for all of us.
And all this was pretty peaceful.
You know, there were a couple people yelling at each other, but I think what stood out the most to me was, you know, we talk about WNBA being an inclusive league, right?
R- welcoming everybody.
People who don't necessarily feel comfortable in a professional sports environment have always felt comfortable as fans of the WNBA.
And this is a situation where some people are starting to feel uncomfortable.
People who are longtime fans of the WNBA, of women's sports, are not entirely at ease in this environment because there are people who are directly advocating for transgender people to have fewer rights than other people.
Like, not be able to compete in youth sports.
And so, you know, I talked to a couple people who said they just wish that the Portland Fire would come out stronger, they wish that the WNBA would come out stronger in favor of a more inclusive approach, you know, to the WNBA, to who is welcome here.
Obviously, Cheryl Reeve Made very strong comments, but she is not the spokesperson for the WNBA, right?
That is Cathy Engelbert or somebody else.
So at a league level, there is a gap in terms of what the league believes and what the league decides to do with regards to transgender athletes.
And this is not a situation that has, you know, come to the WNBA's doorstep yet, but it is a situation that potentially could arrive at the WNBA's doorstep.
And the league, as Cheryl Reeve said, has an opportunity to be proactive and, you know, create a policy or create an approach for how they're gonna accommodate transgender athletes.
And so often on this show we've talked about how the WNBA is a little reactive, takes too long to- Mm-hmm you know, make a response to situations.
Like, things have to happen to the WNBA for them to take a position.
They don't proactively do a lot of things.
And I think that was one of the more powerful elements to Cheryl Reeve's statement that, you know, we have an opportunity here as the WNBA to take a leadership role, to set the conversation, right?
Like, we don't need to let outside actors dictate the discourse, which is what is happening right now, right?
Correct.
Sophie Cunningham's comments are dictating the discourse.
Correct.
The ralliers, the protesters, the counter-protesters are all dictating the discourse, and the WNBA could, you know, take a leadership role here that it has not yet.
And what has resulted is You know, I went to my first Portland Fire game on Friday night with the Indiana Fever, and there was, like, a tension there during the entire game.
And- that's not what I've heard the atmosphere in Portland to be like, right?
You know, obviously, that was my first game.
Right, the Fire Pit.
The Fire Pit, right?
It's fun and big.
Like, super fun.
Right, yeah.
Yeah.
And every time Sophie Cunningham touched the ball, right, there was just chorus of boos, fans holding up their transgender flags, you know, just a real on edge feeling against the Indiana Fever.
Like, I know I went to the, the next game against the Los Angeles Sparks, and, like, cheers during the starting lineup, you know, for everybody that's announced from the Sparks even though it's- Right the opposing team.
Right.
And yeah, it got a little quiet when Nneka Ogwumike hit some threes, but not, like, aggressively anti-Nneka Ogwumike.
Like, everyone is pro-Nneka, everyone is pro Cameron Brink, everyone is pro, you know, Jion Park, who had a great game for the Sparks that day.
But it was a very different atmosphere, with the Indiana Fever because there was a person on the Indiana Fever who had espoused, like, taking away rights from transgender people.
And I think it's just so antithetical to how, like, you and I have experienced the WNBA where everyone- Yes feels like they belong, right?
And you go to a game, and it is just the most affirming experience, right?
Like, it, it just feels good.
You get to talk to people, like, all from all walks of life, and you just feel comfortable being yourself all the time at WNBA games.
And yeah, like, I throw out takes on this podcast, and people listen to the podcast, and they, like, get on me for my takes, and that's fine.
Like, but I still feel totally comfortable walking around.
Sure.
Right.
And, you know- Safe.
Yeah.
And you feel safe.
Totally safe.
Right?
Like- Yeah.
Right.
That was a feeling that, you know, some of the people I talked to outside of the arena at Portland no longer felt as safe as they had previously in the WNBA space, and that's just never what you want to happen, you know, with the league that we cover, with the league that means obviously so much to both of us, with the league that prides itself on no space for hate and being inclusive.
And when Cheryl Reeve talked, when Natalie Nakase talked this weekend, when Stephanie White talked this weekend, the common thread in all of their comments was, you know, we don't believe in exclusion, you know?
Yeah.
We believe that there's always a way to be inclusive.
And so, you know, there's unfortunately this energy seeping into the WNBA of people who are not as inclusive and, I should say viewpoints that are not as inclusive.
And I think Cheryl Reeve just put it best of like the WNBA has an opportunity to take a leadership role here.
There should always be a way to be as inclusive as possible.
She even went up to Sophie Cunningham pregame, you know, to talk to her about how they can use their platforms better, you know, to advocate for inclusion, right?
Right.
Right.
obviously she did not share the full details of that conversation, but I think it's pretty clear that they stand on different sides of the aisle when it comes to this debate.
And I think Cheryl has been such a good voice for what the WNBA could be doing, but again, she is not the commissioner of the WNBA.
She is not- Right the leadership of the WNBA.
She metaphorically is basically 'cause she's been in the league longer than anybody else.
Right.
But, you know, there's an opportunity for the league to do something here that I think Cheryl has given them a very good blueprint for.
I appreciate you bringing that perspective of, like, being at the rally and being in the arena.
Of course, that is, you're right, not the WNBA experience we want, we want for anyone, and I think that Cheryl Reeve really set it up beautifully in saying that the WNBA has an opportunity, to ensure a safe space for everyone.
That's the bottom line.
That's the, that's the goal here that the WNBA really should, take, take to heart and, and take that challenge to heart.
I think she also mentioned, like, this issue, and we're talking about the comments that Sophie Cunningham made, protecting women's sports, and I put that in quotes, this concept of protecting women's sports, and then there's also this concept of protecting young girls from going up against biological males.
That's not happening.
So let's just put that out there, that, that quote, that sentence.
Or men, excuse me.
It was not males.
It was biological men.
Girls are not playing men anywhere, in a sanctioned sport space anywhere in this country.
So I just wanna put that out there.
But, this notion is not the biggest thing that's going up against women's sports, right?
Like, that part was like, yes, say that louder.
And I would love anyone that's a- asking from these different outlets about this topic, make sure you hit on those topics too, the other things.
What'd you feel about her, you know, calling that part of it out?
Yeah, I mean, it's a lot of things that we've talked about on this show too, right?
Like lack of investment into women's sports relative to men's sports.
That is an enormous issue that plagues women.
You know, the fact that there is less research done into women's sports compared to men's sports, and we don't actually know how bodies respond to certain things or how they respond to recovery and injuries and rehab and like, yeah, would you believe that women's feet are not just small men's feet?
Like you might actually have to make a shoe that's a little different from a men's shoe when you're selling them to women.
Like think about all the colleges that are in violation of Title IX because of the opportunities that they provide to women versus men, on their athletics.
So- Mm-hmm there are so many issues that unfortunately currently continue to plague women's sports, and the, the talk about transgender athletes in girls' sports is such a small fraction of, you know, all of the athletes, all of the female athletes that are participating in sports.
And the things that Cheryl Reeve highlighted, you know, are enormous issues that continue to plague, like, sports.
I, I thought, like, there was a, an article by Becky Sauerbrunn a few years ago from the US women's soccer team that, highlighted this very well actually.
Just all of the things that- Yes you know, this issue about transgender sports is obscuring many, many of the bigger issues- Such good recall that are facing women's sports.
So kudos to Cheryl.
Again, just the perfect, perspective on all of this.
Mm-hmm.
You know, like what matters, what the WNBA can do, and let's make sure we're not forgetting about everything that is happening in women's sports because there is, you know, this, this focus, this limelight on Sophie Cunningham and the comments that she made.
Absolutely.
And there is a difference between saying the issues that are facing the trans community versus the issues of trans athletes in women's sports.
We are saying the latter is not a big focal point.
We are not saying the first part of- Absolutely what tr- trans community is facing is minor or not a, a, a thing.
And I think that differentiation is so important to make.
But I appreciate Cheryl Reeve's comments.
I appreciate all the coaches that have spoken out and, you know, talked about the inclusivity necessary, in the WNBA space, and I appreciate you being on site giving us that, you know, insight into what it's been like, not only outside of the arenas, inside the arenas, et cetera.
This is not going to go away, this concept and this being, this, this topic being used in cultural wars and being used as a political, pawn.
Like this is not going to go away, and because of that, we here at No Off-Season, we're going to continue to learn, and bring you the right people to be able to speak about this intelligently, and, and thoughtfully.
And so be patient with us as we do that, but, we appreciate everyone who has been, been listening, those of you who have called us out while calling us in.
That is the way you are a true ally.
And you know, con- en- encourage us to continue to grow and evolve in this, and that's the only way that we as a society can get to a place where everyone feels included, and, and feels free and safe to go about this human experience that we call life.
So appreciate all of you for that.
Now remember, this is a basketball podcast, so let's transition to the Sabrina Scale 'cause at the same time that these rallies were happening, huh, that was not the most important thing that was happening for our podcast conversation.
Great basketball was happening.
Amazing people were out on the floor, and all these people were enjoying it.
I was one of them, being able to watch it all s- all weekend long.
I mean, CBS, I don't know if they've got like a kicker, like a little under-the-table deal- It's like the Buffalo Wild Wings thing, right?
With the WNBA.
Like the Bu- Right.
Yes, because when I tell you the people in Buffalo Wild Wings were like, "Make it a crazy game," and CBS is like, "We got you."
Like I don't understand.
They have such good games every single week.
For real, yeah.
I'm like, Jordan, Jordan and Ice Young, like they, they've been killing it on the broadcast.
They, I mean, they, if they haven't already clipped their like broadcast reel this season alone, have, they have a million pieces.
No, this weekend was crazy.
Sabrina Scale reflected some of that craziness.
But I'm gonna start with the craziest thing that you did this weekend, and I'm like, "Hey, I ain't hating it though.
I'm not hating it."
Washington up from number seven to number two, baby.
All right.
You were feeling, you were feeling it.
You were feeling it.
I was a little spicy, you know?
Friday was fun though.
Friday was a lot of fun.
So, what, what were your thoughts in, making that move, Sabrina?
Well, I'm not the only one riding high on the Mystics, I'd like to point this out.
Shakira Austin was voted player of the week by the Associated Press polls, so the love is there for the Washington Mystics.
There you go.
We talked about them on the show, I wanna say last week, you and me.
We got very high on the Mystics, got feedback on this, that like love the Mystics energy between you and Zina.
Mm-hmm.
Can't remember when we recorded that, so I don't wanna be too redundant.
But they're just beating everybody, right?
Yeah.
They beat Minnesota.
They've beaten Dallas now.
They beat Golden State.
They beat Las Vegas.
They, you know, threw in that win against Connecticut.
You win games- They beat Atlanta you, you move up on the Sabrina Scale, right?
Like that's what happens.
Period.
You win games, keep up.
Period.
And I'm very active.
If you win games recently, it's gonna happen.
You're gonna move up.
And it's- What have you done for me lately?
Exactly it's crazy because you look at their overall season stats, they're still like minus point differential for the season, but they're absolutely crushing it in these close games.
And I realize that is not the best predictor of how teams are gonna perform in the postseason, but they're 12 and 6 in these crunch time games, and that is usually a trait that you associate with veteran teams, teams with experience- knowing how to execute in these situations.
Like the Las Vegas Aces last year, so very good in crunch time situations, right?
We saw them win so many close games, even in the playoffs, right?
Like both of game one and three against Phoenix, you know, close games, Vegas comes out on top.
Washington, as we have mentioned 75 times on this podcast, has two players on their team with more- Right than a year of WNBA experience.
One of them missed a lot of the start of the season in Mikayla Onwenu.
The other, Shakira Austin, obviously player of the week consideration.
We might have to revisit that most improved player conversation because she is making more and more of a case for that.
Definitely topping the level that she had previously achieved, but they are just so unflappable down the stretch of games.
Sonia Citron- Mm-hmm one of like the best decision makers.
Who is the point guard for the Washington Mystics?
Maybe it should just be Sonia Citron.
I don't know.
She does very well with the ball in her hands because you don't know if she's gonna try to play make or if she's gonna try to look to score.
Obviously also an excellent defender at that position.
Love the five player lineup when they put Cody McMann in and they go big with Sonia, Mikayla, Cody, Kiki, and then Shakira Austin.
Very switchable, very good defensively, but then also like, you know, I was talking to Kiki Hervey about an All-Star, and she's like, "Yeah, Cody's the type of player where like if we're in practice and she's driving, I'm getting outta the way."
Like I don't wanna be- Out the way in the- Bowling ball coming through in the middle of her and the basket, right?
Like she has called herself Baby Bron before, you know, back when she was at Ohio State in, you know, the hometown of LeBron James.
Mm-hmm.
That is very much the vibe that she gives when she is barreling her way to you and you do not wanna be in between her and where she's trying to get to the basket.
So- Period there, that lineup is just so strong.
Like Kiki, Shakira, Cody, I don't know who among them I would like to guard the least.
Like it's just- They're all so strong, so s- like- Yeah determined to get to the basket.
And then Sonia Citron, again, like just I-- We're gonna talk about this later, players who sort of came out of nowhere.
Sonia Citron was the number three player, you know, in the number 20- in the 2025 draft.
It's not like she came out of nowhere.
And she was the number three option though- Yes in Notre Dame.
Yeah.
What was happening at Notre Dame?
How, how was she the number three option?
How was Mor- That's insane not running under Sonia Citron?
You, you know, people always try to say like, "Yeah, but Sonia was number three in the draft."
It's like, yeah, but remember that she was number- Yeah three at her college.
And like you look at Olivia Miles, like I get it.
It's insane.
You don't wanna take the ball out of Olivia Miles' hands- Sure but like I-- The fact that that Notre Dame team peaked at the Sweet 16 is one of the great- Is the wildest modern mysteries.
W- get the 30 for 30 going.
What was happening?
Like what is going on?
Yeah, it's, it's so good.
It's so-- I, I love the way that you've broken that out.
Unflappable is a perfect word to describe this team late in games.
What is so special about them is that at the end of games, the problem with them is that you don't know what the attack is gonna be.
It could be Sonia with a crazy turnaround jumper or attacking you at the basket.
It could be Shakira Austin, off a pick and roll or facing up and going at you.
It could be Kiki Hervey posting up and just bottling, bodying her way into the paint.
It could be Cody McMann 94 feet just straight into your gut.
Like th- there's so many ways that this team late in games finds opportunity.
We've seen Shakira Austin go through traffic and do these little turnarounds looking like Napheesa, and I'm like, "Oh, okay.
All right.
This whole team, this whole team is so much fun."
I am, I, I can't get enough of them.
I mean, I interviewed Shakira, as part of my Ion broadcast, and I was like having to get myself together after that game ended.
I took a breath on air.
I was like, "Ha."
And Shakira's like, "Yeah, I'm tired too."
And I was like y- I mean, this is, this-- They were a, they're a lot of fun to watch.
They are absolutely, a team that is exceeding expectations.
We've said this a, a bunch.
But that all said, you know, Washington jumps up in that way.
I don't know if anyone else had that reactive of a, a change, over the course of the weekend.
But anything else stood out to you in your, in your Sabrina skills you were putting it, putting things together?
And so I didn't actually mention this in the written piece, but because I was in Portland, I do wanna take a moment to shout out Bridget Carlton, who I feel like for years I've been watching Minnesota wanting her to just be a little bit more aggressive.
Take some more threes.
Yeah.
Like you have a beautiful jump shot.
They could use a little bit more from you.
And it felt like Cheryl Reeve and the coaching staff were like pulling teeth trying to get Bridget to do more.
And now I watch her on the Fire, and it's like I don't even know if she can see the basket when she puts up some of these shots, but they look clean.
Yeah.
She is just pulling up with- without regard.
And you know, they, they ran a set, when the Fire were down four at the end of the game against Los Angeles, and, you know, she's like coming off this little curl and like gets the ball up.
And like Lynn Roberts is like, "We, we couldn't do anything about that."
Like that's just- Yeah that was good defense, and Bridget just got a great shot up and, went in.
So I, I love watching her aggressiveness and just her, you know, willingness to be the number one option in a way that obviously she was never gonna get that opportunity in Minnesota.
But like- Mm-hmm to go from, I don't know, number five option sometimes in Minnesota to be this confident as the number one option is an incredible, just change of mindset.
And obviously her efficiency has not lagged, right?
Like she's doing such a- Right good job of this, in a, in a much more democratic offense in Portland, right?
Like Carla Leite does a lot, you know.
Um- Mm-hmm Megan Dalia does a lot.
So but just like cool to watch Bridget in person because, like having seen her in Chicago, she puts up the 29 in the first round of the All-Star three-point contest.
Like that jump shot is just about as pretty- It's pure as any in the league.
It's so beautiful.
And shout out expansion teams.
Yeah.
Shout out opportunity.
Shout out you gonna have to step up because you are a first pick on this expansion team.
You need to be the person that, provides us a little spark.
And yeah, it's been really nice to see the likes of Bridget Carlton.
We've seen what, you know, Marina Babry's doing in Toronto.
Like these players just stepping up, in the midst of new opportunity and new teams.
So I think this is gonna just continue.
It, it'd be really fun one day to like play who's next to lead- an expansion team because I think about this all the time.
I mean, we got Lali.
You know?
I'm sure.
I mean, but yeah, it comes in our minds all the time, right?
Like- Like is, Caitlin Chan gonna be the point guard for the WNBA Cleveland team?
I don't know.
The questions that need answers.
Oh, yeah.
That's good.
Okay.
We're banking that.
We're banking that.
Let's keep it moving.
I- I want to know, Dallas Wings.
We know, I mean, they lost that one on Friday against the Mystics.
They bounced back against Connecticut, blew out Connecticut, took care of business there.
So they're back in the win column.
But another win, there's an announcement made.
What's the news with Dallas Wings and where they'll be playing very soon?
Yeah.
So the Dallas Wings currently play at the College Park Center at UT Arlington, so a college arena not quite in Dallas, that seats about 6,500 people.
They will be moving to the American Airlines Center, which is where the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA play and the Dallas Stars of the NHL, so big, full arena for the 2027 season.
That's about a 20,000 capacity.
We've seen, you know, a couple games that Dallas hosted in 2025 at the American Airlines Center.
One of them against the Fever got above 20,000 fans in attendance.
So- it's definitely a lot more opportunity for them to fill up this place.
And you believe if you have Paige Bueckers and AZ Fudd that people are going to come watch you play so- Period.
Right you know, I was looking at just some of the away games that Dallas has played this year.
And in LA, you know, they opened the upper bowl, for tickets when Dallas came to town.
We talked about this on the podcast.
Montreal obviously sets an attendance record for regular season in the WNBA when Dallas comes to town to play the Toronto Tempo.
So they are a draw obviously around the WNBA.
They will definitely be a draw in their home market in the WNBA.
So this is just cool, a team that has been really relegated to, like, the bottom third of the attendance.
I think they were bottom three each of the last three seasons.
And maybe bottom four before that.
And now, like, they get an opportunity to sell more tickets, bring in more revenue, showcase, like, what has been a very, very fun product for the Dallas Wings this year.
So just awesome that, like, this is an option for them.
I hope that they sell lots and lots of tickets, and lots and lots of people wanna go see their games because- Yeah I've been to one in Arlington.
It's fine.
But, American Airlines Center is gonna be better.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And you know, it's, you- as you were listing out those, games, you know, LA or, Toronto and Montreal, like, the one thing about the Dallas Wings is they do give a great product, both at home and on the road.
Like, they-- You're gonna get a competitive game.
It's gonna be fun.
It's gonna be, you know, bucket for bucket kinda thing.
So, I, I like that they get the opportunity now to give their product to more people in Texas, and I just love when WNBA teams are in NBA arenas in that regard.
Like, it gives, it gives that element of importance.
And I-- Like, it's one of the reasons why I love the fact that Portland plays the Moda Center.
And the Fire Pit is-- But they create their own version, just like Golden State.
Ballhalla is a different feeling than Warriors ground.
You know what I mean?
I feel like we should just call Barclays Center a WNBA arena at this point.
Like, that is what I most associate it with.
That's real.
That's real.
That's a very good point.
But, like, you know, the, it's just- The other ones are shared, yeah.
It's so, it's so cool though to see, the different, like, completely different energy that happens in the same building.
Like, it's a completely different home.
It's like, yeah, the decor changes.
It feels like everything's just like the vibe and it's fun.
But it's just cool that you get to pack so many people in and, like- Yes it feels important and big.
Like when the- That's exactly right All-Star Game was at the United Center, it felt- Yes different in a way that- Yes Wintrust just could not provide.
Yeah.
Correct.
It just elevates it and that, and it deserves that, so awesome.
Great, great little information there.
Shout out to the Dallas Wings.
So when we come back, we're gonna break down the quiet, the quiet WNBA trade deadline.
The moves that happened, the moves that didn't, and why making trades in this league remains so challenging.
Stay with us.
All right, we spent a lot of time last week talking about potential trade targets and moves that- Do you feel silly?
Yo, it's Feel silly.
I don't know why.
No, you know what?
I feel, I, I feel less silly 'cause I wasn't on that show with you and Annie, but- Okay but it was a great show.
It was a great show.
Yeah, a lot of what y'all said did not happen.
Mm-hmm.
But I love that you put some stuff together.
It's cute.
Either way, the deadline arrived and there weren't, there weren't that many things happening.
It wasn't a big flurry of big deals, but that's not a surprise in the WNBA.
That, you know, yeah.
You all did a great job breaking stuff down.
Over the weekend you were ready and able to break down the blockbuster trade, that sent Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury.
Before we dive deeper into the impact of that move, Sabrina, first I wanna say thank you to you two for being up because I absolutely was not.
I, like, woke up and turned on the, um- That's true Atlanta game.
And then I looked at my phone and was like, "Oh.
Oh, sh- What?
Yeah, y'all handle that.
Y'all got that.
Thank you so much."
but I, I wanna also ask, like, why do you think this trade deadline was so quiet?
Because it did feel like there was a little bit of a hype-up.
Mm-hmm.
It felt like, you know, now that there's money really, really moving between these teams, like, people thinking about cap space in a way that we'd not heard before.
Like, why do you feel like it didn't kinda, you know, meet that energy, and what does it say about the way that teams are built in this league?
Yeah, I think part of it was, and I'm gonna try not to repeat myself too much from the show that Annie and I did on Sunday, but as Zena mentioned, it was kind of early so hard to know if I actually said all these things.
But I think part of it is there's such a clear delineation in the WNBA right now between teams that are gonna make the playoffs and teams that are not.
And obviously the Phoenix Mercury believe that they are gonna, you know, make their way into another section.
But, it is hard to trade, you know, in that situation because, like, most of the teams on the, the lower side, like, have young players that they don't wanna give up, right?
They're not exactly teeming with the veterans who are gonna help playoff teams right now.
You know?
Like, the reason- why a lot of players signed with Seattle and Connecticut and Los Angeles and, you know, it's because they're at stages of their career where, like, they wanna help mentor young players and, like, they're not thinking about, like, playing in postseason contending scenarios right now.
So like, they're-- It's harder to find the players who are gonna help a contending team right now.
Mm-hmm.
You know?
When you can only, you can kind of only trade with, like, teams who are not making the playoffs because if you trade with teams who are making the playoffs, you run the risk of seeing them right away in the postseason and then it's just, it's tough.
I also think- A rule in the CBA which is really, really good for the players, that every roster has to have 12 players.
You know, we saw so many rosters only carry 11 before.
11 players, yeah.
And it was like we used to say the 144, but it wasn't really 144 because not everybody was carrying 12 players.
That's great for creating jobs.
Very, very good for creating jobs.
Mm-hmm.
Pro-labor, pro-union, all that.
But can't really make imbalanced trades, right?
So everybody has to make the same amount of money, you know?
And- Yeah trading one for one is a lot harder than trading one for two sometimes, or two for three, and I think that, you know, just limits things.
Like, you know, we had talked about potential Kelsey Plum trades with Golden State, for example.
Mm-hmm.
And that would've required Golden State sending two players to the Sparks, and the Sparks to send one to Golden State.
And I'm not saying this is not why the Sparks didn't make a deal, you know, with Golden State, but, like, if you have to bring in two players, it means either you have to cut one of them or you have to cut one of your existing players and, like, that's just a whole thing.
Right, right.
And it's late in the season to do that, and so, like, I think that's all part of it, you know?
Like, the, the 12-player limit, just, like, the strict standing separation made things kinda challenging.
And then, I mean, let's face it, like, we had talked about, oh, you know, there's gonna be so much momentum and so much action because of all the money.
Like, it's still the WNBA, right?
Like, it's still the league- Right, right that had, you know, three deadline deals last year.
Yeah, like, basically three deals that were made within a week of a deadline.
There were two deals made within a week of the deadline in 2024.
One of them was just, like, basically a salary dump of Sugar Sutton, which this is no disrespect to Sugar Sutton, I'm just saying, like, that's what was happening- Yeah, yeah at the deadline.
So it's still the W. We may have talked about it a lot.
We've had a lot of fun with it.
We're trying to have fun with it.
The WNBA- Right unfortunately, not having fun with it.
They're like, "Yeah, that's cool."
Yeah.
"Appreciate you guys doing that work, but, uh-" Do your thing. "
we're gonna keep..." Yeah, yeah, do your thing.
But I think that there's also, there's another way to look at this concept of it's the W, and to look at the teams that made moves versus the teams that didn't make moves, particularly when you're looking at their front office, no?
Totally.
You know, the big move of the deadline, Kelsey Plum going to the Phoenix Mercury.
The general manager of the Phoenix Mercury, Nick Wrenn, cut his teeth in the NBA at the Golden State Warriors.
The general managers, or I should say interim general managers, of the Los Angeles Sparks, Zach Nolan and Nate Nielsen, just came from the NBA this off-season- in 2026.
So you look at the NBA, that is a very active deal at mid-season.
Everybody loves to make deals just to do something, you know, in February.
Just to- People are like, "Just do something" have a little change, you know?
"Just go, like do something."
That's it.
You're absolutely right.
Yeah.
There's all these deals, you're like, "Did that really need to happen?"
But it did.
Right.
Yeah.
Because the NBA likes to just shift things around.
I, I don't think it's an accident that two NBA-led front offices made a deal with one another because, expiring contracts having value, like, that's definitely more of an NBA thing than it is in the WNBA, right?
This idea of free agency, of trading for a player so that you have a better chance- Yep of signing her in free agency as opposed to just waiting, like, that is a very NBA concept.
And that's something- Thank you that Phoenix is trying to do, you know?
Yes.
I appreciate you guys bringing this up, too, on pod.
Like, in talking to people who have only watched WNBA o- like, throughout the weekend, about the Kelsey Plum move, and even some people this morning, like, this concept of trading for someone to basically prepa- like, you're doing a, a, a It's, it's kind of like a, it's like a visit.
Yeah.
Like if you're talk- Like, you know what I mean?
Like, it's like a, "Oh, come, come here-" It's like a two-month official visit to Phoenix.
It's like exactly.
It's like a 14-game, two-month official visit.
"Come look at our facilities.
Look at what we do."
It's so pretty.
"Look at our front office.
Like, it's great here."
We have pretty hairdryers in the locker room.
Right.
Everybody talks about it.
And you're already here once you get to this point of the year where you are thinking about other places.
Well, guess what?
We're gonna be right here, and you're already here, so this is great.
And, like, that notion is just like, wait, no, like, that doesn't make sense.
Like, what I'm- Like, no, this is, this was very strategic.
This was let's get you here so you can see it in, in person, right?
And, and not in a truncated period of time where we're gonna be texting and talking to you and FaceTiming you and having to fly you out and do all this other No, no, you're here, and you can tell us what you want.
You can, you can get a little bit of a sampler and let us know what you wanna change before the time comes.
So yeah, I thought that was really a, a smart, a, a, a breakdown, but it is an NBA-esque thing.
Let's talk about some of the teams that missed out on Kelsey Plum.
Right?
There were a few teams in the mix.
Everybody-- There was a lot of folks, I won't say everybody, being facetious here, but, a lot of folks thought that Kelsey would go to Golden State.
A lot of execs thought that.
That was reported.
And ultimately, it was also reported that the price tag for Kelsey Plum was just unsavory to a lot of execs, around the organ- or, around the association.
Unsavory.
The- I like that.
You know, just I don't know where I just came up with that one, but yeah, that.
A lot of folks were thinking about, you know, what if she ends up in Washington, ends up a point guard, you know, and can help with the development of Georgia Amoore as well.
There were just other places other than Phoenix.
That was, that threw me for a loop a little bit.
Thoughts on Golden State deciding to stay where they were and not get Kelsey Plum?
Yeah, yeah.
So just real quick, I think New York was also in the mix.
Um- New York as well the salary matching might have been a little difficult.
I think they would've had to given up Satou, and, you know, Satou obviously has not been available that much this season, but, like, a very high quality player who you put a lot of effort into signing this off-season, so not something you're just gonna do willy-nilly.
Washington, obviously we're very high on.
It doesn't make sense to totally rock the boat right now when things are already going so well for the Mystics.
But Golden State, from what we've talked about on the podcast about Golden State- their offense could use a little bit of help.
And- Yeah, a little, little bit Kelsey Plum, before she went down with an injury, in my opinion, was the best offensive guard in the WNBA.
The combination of her scoring, play-making, and efficiency, what she's able to do a variety of different ways on the ball, off the ball I think, again, best offensive guard in the WNBA.
You put that in on Golden State, I said it last week, favorites for the WNBA title.
Mm-hmm.
And, you know, this is where we talk about how the Valkyries may have been a little risk-averse, you know, not wanting to rock the boat.
They have great team chemistry, great thing going, you know, they're number three seed in the WNBA right now.
The defense obviously excellent.
You know, Natalie Nakase doing her thing.
I don't look at this team and think that they have enough to compete with the Aces, with the Lynx.
I just don't.
I think they need some level of individual isolation scoring, a little bit more shooting, a little bit just more creative ability that they don't quite have.
And I think they're gonna regret this opportunity to get Kelsey Plum, because you mentioned the unsavory asking price.
I don't look at what Phoenix gave up and think that is an overwhelming amount of stuff- Yeah for Kelsey Plum.
Right?
Right.
That's the thing that I think everyone's confused about.
Like, the Sparks gave up Dominique Malone for Kelsey Plum.
That is a lot, okay?
But- Right the Phoenix Mercury gave up Monica Cocomani.
Good player.
Good young player.
I voted her All-Rookie last year.
She did not make All-Rookie last year, but she did start for a team that made the finals, started all those games.
Right.
2027 first round pick, probably gonna be about number seven.
You know, we're talking like Samiah Nichols, Ashlynn Watkins, Tessa Johnson, like that range.
Mm-hmm.
That could be a good young player.
Mm-hmm.
We're talking about Kelsey Plum.
Right.
Two-time Olympian, two-time world champion.
Champion, yeah Two-time WNBA champion, Kelsey Plum.
Five-time All-Star.
Again, best offensive guard in the WNBA Kelsey Plum.
When you're trying to win a title this year, I think it was a mistake for them not to get her, and I'm watching the Valkyries yesterday against the Toronto Tempo, a Toronto Tempo team that doesn't have Marina Mabrey, mind you, and like- Or Sykes, but mm-hmm like yeah, no Sykes.
They're just Their offense looks blah against them for three quarters.
And yeah, I don't think it's I don't think you can count on just being able to turn it on every fourth quarter, you know?
And like Yeah.
I mean, okay.
So I feel you.
I feel you.
I was absolutely someone that was like, "Yes, the Kelsey Plum injection would be the craziest vaccine for this, offense, that the offensive issues that, Golden State has."
I also watched and worked the, the game against the, the Tempo, and yeah, there were definitely moments of stagnation which we see every single game.
The runs, right?
Allowing teams to go on runs and there's, you know, missed shots or, things are incredibly dependent upon the three just like they were in the first half of that game, and then the second half of the game it's like, whoa, look at them.
They're attacking the paint.
They can do that, too.
This team, the, the Valkyries, are going to require someone to step up and hit another level.
That's what all the good teams do.
The Vegas Aces do that.
The Lynx do that.
The Liberty do that.
They find another gear.
And right now it just doesn't look like the Valkyries have that second gear, but that game against the Tempo, Tiffany Hayes looked like Tiffany Hayes from the Aces.
She looked like Tiffany Hayes from Atlanta, if I wanna go all the way back.
Like, she looked good.
And- I was gonna say Connecticut.
Lots of different versions of Tiffany Hayes.
Connecticut, yeah.
Very d- yes, very different versions.
Exactly.
Exactly.
The play making, getting down, going downhill and, and finding folks to spray to, like, finishing on her own, getting and ones.
Like, she unlocked another level.
Now the issue is, is like, cool, all right, so maybe they do have another gear, but how consistent will it be?
And how much do you wanna put it on, on just Tiffany Hayes who's coming off your bench right now?
Maybe Chucksie can get to another level.
I mean, hell, Janelle's now dropped 50 points against the Tempo, but that's the Tempo.
Who can you d- can you do that against the Aces?
Can you do that on l- against Lynx exa- you know, et cetera?
So that, that was, that's, that was what made me go, "Hmm."
There's, there's trust there.
Ohemaa Nyannin, GM for the Valkyries, Natalie Nakase, they have trust in their team that they can hit another level.
Now we just have to wait and see.
So cool.
All right.
Watch it, understand, not trying to rock the boat too much there.
Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.
Well now let's talk actually about Phoenix and what they think is, what is the new gear they're going to hit with this new offense, offensive product that comes into the mix with Satou Sabally leaving, right?
You get the Unicorn to go.
Now you bring in Kelsey.
Is that a, a good exchange for a team that's practically the same as it was last year without Satou?
They lose M- Monique Akoom-Ah-Kani, which means they lose a lot of defense, on ball defense especially.
But they ins- they, they bring in some offense that might make up for that difference.
Yeah, so- You start, I'll go after.
O- offensively, love the fit for Kelsey- Yeah in Phoenix because I think I mean this in the nicest way to Kelsey, if you're listening.
Size-wise she is a one, you know?
Like, she should be playing the point guard position because of how- Mm-hmm tall she is.
And I don't necessarily think that you want her being your lead playmaker because of how much scoring she also ends up doing, and she's such a good scorer, right?
Like, she's such a good shooter.
She's so good at getting downhill.
So when you have an Alyssa Thomas who already is handling so much of this ball handling duty, you know, and like who likes to run the offense, who likes to function as more of a point guard, that to me is such a good use of Kelsey Plum's talent because, you know, you can have her and Kahleah Copper be your backcourt or whether that's Sammy Whitcomb and then maybe like Cos the three or, you know, however you wanna frame it.
But You know, she is the smallest player in your lineup, and then can, you know, can be the point guard if you want her to be because obviously Kah's a great scorer too, but then you can also give so much of that play creation duty to Alyssa Thomas.
So I love that offensive fit between the three of them.
They were all on the Olympic team in 2024.
I, yeah Right?
They're- That's a huge factor I, I don't know if it was the Phoenix Mercury account or somebody, like, posted a picture of the three of them together.
They were all on the second unit, of that Olympic team that went to Paris, so definitely already some familiarity with one another.
Defensively, Monica Culu-Makani to Kelsey Plum, bit of a downgrade.
Okay?
Monica Culu-Makani, I think one of, like, top three pick and roll guard defenders in the league last year.
This year, obviously everything with Phoenix has looked worse.
Their defense- Yeah is not great, so maybe it's not a huge deal that Kelsey Plum is coming in.
You know?
Like, they were league average, I think, for the last 10 games, but, like, sort of closer to 10th or 11th for the full season.
Mm-hmm.
I think if you can score efficiently, sometimes it just helps set up your defense, right?
If you're not letting the ball get in transition, if you're not giving up live ball turnovers, right?
Um- Mm-hmm sometimes that just helps you with your defense.
Like, I've, I've noticed this with the Sparks.
Like, everybody's like, "Oh, but Kelsey being gone shouldn't affect their defense."
Like, yeah, when you're getting the ball in the hoop every single time, it helps you set up your defense.
So- Right that's what I have to say on that end of the floor.
I don't think, this is why you make the trade for Kelsey Plum.
I think you make it for the other side of the ball.
Thank you.
You don't even really Y- th- the defense aspect is not in the conversation, I think when you're talking about bringing Kelsey Plum in.
You hit on so many other points that I also agree with.
I think the biggest one for me is the familiarity from Team USA.
You love to see that you don't have to do that much work to tell folks how to play alongside each other.
And they did it on the biggest stage, right?
In the Olympics.
So that, that was always something that I looked to and was like, "Okay, cool.
That makes a lot of sense."
The I love that it's going to allow for some versatility in the way that Kah Cooper gets to play.
We-- I like when Kah is loose.
I like when she's going off ball, she's going off, she's coming off flare screens and she's, you know, she's, she's had moments and spurts in that way, but because it's been so Alyssa Thomas or her, she hasn't been able to be as, versatile in her scoring and as, like You know, those, those- To be fair, she's been so good the last month.
She has.
No, no, no.
Yeah, yeah Absolutely.
But I think she's had to work so much harder- yeah.
Yeah to be able to do it.
You know what I mean?
Like, there's a reason Kah Cooper can wake up, like, not played a game in forever and drop 20 on you that night, right?
Like, that, that's just how she's a bucket.
But it's gonna be so nice when the d- the attention is back again split between the three of them, as opposed to just the two of them, that she won't have to go through so many defenders.
She'll be, you know, floating and she'll be in, in transition in that r- in that, trail spot coming up on the, you know, whatever wing that she wants to be on, where Alyssa Thomas has, who do I want?
Do I want KP?
Do I want Kah?
Like, who do I wanna give the ball to, and create down the middle?
Like, that is gonna be so much fun to watch.
So I just think if there's anyone that's gonna b-benefit from this the most and won't have to work that hard to be as excellent as she has been, it's Kah Cooper.
Um- Yeah.
And then one other thing, I think Kelsey is one of the best guard screeners in the WNBA, so you just, like, get that- Yeah inverted pick and roll, her setting a screen- That's- for Alyssa Thomas great point that's gonna be really hard to guard.
Yeah.
Yes.
Y- th- we, we say, we throw pick your poison around a lot.
We throw it around.
That is gonna be, woo, arsenic?
Like, what, what, which bleach.
I don't like, which, which one do I want here?
Yeah, that's gonna be a lot of fun to watch, and you're absolutely right.
And not even just I mean, the inverted pick and rolls go crazy in general because Alyssa Thomas exists- Right, right on that team.
But, like, yeah, it's gonna be a different level.
And so- But it's different when you have, like, Monica Culu-Makani coming off of it versus Kelsey Plum.
Correct.
Correct, correct, correct.
So yeah.
So I, I feel like there's not much to say about the defensive e- end of things.
But I wanted to ask you, I look at Indiana, for example, dropping 100 in the, the, the win streak that they had.
When you score enough, the defense doesn't have to be perfect.
And I would say that Phoenix's defense is better.
Actually, statistically, I don't know if that's the case.
But is better than LA's.
Am I right or am I wrong?
It is better than LA's.
Yeah, that's correct.
Okay.
It's, it's better than LA.
I mean, that's, that's not a great measurement there.
But no- It's not it was- It's one spot better than LA's, but it's, like, five points better than LA's, so that's significant.
Okay.
So five points better on defense already.
You add in someone that can get you 25, right?
You're, you're covering your bases a little bit, you know?
So I just feel like what I don't see, though, and I think this is the main point in the last question about this is, is it going to get them into the playoffs?
They're six games out of the final s- playoff spot.
That's the question is w- all the things we're talking about, yeah, it's gonna be fun, it's gonna be pretty offense, it's gonna be good, defense gonna be fine, but is it gonna get them into the playoffs?
I don't see it.
It's gonna be really hard.
Um- Right as you mentioned, six games back, that's kind of underselling it because they're six games back of the Liberty, but they don't have the tiebreaker on the Liberty, so it's basically seven games back.
Dang.
And then you look at the Mystics are also seven games back, you know, 19 losses versus 12 losses.
They do have three games against the Mystics to close out the season.
But even if you win all three of those games, you're still four games back of the Mystics with, you know, an additional 10.
Right.
So they, the way I see it, they basically have to go, like, 12 and 2 the rest of the way, and you hope that Washington goes seven and nine, and then you're making the playoffs?
That's Oof.
Okay, so here's the thing.
That seven and nine aspect is real.
It's one thing when you can control your own destiny, right?
We've seen Vegas did it last year.
Yeah.
They come out, and they, they dominate the end of the season.
But it's not about just you controlling your own destiny.
It's also hoping that other people F up their own .
Yeah.
Right?
Like, they go- And like Washington, you look at their point differential, like them going about 500 maybe.
12 and two is hard .
Hard.
Like that's hard.
Really hard.
Yeah.
You lose one game to the Mystics, you're done.
Right.
This is the And this is not a measurement of what this team is in general, right?
Like do we think they were good or bad?
No.
It's more about the road ahead and the task in front of them, and that's what is really difficult to, to try to see.
So, okay, break all that down.
We'll see what happens.
So Kelsey has not played for Phoenix just yet at the time that we're recording this, so we'll see what happens there.
Now, another player that has not suited up for their team just yet but got traded at the deadline, Anisa Morrow.
She was traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Toronto Tempo in exchange for forward Maria Klene-Klenova and Toronto's 2028 second round pick.
Now, this, this one, no-brainer, to me at least.
Like you look at what Toronto has experienced in terms of their front court injuries, Temi's been injured, Isabelle Harrison has been injured, Nyara Sabally has been injured, and it's just been inconsistency, in the midst of that.
And they've really kinda struggled on the rebounding front.
And guess what?
Injuries, Anisa Morrow.
Like you think about what they bring to the game, it is being on the glass.
So definitely love this move for, for Toronto.
But what stands out to you, Sabrina, about the Sun's decision to move on from Anisa?
And then what do you think about the Tempo being able to h- add her in?
Yeah, so that's a lot less, clear to me than Toronto's decision to add Anisa, right?
Like you look at a team that has- Yes some holes in the front court.
Yes.
Young player, only in her second season in the league.
As you mentioned, the motor is impeccable.
She rebounds the hell out of the ball.
I'm a firm believer if you have one elite skill, you can build a lot around that- Yeah and she definitely has one elite skill.
Not to say that she doesn't have more, but like she has at least the one.
And Connecticut, like you're pretty young.
You don't necessarily need to worry about fit right now.
I am just a little confused why they would give up on a player, again, only in her second season in the league for kind of a minor return, you know, a 2028 second round pick for Toronto.
That'll be when Cleveland enters the league, so the highest that could be if Toronto's the worst team in the league next year is the 17th pick, right?
Mm-hmm.
It could also be as bad as like 25, 26, which, you know, think about the players who have been drafted in the WNBA at the 25th or 26th pick.
Probably don't have a lot of them to come to mind because they don't tend to stick on rosters.
They weren't, yeah.
So, it's not that much.
And then Maria Klenova, obviously I am a big fan of Masha, but she hasn't played in the WNBA all that often, right?
She's played maybe two seasons in the W since she was selected by the Sparks in the draft.
That was 2019 and 2025.
So a, a player with inconsistent availability, let's say, who doesn't have like enormous upside.
She's good, you know- Yeah good backup center.
Yeah.
But, I think Morrow probably has more upside than that.
So this reads as we have a power forward in Aaliyah Edwards, we have a power forward in Anisa Morrow.
We believe in Ali- Aaliyah Edwards as our power forward of the future, so we're gonna give Anisa Morrow a chance to find her way somewhere else.
What do we know about who initiated it?
Between Connecticut and Toronto?
Mm-hmm.
Well, we know that Toronto was actively searching for front court reinforcements basically from the moment- Right the season started.
Right.
So they had been making calls all around the league, whether that was, you know, signing Sakara Austin to that offer sheet, you know, during the off season.
They made calls to the Sparks.
They also inquired to the Connecticut Sun about Aaliyah Edwards.
She was off limits.
So, Toronto, I believe, is definitely the initiator in this.
But again, for Connecticut to settle for that return is a little confusing to me.
Yeah.
No, I have questions about that.
I mean, I think y- one of the things that came to mind obviously was the Aaliyah Edwards aspect of it, right?
Aaliyah Edwards, a, a Canadian being able to come b- go to Toronto, and play for that team.
And on paper it wouldn't have made sense.
Aaliyah Edwards is dealing with injuries, and that would just be adding more injuries to their front court.
That would not make a lot of sense.
But this notion of Aaliyah Edwards being untouchable for, for Connecticut, I would've put Anisa in that category, for the Sun.
But alas, now she's with Toronto, and we'll see what happens.
Again, at the time that we're recording this she's not, suited up for them just yet, but I imagine that that will s- come very soon some- at some point this week.
Do you see Morrow as someone that could become part of Toronto's long-term core, like building into the future of what they wanna build?
That's the goal, right?
Yeah.
You don't make a trade like this, in a season where you're probably not making the playoffs unless you believe that someone is gonna be part of your future.
Right.
And like we mentioned, Morrow's really young, only in her second year.
I think she has a late birthday anyway, so definitely somebody who has a lot of upside, you know, just from a hasn't hit her like athletic prime yet.
Right.
And I mentioned this earlier, like I was wary of Anisa Morrow's fit in the W just because she's, she's small.
Mm-hmm.
She's listed at like 6'1", I think on the LSU guide.
She's not 6'1".
Like this is a lie.
Yeah.
But she can attack the glass .
Right.
And I think that we, we saw, you know, we, we've been seeing like snippets of those things that you were mentioning of skills being added on top, right?
Towards the end of her collegiate career we saw the three being taken out a little bit, and, and, and showcased a little bit, and we've seen it kind of hit and miss in her pro career, the face up game We've definitely seen that get a lot better as well.
So there is a lot of upside here, in my opinion, with Anisa Morrow.
And the reason I ask that question of, like, long-term is, like, sometimes you see a team say, "We need something now," and they make a move to fill that hole now, without it necessarily being that we're investing in this player.
We're just doing this because we need defense now.
We're doing this because we need rebounding right now.
We need whatever, whatever.
So, I hope they do invest in Anisa Morrow.
I think Anisa Morrow is a great player to have in your front court, and if you have the right development team, oof, it could be scary what she could end up if she gets that three-ball stroke in b- like, consistently.
Even if she doesn't, I feel like the tempo have so much spacing around her at every position- That's true that, like, there is an opening for her to just be, like, the paint-bound person if you're gonna play, like, one out f- or one in, four out, you know?
That's a really good point.
That's a really good point.
All right, I like it.
I like the breakdown.
H- Let us know what y'all think.
Did Connecticut's son D- Is there something we don't know?
Let us know.
Like this breakdown.
Appreciate you, Sabrina.
That's gonna be our big takeaways from a very quiet WNBA trade deadline.
On the other side of this break, Sabrina's got a question.
Don't go anywhere.
All right, well, this is the time when I get to ask you things, Zina.
So last week- Yeah in the No Off Season newsletter coming out of All-Star Weekend, we asked the fans where they thought that the next WNBA All-Star Game should be held.
Obviously, we had a great time in Chicago.
Annie had more fun than the rest of us.
But where do you think, Zina, that 2027 WNBA All-Star should be?
I mean, come on.
I'm a little biased.
Let's just be real.
North Carolina, right?
Obvs, no.
Yeah, the Bay, baby.
What?
A- Come on.
It, it's, it's so obvious.
The Ballhalla is ready to show the world what they're about, okay?
And Chase Center was built for these reasons.
Y'all, I literally used to sell this thing, okay?
But they, they were built for these reasons, these big marquee moments.
And I'll never forget when All-Star, NBA All-Star, came to the Bay for the Golden State Warriors hosting, how much of that weekend was predicated on showing off what the Warriors organization had done for, with the Valkyries, right?
What Golden State had done for building up the Valkyries.
They held events, in, in the Oakland, facilities where they practice.
They held events at the, eh, like in conjunction with the team.
Like, they were already preparing for an All-Star weekend during NBA All-Star Weekend.
So I, this has just been, it's been waiting.
It's been a long time coming.
The Bay is ready.
They put all of the provisions in place to ensure that it's, like, a lovely experience.
And I'm at, at this point, I am full homing it right now and, like, being a homer.
But, like, there's a wonderful, like, outside area right behind Chase Center that has, like, been used for, like, fireworks and, like, all these different place- things to, like, with family, all that.
It's gorgeous down there, y'all.
You would enjoy it, I'm telling you, wherever- It's where Violet hatched.
Yes, it's where Violet hatched.
Exactly.
She was right in Thrive City.
I mean, it's No, I'm talking about the opposite side of the building.
Okay.
It's, like, a p- like, beautiful waterfront park area.
It's gorgeous.
The city would be, like, is, ravenous to host.
Unsavory, ravenous.
Am I hungry?
My only question is- I think I'm hungry is it too hard to, like, get people from stuff in Oakland to also stuff in San Francisco?
Like, is that just- So that was a question during- Logistically, yeah Yeah, that was a question during NBA All-Star Weekend, was that there were things that were b- were being held at the old Warriors arena, Oracle Arena.
I remember they, I think they held, like, the HBC Classic there.
And then they also did, like, the skills competition there, I think.
And then the next night, they Or they did, no, the celebrity game was there, and then the skills competition was at Chase.
And they said that it worked, and I'm speaking as someone that, like, went to, a bird's, not a bird's-eye view.
What was Meg and Sabrina's, not Sabrina, Meg and Sue's pod together?
Touch More.
A Touch More.
Thank you.
I went to the Touch More recording and still made it to the city- okay for the, I think it was, like, the s- the skills competition that night.
So it was, like, fine.
Okay.
But again- I only say this as somebody who sat in, in some traffic in Chicago.
Trust me- Yeah that traffic is real and a lot of places- Which is why I'm not here advocating for LA to host All-Star, okay?
I was gonna say.
I know that that would be bad.
Yeah, no, that's real.
That's real.
And I would say, like, you know, Chicago's, Chicago and the Bay, like, there's BART in the Bay.
Just, like, I, I don't know what Chicago's tr- tram and rail situation is called.
I forget.
But they have a good citywide, train system as well.
So I think any of the cities that have trains is, like, that always helps.
But yeah, I, anyways, the vibes in the Bay are awesome, and it would be amazing.
And oh, oh, I can just see it now.
You wanna ride in a Waymo?
They got it set up, you know what I mean?
Like, they, they'll have it.
It'll be, everything will be branded.
It'll be fun.
It will be a good time out in the Bay.
So Kehlani will probably perform.
I don't know.
I just am, like, I'm, I'm, I'm pr- I'm picturing this now.
I'm just like, it's gonna, it would be amazing.
So yes, that would be my choice.
Good, good, good.
I'm a little biased, though.
No, that's fair.
Um- Annie just got Chicago.
Let me get the Bay.
Dang.
You know?
All right.
Okay, we're gonna close it out on that.
What, what, what was your thought on this?
You know, I, I like the small cities getting All-Star, honestly.
I like when everything is really just next to each other.
I think it's great to showcase some of the other markets in the W. That part is real.
You know?
Right.
Like, we got some Minneapolis suggestions.
Not proximity.
Um- yeah Seattle, lovely during the summer.
You know- Portland would be fire too Dallas, if we're gonna be American Airlines Center, you know, I'm okay with that.
That's true.
Dallas actually, I think, would suck for All-Star, but I would like a game at American Airlines Center.
I would, yeah, I'd like a game at a, I mean, we, we'll get that very soon.
But I, I like this idea, though.
Seattle and Portland would be fun cities too.
That oof, yeah.
I'm now thinking about when Philadelphia gets on board, like, that will be a lot of fun.
Oh, anyways, All-Star weekends will be a lot of fun moving forward.
I'm, I'm excited.
I mean, they were fun back in the day, but they're gonna continue to be because- Even more fun it's getting bigger and better, and all the brands are getting involved and all the events and yeah, it's cool.
So appreciate you asking that question.
And if anyone wants to make a better case, I feel like I was rambling and venting at the same time, for the Bay, but if anyone wants to make a better case for their city, definitely do it.
I'd love to hear it.
All right, y'all, that's all we've got for today.
We will be back with more around the world of women's hoops.
Until then, sign up for that newsletter so you can see those kind of questions that Sabrina just dropped me, as well as updates on everything that's going on in the world of women's basketball, and make sure you are following our show.
If you're watching on YouTube, please subscribe.
Tell your friends to check us out, and while you're at it, give us a rating, drop a comment.
We do appreciate you all hearing for, or taking the time to reach out to us, and we love to hear from you.
On behalf of The Athletic and Hoop Savant, Sabrina Merchant, I'm Zena Kada.
Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next time.
No Off Season is hosted by Zena Kada with Chantel Jennings, Sabrina Merchant, and Annie Costabile.
It's produced by Tanika Burrell.
Our executive producer is Andrea B. Scott.
Monica Compton is our video editor.
Our theme music is by Marcus Fogala.
Shannon Ryan is managing editor of women's basketball at The Athletic.
