Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 | 5:59 p.m.
Kelsey Plum, who was an integral part of the Las Vegas Aces’ two championship teams, has been traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a three-way deal, ESPN is reporting this evening.
The Aces will receive guard Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm. The Storm is getting the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft and center Li Yueru from the Sparks.
Plum was the only player among the Aces’ core who had not signed a contract extension, as A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young agreed to new deals.
On Jan. 11, the Aces gave Plum “core designation” status, meaning that all her negotiation rights belonged to the Aces. She was offered a super-max contract worth $249,244 annually and had the power to veto any proposed trades.
Plum, a first-team, all-WNBA selection in 2022 and one of the world’s top players, spent her entire seven-year career with the Aces’ organization. In 2017, the San Antonio Stars drafted her No. 1 overall; the franchise in 2018 relocated to Las Vegas.
She helped the Aces win championships in 2022 and 2023, was a six-time all-star, and league’s Sixth Player of the Year in 2021.
She averaged 17.8 points in 2024 and logged a career-best of 34 minutes per game.
Loyd averaged 19.7 points and started all 37 games played with the Storm last season. She’s a six-time WNBA All-Star and played for Team USA’s 2024 Olympic team in Paris alongside A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Plum.
The Plum trade is the Aces’ second loss in the offseason as the Golden State Valkyries selected Kate Martin in the expansion draft in December.
The Aces have three free agents in the market: Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes and Sydney Colson.