According to a person familiar with the situation, Jewell Loyd will be sent to the Las Vegas Aces in a three-way trade that will send Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles.
Li Yueru and the No. 2 pick in the draft were transferred to Seattle by the Sparks. The No. 9 choice was also given to Los Angeles. The 13th pick in the draft went to the Aces. Since no formal agreement has been made public, the individual talked on Sunday night under the condition of anonymity.
Plum was a part of the Aces’ 2022 and 2023 WNBA title runs. On January 11, she was named the team’s franchise player, which meant that she could only leave the team by trade. Last season, she averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists.
After being selected by the Storm in 2015, Loyd had spent her whole career in Seattle before requesting a trade last month. The 31-year-old, a six-time All-Star, finished the previous season averaging 19.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. In addition to winning a scoring title in 2023, Loyd assisted Seattle in winning two WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020.
In 2015, she was named the league’s Rookie of the Year.
The trade was initially reported by ESPN.
With Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and reigning MVP A.J. Wilson as their core group, Las Vegas still has space to acquire players in free agency.
Although teams can’t formally sign free agents until February 1, they can begin negotiating with them as of this past Tuesday.
Plum’s acquisition brings her back together with her old Aces teammate Dearica Hamby and adds a seasoned guard to the Sparks’ youthful nucleus of Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink. Plum grew up in Poway, California, so it also makes her feel more at home.
Plum, who was drafted first in 2017 when the team was still in San Antonio, had played her whole career with the Las Vegas franchise, just like Loyd.
— AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg
