The WNBA trade deadline had quite a bit of action this season, with three significant trades occurring ahead of Thursday\u2019s final bell. Here is a rundown of the trades and how they\u2019ll impact the league:<\/p>\n
The Mystics make two big trades<\/strong><\/p>\n A trade between the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun took place with just hours to spare. The Mystics sent Aaliyah Edwards to the Sun and got back Jacy Sheldon in return. Washington can also swap Minnesota\u2019s 2026 first-round pick for New York\u2019s thanks to this trade.<\/p>\n What made this deal all the more compelling is that, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN, Sheldon wanted out of Connecticut, searching for greener pastures.<\/p>\n Considering that the Sun are the doormat of the WNBA, any other scenario satisfies that desire.<\/p>\n For the Mystics, moving on from Edwards makes sense. The emergence of Kiki Iirafen had nullified her playing time. Now, they\u2019ll have a guard in Sheldon who will have a chance to grow and demonstrate that she can produce more than her 7.5 points per game. She has become a great shooter, converting on 41 percent of her 3-point attempts. From the Sun perspective, they traded an unhappy player for a top talent in Edwards. They are not in win-now mode, so grabbing young talent is wise and necessary as they rebuild.<\/p>\n Washington made an even spicier deal earlier this week, trading Brittney Sykes to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Alysha Clark, Seattle\u2019s 2026 first-round pick and Zia Cooke, who was immediately waived.<\/p>\n Giving up Sykes, who is averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 assists per game, is tough, but the Mystics are a fringe postseason team. They are good enough to make the playoffs, but nowhere near the quality needed to win it all. It appears Sykes didn\u2019t fit their timeline, and also possibly requested a move. Washington valued more future draft capital as a way to improve.<\/p>\n