Blockbusters are only supposed to happen in the summer. You know, like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.
Tell that to the avenging West. The conference is becoming cinematic and is about to rack up ticket sales like James Cameron does whenever he features water.
This is the way women’s hoops will play out from here for the queens of the world.
We haven’t even reached the NBA All-Star break in San Francisco yet, but the WNBA is already making major moves in an outstanding off-season. And we’re not just talking about adding franchises to The Bay (Golden State Valkyries) and The Six (Toronto Tempo).
The Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, and Seattle Storm are all involved in a three-team trade that not only shifts their squads but also shifts the league as a whole.
Here’s a guess: W stands for ‘WOW!’
Jewell Loyd, the Gold Mamba, will now ring up slots in Las Vegas for Becky Hammon’s Aces. She is creating another super team with big MVP A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray, as Las Vegas looks to get back to the high-stakes rounds that lead to WNBA championships.
Traded for fellow Tokyo Olympic gold teammate Kelsey Plum, this former first pick looks to bring championship cigars to California as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks. She is reuniting with another former Ace, Dearica Hamby, who is coming off a career year.
Not to mention the youth revolt in Hollywood, including last year’s top five draft picks, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. The latter is really stepping it up in the former’s absence. A one-two punch is about to emerge, like the King and AD leading the Purple and Gold sister franchise.
Add Canadian Kia Nurse, Dee’s daughter Lexie Brown, and last season’s successful sophomore Zia Cooke, and the Sparks have a glut of guards. Someone better test free agency, after Dearica decided not to, if they don’t want to fall out of the rotation like old clothes in your closet.
Plum plugs the Sparks with a championship, bringing veteran experience that steadies the ship from the point position. Meanwhile, Loyd could be the jewel that takes Vegas back to the crown, once this superstar scorer goes off with all eyes and double-teams on A’ja working the Wilson ball.
And just you wait until they go head-to-head in their first match-up of the year.
Better grab your popcorn and condiments.
However, the Sparks lost impressive Chinese center Li Yueru, who also had a big year after Cam went down with an injury. She will join Seattle with plenty of draft picks for the now dynamic duo of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to work with.
Especially since one of the picks from LA is the second overall selection in this year’s draft.
And who did the Sparks select last summer?
Cameron Brink.
It’s about to get bigger than the Space Needle for Seattle.
Come April showers, the Storm will have their choice of absolutely anyone outside of top prospect Paige Bueckers. The likelihood of this college sensation not taking wing in Dallas is almost akin to Indiana not taking Caitlin Clark. They would really have a fever.
Maybe that’s why the Sparks gave up their second consecutive second-round pick. They couldn’t deal with being that close to the future again, even though they do have two picks for tomorrow from their previous selections.
Add an Ace first round selection in 2026 and the Storm have a great future forecast on the horizon.
The Las Vegas Aces have also collected the 13th pick in this year’s draft from the Los Angeles Sparks, who will now take this year’s ninth pick and a second-round pick next year, courtesy of Seattle.
All this moving and shaking and free agency in the WNBA has only just begun?
Who needs Netflix? Sign us up for the W’s League Pass.
