The WNBA isn’t a league that traditionally has a ton of activity at the trade deadline. Most big shifts occur during the offseason.
However, in most seasons, some moves happen, and with a handful of teams in contention for the title and others already looking forward to the offseason, this could be a year we see BIG changes.
So, with the WNBA trade deadline set for Sunday, Aug. 2, we’ve grouped teams into tiers, evaluating those who should be buyers, those who should be sellers, those who should just
hold and those that are stuck in limbo.
In the comments, share your opinions about the teams that do, or don’t, need to be active ahead of the trade deadline.
BUYERS: Why the Wings, Fever and Dream should be trade deadline buyers
There comes a time when a franchise has to decide that they are going for it.
Right now the Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream are good—but not great—teams. This trio needs an influx of talent and depth to get to the point where they can become WNBA title favorites.
The right trade can make that happen, but as Wings general manager Curt Miller said after Monday’s practice, that’s easier said than done.
It any of these teams can execute a trade, then they can become legit title contenders. Nothing in the WNBA is guaranteed, and if they can make a move here, then they can catch lightning in a bottle and win it all now.
The temptation will be there to maintain the status quo, but so far, that isn’t good enough. We’ll see if any of these teams are bold enough to go for it now and try to enter that next tier of teams.
SELLERS: Why the Sky, Sun, Storm and Mercury should look to sell at the trade deadline
While the Wings, Fever, and Dream are all on the rise, the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury are going the other way.
This quartet is out of the running for a playoff spot, much less a title. So while they are all in various parts of their team build, it’s time to move players and gain assets.
For the Sky, this means trading Skylar Diggins.
She is still a valuable guard, but not part of their long-term future. Clearly, getting benched isn’t something she is interested in, so moving her to a different scenario would be beneficial for all involved. Why wait until the offseason? Do it now.
HOLD: Why the Lynx, Valkyries and Aces should resist trade deadline moves
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The Aces are the defending champions and currently the No. 3 seed. The Lynx are No. 1 in the WNBA and just got Napheesa Collier back. And the Valkyries are building off their exciting expansion season and are even better now.
These teams are right where they want to be. They should only make a small move on the margins, and only pursue a bigger deal if it’s an absolute no-brainer. But honestly, they are in a great position to win it all this year.
So they shouldn’t confuse movement with progress. If they stay put, they’ll strongly influence the 2026 WNBA championship.
HOLD: Why the Mystics, Fire and Tempo should also sit out the trade deadline
These teams also aren’t incentivized to get involved at the trade deadline, albeit for different reasons than the group above.
Sometimes a team isn’t winning a ton, but they’re on the right track. That’s the position the Washington Mystics, Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo find themselves in.
Portland and Toronto are expansion teams showing great promise as they sit just outside of a playoff spot. The Mystics are young, fun, learning how to win and currently in position to test themselves in the postseason as the No. 8 seed.
This group should sit tight and continue to develop their cores as they build out their futures.
???: Why Liberty and Sparks are stuck in limbo
The New York Liberty have underachieved, and no trade is going to turn things around. New York is 4-6 in their last 10 games and seem destined for an early playoff exit.
A first-round playoff loss, however, sounds like a fun scenario for the Los Angeles Sparks.
They’ve missed the postseason the last five years and are well on their way to another year with no playoff action. LA has already fired general manager Raegan Pebley, so will interim assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen be willing to do a deal right now?
My guess is the answer to that question is no.
So, that means the Sparks will let this year run its course and reset things next season. If they can make a run this year, great. If not, then a new general manager will be the one figuring out what to do next.
