Are the Connecticut Sun Headed to Boston?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Are the Connecticut Sun Headed to Boston?"

Episode Information:

• Title: Are the Connecticut Sun Headed to Boston?
• Release Date: August 5, 2025
• Hosts: Zena Keita, Chantel Jennings, Sabrina Merchant, Ben Pickman

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Introduction

The episode kicks off at [02:14] with Zena Keita welcoming listeners to "No Offseason: The Athletic’s Women's Basketball Show." Ben Pickman humorously announces Sabrina Merchant's return, highlighting her refreshed appearance and setting an engaging tone for the discussion ahead.

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Connecticut Sun Sale and Potential Relocation

A significant portion of the episode centers around the impending sale of the Connecticut Sun and the possibility of relocating the team to Boston.

• Sale Details:

  • Host: Sabrina Merchant ([04:13])
  • Content: The Connecticut Sun have been up for sale since March 2025. The current prospective buyer is Steve Pagliucca, a minority owner of the Boston Celtics, who intends to invest $325 million into purchasing the team, with an additional $100 million earmarked for a new practice facility if the relocation to Boston is approved.

• Ownership Dynamics:

  • Host: Zena Keita ([06:23])
  • Content: There's an ongoing ownership conflict as Bill Chisholm, the incoming owner of the Boston Celtics, may have interests in acquiring a WNBA team. This creates a complex scenario where both Pagliucca and Chisholm could vie for ownership stakes, potentially delaying or complicating the Sun's relocation.

• League Approval:

  • Host: Sabrina Merchant ([06:23])
  • Content: The relocation requires approval from the WNBA and its Board of Governors. The earliest the Sun could move to Boston is slated for the 2027 season, with the team committed to stay at Mohegan Sun Arena for the 2026 season.

• Notable Quote:

  Ben Pickman: "I really, really hope that a team doesn't get in between two NBA owners kind of flexing their power... Which is a good thing for the WNBA." ([10:44])

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Game Recap: Minnesota Lynx vs. Las Vegas Aces

• Overview:

  • Host: Ben Pickman ([02:23])
  • Content: The Minnesota Lynx delivered a commanding performance against the Las Vegas Aces. However, the game was marred by an injury to Lynx star and MVP front-runner, Nafisa Collier, who exited in the third quarter with a right ankle injury ([02:23]).

• Sportsmanship Highlight:

  • Host: Zena Keita ([02:23])
  • Content: Zena commends the Aces for their exemplary sportsmanship in ensuring Collier's safety, emphasizing the WNBA's core values.

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Trade Deadline Speculation and Discussion

As the WNBA trade deadline approaches on August 7th, the hosts delve deep into potential trade scenarios and the inherent challenges within the league's structure.

• Trade Deadline Overview:

  • Host: Sabrina Merchant ([23:49])
  • Content: Sabrina outlines the historical inactivity surrounding the WNBA trade deadline, attributing it to the league's stringent salary cap and absence of trade exceptions typical in other major leagues like the NBA.

• Hypothetical Trades:

  • Scenario 1: Brittany Sykes to Phoenix Mercury

    • Host: Zena Keita ([32:11])
    • Content: Proposes trading Brittany Sykes to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kalani Brown and draft picks (2026 second-round and 2027 first-round).
    • Analysis:
      • Sabrina Merchant: Points out Phoenix's reluctance to part with valuable draft picks for Sykes, emphasizing Washington's potential to secure significant future assets.
      • Ben Pickman: Highlights the strategic advantage for Phoenix in acquiring an All-Star like Sykes to bolster their offense.
    • Notable Quote:

      Zena Keita: "If you can get a player like that in, do you suddenly close the gap between, you know, yourself and Minnesota?" ([35:18])

  • Scenario 2: Tina Charles to Indiana Fever

    • Host: Zena Keita ([38:18])
    • Content: Suggests trading Tina Charles to the Indiana Fever for Demeris Dantes and a first-round pick.
    • Analysis:
      • Ben Pickman: Appreciates the move for Indiana to strengthen their big rotation and inch closer to championship contention.
      • Sabrina Merchant: Discusses the potential fit and team dynamics, noting Tina Charles' veteran presence.
    • Notable Quote:

      Zena Keita: "I do like the Fever upgrading their center position." ([39:31])

  • Scenario 3: Arike Gambale to Chicago Sky

    • Host: Zena Keita ([43:55])
    • Content: Proposes trading Arike Gambale from Dallas Wings to Chicago Sky in exchange for Paige Beckers and Haley Van Lith.
    • Analysis:
      • Sabrina Merchant: Expresses enthusiasm for building a strong core, reminiscent of the U19 USA team.
      • Ben Pickman: Sees the move as beneficial for Chicago to enhance their perimeter offense and for Dallas to focus on future development.
    • Notable Quote:

      Ben Pickman: "I really like this from a perspective of Phoenix is right on the cusp and having someone like Brittany Sykes that can create..." ([36:38])

• Trade Constraints:

  • Host: Zena Keita ([27:15])
  • Content: Explains the complexities of WNBA trades, emphasizing the league's hard salary cap and the necessity to balance trades financially and roster-wise.

• Player Awareness:

  • Host: Sabrina Merchant ([31:22])
  • Content: Discusses how players are generally aware of potential trade moves, though real-time notifications like the NBA are rare. Anecdotes include players like Diamond Miller and Maisha Hines Allen reacting to mid-season trade rumors.

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Power Rankings Update

Sabrina Merchant provides an update on the current power rankings, highlighting significant movements among teams.

• Highlights:

  • Phoenix Mercury: Dropped back to fifth after a brief stint at number one.
  • Las Vegas Aces: Remain competitive despite recent losses.
  • Indiana Fever: Surged back into the top three, bolstered by balanced team performances and strategic acquisitions.
  • Seattle Storm & Los Angeles Sparks: Both teams have shown impressive performances, with the Sparks climbing to sixth.

• Notable Quote:

  Sabrina Merchant: "There's a reason why we were so high on this team at the start of the season... It's a validation of the Fever's plan." ([14:22])

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Player Performances and Team Dynamics

The hosts analyze key player performances and their impact on team success.

• Indiana Fever:

  • Players Highlighted: Leah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Aaron McDonald, Lexi Hall.
  • Content: The Fever are praised for their balanced attack, strong defense (second in the league over a recent five-game span), and depth, enabling them to perform effectively even with Caitlin Clark's absence.
  • Notable Quote:

    Sabrina Merchant: "Kelsey Mitchell is pretty much the engine that gets everything going." ([12:21])

• Seattle Storm vs. Los Angeles Sparks Matchup:

  • Discussion: Sabrina reflects on watching Cameron Brink versus Dominique Malanga, comparing them to legendary matchups from the 2000s WNBA era.
  • Notable Quote:

    Sabrina Merchant: "If Cam and Dom can just get to like 80% of what that was, that'll be really good for the league." ([16:23])

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Interactive Game Segment: "In Common"

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts engage in a fun and interactive quiz game titled "In Common," where they identify the common thread among groups of players.

• Examples:

  • Round 1: Players with jersey numbers over 50.
  • Round 2: Players with job-related names (e.g., Kia Nurse, Zia Cook).
  • Round 3: Players involved in in-season trades.

• Notable Interaction:

  Zena Keita: "They have all been in-season traded." ([56:49])

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Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the hypothetical trades discussed and express excitement for the upcoming trade deadline. They encourage listeners to stay tuned for updates and express optimism about the league's future.

• Final Quote:

  Ben Pickman: "I like this. We got to keep going. Let's move on to the next segment where, Ben, you've got a game for us foreign." ([52:42])

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Notable Quotes Throughout the Episode:

• Ben Pickman: "But here's the thing, Ben. I know that there were a ton of other cities that wanted a team and feels kind of weird that Boston would kind of get to skip the line a little bit. What's that about?" ([06:01])

• Zena Keita: "We don't have any updates at this time, but hopefully we will know more in the coming days." ([03:XX])

• Sabrina Merchant: "It's a big thing at play here." ([06:23])

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Conclusion

This episode of "No Offseason: The Athletic’s Women's Basketball Show" provides an in-depth analysis of the Connecticut Sun's potential relocation to Boston amidst complex ownership dynamics. The hosts meticulously dissect the challenges surrounding the WNBA trade deadline, offering listeners thoughtful insights into possible trades and their implications on team dynamics and league growth. Engaging segments like the power rankings update and interactive games further enrich the discussion, making it a must-listen for women's basketball enthusiasts.

Transcript

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[Ben Pickman]

Hello everyone and welcome to no off season. I'm Zena Kaeda.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I'm Sabrina Merchant.

[Zena Kaeda]

And I'm Ben Pickman.

[Ben Pickman]

And today on the show, the trade deadline in the WNBA is quickly approaching. It's this Thursday, August 7th. So what kind of moves might set the players on the move? We're gonna get into it and have some fun while we're at it. But first, woo. Sabrina is back, y'. All. She had the rest she needed and the vacation time. And although I know it's not what happened, Sabrina, but we're gonna go with it. You are back. You are arrested, you are rejuvenated. And it's just in time for the Sabrina scale. Okay, there was a weekend that happened around the association. There was another showing of an intimate apparatus and there were so many games, so many things to talk about. So first up, on Saturday, the Minnesota Lynx demolished the Las Vegas Aces. It was a problem, but Lynx star and MVP front runner Nafisa Collier exited the game towards the end of the third quarter with a right ankle injury and did not return. It was heartbreaking to see her on the floor, but I want to give credit really quickly to the Aces as well for running out, picking her up, protecting her in that moment. I thought that was really, really special and very demonstrative of what the WNBA is about. We don't have any updates at this time, but hopefully we will know more in the coming days. There's another big story out of the weekend. The Connecticut sun have been up for sale for a little while now. They've been talking about it since last March and now they finally been sold a group with ties to one of the minority owners of the Boston Celtics and that means that they have plans to move the team to Boston. Now. Sabrina, fill me in. What do we know here? Is this sale going to go through? There's a lot of moving pieces here. What's going to happen when all is.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Said and done right. So important to clarify that nothing has been agreed to. All of this is still very early steps in the process. But as you mentioned, the Connecticut sun have been exploring itself for a little while now, whether that was the entire franchise or pieces of the team, you know, to generate capital to reinvest back into the team. Sort of like what we saw with Seattle or New York in recent years. And they have come to an agreement with Steve Pagliucca, who was the second in command for the Boston Celtics. He will no longer be the second in command when Bill Chisholm assumes control of the team. A sale that's expected to, you know, the passage of which will come through in the next couple years. But he did not get control of the Celtics and that ownership change and so he is committing $325 million to buy the Connecticut sun and there's a reported 100 million additionally that is going to be invested in a practice facility for the sun provided that the team does move to Boston. Because Steve Pagliucca, as we mentioned, was a minority owner of the Celtics and wants the team to play in the TD Garden. Although we should note that his press release just says that he wants the team to be a New England team. Right? No specificity of Boston, even though the Massachusetts governor is name checked in the statement, as is the Rhode island governor for whatever it's worth. And because it would technically be a relocation of the team, he cannot unilaterally decide to do that. Right. The sale has to be approved by the WNBA and its board of governors and a relocation has to be approved by the league and its board of governors. So earliest timeline would probably be the sun to move to Boston in 2027. You know, the organization has already committed to its fans that they will be playing in Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville, Connecticut for the 2026 season. But we could be looking at a team selling for $325 million after we just saw expansion fees of $250 million and another team that is committing to a WNBA specific practice facility in the near future.

[Ben Pickman]

So for all the haters that are like, where's the money? Well, clearly some owners see that there is money in this and definitely want to dedicate those funds to being in the wnba. But here's the thing, Ben. I know that there were a ton of other cities that wanted a team and feels kind of weird that Boston would kind of get to skip the line a little bit. What's that about?

[Zena Kaeda]

Well, we're going to see if they are actually able to skip the line, so to speak, because as Sabrina mentioned, there's a little bit of underlying ownership conflict that is kind of bubbling up in the surface of this conversation. You mentioned it, Sabrina. Bill Chisholm is the new incoming prospective owner of the Boston Celtics. He just purchased the team at a record of what was then a record $6.1 billion valuation. That was back in March. And for a long time, Steve Pagliuca, the prospective buyer of the Connecticut sun, was long thought to be the front runner to purchase and become the majority owner of the Celtics. Pags has been affiliated with the Celtics since the early 2000. He's basically been the top minority partner for Wick Rosebeck's families group since 2002. And so he was really upset. He even penned a public statement that we really never see statements like this when he didn't get the Celtics in March and when it instead went to Bill Chisholm. And so what we then saw this weekend was a pretty strong statement from the wnba. It outlines some of what Sabrina just said about, you know, the board of governors needing to approve relocation. But it also mentioned, and this is at the end of this statement, that basically Celtics perspective ownership, after not previously ever bidding in the January 31st, like last wave of expansion headline, the Celtics perspective new ownership group is interested in, at a later date, potentially trying to acquire a WNBA team. And what that tells me is that Bill Chisholm suddenly might be interested in the WNBA at a later date. But he is also making that clear at the same time, when Steve Pagliuca, a former or soon to be former Celtics owner, has made clear that he wants in and he wants to move a team to Boston. So you have two different owners or potential owners kind of competing for space in the same city, with one having just recently beat out another for an NBA team. And so that is why this is a pretty messy situation. Steve Pacifica said in his statement that, you know, he wants to make the Connecticut Sun New England's team and bring it to a bigger arena. But he also said, like, if they don't get the requisite league approvals, then this deal is not going to happen. It's not going to proceed. So, you know, you set up the question, Xena. And as Sabrina said, there is a lot still that we do not know here. And there's a lot behind the scenes that I think is going to have to get sorted out as it relates to the Connecticut sun and their potential relocation to Boston, Providence or anywhere else in New England. Maybe Portsmouth, New Hampshire, you know, is someone from there is just going to give a call and they can get some games there? We'll see.

[Ben Pickman]

Interesting. Okay, so to summarize it for all of our listeners, what are the things that we need to be looking out for in terms of this sale in the coming weeks, coming months, maybe towards the end of the year? What are the top things that we need to be looking out for? Keeping an ear out for?

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, number one, follow the athletic. And me and Sybrina will be reporting on this all the time. So keeping an eye out for that. What I'm curious about is voting procedure potentially, or what we can learn about potential Board of Governors votes. You know, that will be very important here because if Steve Pagliuca is able to get the votes to move the Connecticut sun to wherever he wants to move it to, it seems like this deal will go through. That is a big thing at play here. Will Bill Chisholm, this incoming Celtics owner, potentially be able to impact the transaction in some form or fashion? That is another kind of looming question we don't really know. And maybe the answer in the end is totally no. Another thing that I'm kind of watching for is this idea that the sun, we now know, 325, that's a record number. And so the WNBA on its surface should just want to take that number. If you Think about the last majority ownership sale was in 2021. It was when the Atlanta Dream turned over. That sale, I believe, was for less than $10 million. So again, you want to talk about growth from one sale to this one. I mean, this is a record number to a city potentially with the sun moving to Boston, that we've seen two sell out games in Boston before. It's a relatively short move as relocations go. Some players have already endorsed the prospect of the team being there. So, you know, Jen Rosati, the president of the sun, she kind of said that this deal, you know, is not yet quite finish line. And that seems very much to be the case here. We're just going to be monitoring to see how these votes go and if there is any kind of jockeying behind the scenes that impacts the situation more generally.

[Ben Pickman]

Okay. I really, really hope that a team doesn't get in between two NBA owners kind of flexing their power and flexing, you know, their money or whatever it is. I really do hope that the WNBA obviously keeps these women, the league, et cetera, at the forefront. But after seeing those sellout games in Boston, I feel like the city's ready for something. I just feel like there's also gonna be some other cities that are like, ah, ah, ah, wait your turn. Which is a good thing for the wnba. All right, Sabrina, I'm really excited because you're back. Okay. And I've been waiting for the Sabrina scale. All right. I've been waiting to get back into this and I'm really excited because once again, I love just how much things jump on the scale. I love just how sensitive. One weekend of games and one big dominant performances, they can just change the trajectory of a team. So let's talk about it. Your power rankings are up on the site. You moved Phoenix back down to five. They were at number one briefly. Deservedly so, but they're back at five briefly. Sparks have catapulted to six, deservedly so. Okay. They've been a lot of fun to watch and the Fever have once again cracked the top three. And that is one of the teams I want to start with, particularly the Fever, because, you know, there's a particular big time player that's not playing right now, yet. They have found all ways to just unleash all powers within their team. Everyone is contributing and it's leading to some big time wins. So what is on your mind right now with all of these up and down changes on the scale?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I guess we could start at the top with the Fever just a Lot of balance in that attack. Right now you're seeing Leah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell Both averaging about 16 points per game during this current five game winning streak, which includes some good wins, right? We're talking about Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas, you know, in that stretch, quality teams, right? And their defense is second in the league during that span. It's actually fourth in the league over the course of the season. And we talked about at the start of the year, you bring in Stephanie White because you see a lot of potential for this team getting better defensively, right? Aaliyah Boston was defensive player of the year in the NCAA during college, right. You know, she can be a defensive anchor in the middle of your scheme, right? Natasha Howard has been a former defensive player of the year. Aaron McDonald, fantastic at the point of attack. Sophie Cunningham, Lexi hall, like, these are all players who have defensive pedigree and it's all starting to come together. This is a team that's second in the league in defensive effective field goal percentage, right? Like they can win in many different kinds of ways. They win a game in Seattle that's a little bit more possession by possession. They win a game against Phoenix that was 107 to 101, right? Like, you give up 101 points, you're thinking, oh, you're out of this game. But no, there's a lot of offensive firepower still on this team, right? Like, Kelsey Mitchell is pretty much the engine that gets everything going. But when she is having an off night like she did against Seattle, where she just basically couldn't hit the broadside of the barn, you get Sophie Cunningham popping out from distance, right? Like Erin McDonald had the game of her life against Phoenix with 27 points. There's just so many options both in the starting lineup and on the bench. There was a reason why we were so high on this team at the start of the season, and a lot of it was based with Caitlin Clark, who is on the bench and unable to play during this recent stretch. But it also was because they built a deep roster and it's not deep in the way that we thought it was going to be, right? Like Dewana Bonner is no longer part of this team. Arie McDonald was waived at the start of the season. So the fact that Arie McDonald and Chloe Bibby now are big contributors to this Indiana Fever process is a bit of a surprise. But this was the goal, right? The goal was to let Caitlin not have to do everything. And it wasn't supposed to be tested in this way with her missing so Many games. But that was the thought process and to see it put into action is, you know, a validation of the Fevers plan, even if it looks different than they might have envisioned it.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, I'm loving the fact that it is such a balanced attack. That Seattle Storm game was nerve wracking especially they went like 10 points, 11 points run. Towards the end of the game. It got within one point. I was like I don't know how well the Fever are going to be able to stick together and they were able to execute down the edge. And I think that that's what you've been seeing towards a lot of these games is just their ability to stick together and that's huge. But I think that's another level that they've unlocked. Especially even with Caitlyn out for the last seven games. Now there's another team that's been sticking together and playing incredibly well and they're in your neck of the woods. That's the Sparks. Cameron Brink is back. There was a really fun kind of matchup that you called out and I'm gonna let you say it cause it's a great one. Seattle Storm versus la. What do you call that new matchup that's coming up with the. I wouldn't even call them rookies. One rookie, one sophomore.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So I had the opportunity to go to the Seattle Storm Los Angeles Sparks game in Seattle over the weekend on Friday. And it's the first time I've gotten to see Cameron Brink play in person since last season, you know, in June when she tore her acl. And you know, you get to watch Cameron Brink versus Dominique Malanga. Number two picks in each of the last two drafts. Dominique Malanga has actually played more minutes, I think in her WNBA career than Cam has. It's very close because of just how many games Cam missed during her rookie season. But you know, you squint your eyes a little bit and you're familiar with the 2000s WNPA. It's a little like Gen Z Lisa Leslie versus Lauren Jackson. Right. You know, best bigs of their time. No reason why Karen Brink and Dominique Malanga can't be equally good in their eras. They already look very, very good defensively. The offense admittedly much more of a work in progress. But it was very fun watching the two of them go against each other. And just the history that these two franchises have. Back when the WNBA used to have conference playoffs, you know, they'd meet up in those postseason matches. And Lauren Jackson and Lisa Isley have a very famous history. It Involves some stuff that I don't really want to get to on this podcast. But it's. I think if Cam and Dom can just get to like 80% of what that was, that'll be really good for the league.

[Ben Pickman]

Oh, yeah. I'm really excited that there's like these new iterations of these major matchups from back then for the new fans to see. And hopefully, I mean, we have to maybe do this. One show is who are the next generation insert player. Right. Who's the next Lauren Jackson? Who's the next Sylvia Fouse? Who's the next Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, whomever. It's going to be hard, don't get me wrong, but Cam Brink allows us to cheat just a little bit because he's already got that blonde hair just like Lauren Jackson. So boom, we got it. We're already there.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Well, I was thinking Cam was the least because she's the stylish LA one, you know?

[Ben Pickman]

Exactly. Oh, that's true.

[Sabrina Merchant]

We can go cross racial comparison. Cena.

[Ben Pickman]

Okay, Absolutely. Oh, absolutely. I'm just thinking about the turnaround jumper though, that Lauren Jackson had. Jackson had. And I'm like, I don't know who's got that out of the two of them. I don't know who we can give that to. They don't have that developed just yet. Got to give respect to both Lisa and Lauren. Don't worry, they still have a little ways to go before they are on those levels. But let's keep it going. I do love the way that the Sparks are playing. I do love the way that the Storm are playing. The Fever are playing. But there is one team that has been dominant in the month of July. Minnesota went 9 and 3. Cheryl Reeve just won coach of the month because of that. And they're still tooling up. Ben, give me the latest on the recent trade between Dallas and Minnesota.

[Zena Kaeda]

I will do that, Xena. But I think we first need to give the listeners just an apology because in our Friday episode, we set our screens to the Las Vegas Aces in the Minnesota Lynx game. And yeah, that was a 53 point win for the Minnesota Lynx. And so, I mean, do you not.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Enjoy Kayla McBride just being the best on the planet?

[Zena Kaeda]

Are we apologizing for that eight of eight in the first half? No, we should not apologize for that. Doing it with a wrapped thumb. But you know, if you made that appointment viewing on your Saturday afternoon, then unless you like blowouts, I am very, very sorry and we will do better next time. But then, you know, on Sunday we got some More Minnesota Links news. They backed up a big victory with another big trade. The Minnesota Links acquired Dijonay Carrington from the Dallas Wings in exchange for Diamond Miller, who has was the number two pick just a few years ago. Carly Samuelson, who is out a significant period of time with an injury and a 2027 second round pick. It was a pretty big trade. As in season, WNBA pre trade deadline moves go because you see the Minnesota Lynx make a win. Now move right indigenous Carrington, last year's most improved player. They're trying to bring in, you know, one of the best defenders in the league who, you know, certainly had her role expanded in her first half season with the Dallas Wings. Like she was forced to be more of a creator, more of an offensive fit. And we just saw her role kind of fluctuate throughout the year. Sometimes she's starting, sometimes she's playing big magnets. Some nights she's coming off the bench and you know, playing 10 minutes a game. And she never really seemed to love the situation in Dallas. And so you go to Minnesota, if you're DJ Carrington, you reunite with some players you know pretty well. She's played with Courtney Williams and Atisha Heidman before when they were both with the Connecticut sun and she's suddenly in a winning situation on the Dallas Wing side. This is a team that is totally rebuilding or seems like they are totally rebuilding at least. Like only two players remain from last year's roster now are Matty Segrist after they, you know, they make this deal and they acquire someone in Diamond Miller, as I mentioned, a number two pick just a few years back. I guess it's two years ago at this point and she is still, you know, never really found her role in Minnesota after her rookie season and still, you know, under contract for next year. They then have restricted free agency rights the year after. And so it's this kind of high upside play that if you're the a rebuilding team looking to build a foundation, you require someone like Diamond Miller. And Kurt Miller just continues to retool all of Dallas's entire roster.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, it looks like Dallas is leaning young. I mean I remember Diamond Miller rookie year like she was starting some games like she was was playing significant minutes. And now kind of being that person that kind of comes off the bench for Minnesota, gives a little bit of a spark plug. A lot of energy plays coming out of Diamond Miller. So I think that that'll be fun for the Dallas Wings to acquire. And yeah, I think Kurt Miller understands it might be time to find a way to bolster particularly the future of Dallas around a Paige Becker. So this move makes a lot of sense from that perspective. And Minnesota, I mean, as if we talk about, you know, yes, Dijonay Carrington, absolutely one of the best defenders. The timing of this is very interesting, especially now that we don't know what's going on with Fee Collier, like, because we know what Fee brings defensively. Being able to have a Dijonay Carrington that immediately comes in and can provide that for you. Really great move overall. I think for both teams. Now this is actually perfect that we're talking about this because it's a perfect segue into what's coming up this week, which is the big trade deadline. So we're going to get into a deep dive right after this break. Don't go anywhere.

[Sabrina Merchant]

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[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So the WNBA trade deadline historically has been kind of just another day on the calendar. It's a moment defined by inactivity as opposed to action. Although it has picked up pace of late. In 2023, actually there was a trade between Indiana and Washington that swapped bigs. And it was the first time in five years that there had been an in season trade where two players actually suited up for the other teams during that same season. So that gives you an indication of how often trades were happening where it wasn't just like dumping a salary or, you know, trading picks or getting rid of a bloated contract. Right. This was the first time that Amanda Zawieb and Queen Agbo actually suited up for those other teams during the course of the 2023 season. And then last year we saw almost a flurry of activity really with the Marina Mabry trade during the season and then Minnesota acquiring Maisha Hines Allen closer to the trade deadline as well. A trade that's honestly a lot similar to what they did this year in getting Dijonay Carrington, where they gave up a later asset, a younger player, to get a veteran who they think could help during their playoff push. But it is very hard for trades to happen during the regular season because the WNBA has a hard cap and there are no trade exceptions or other things that you hear about on the NBA side of things, it's very hard to loop in other teams and you have to end every trade below the salary cap. And there are exceptions in the WNBA where if you have a hardship, for example, and you fall below 10 players on your roster, you can sign a player even if you technically don't have the salary cap money. But there's no grace given in trades, right? If you want to complete a trade, you have to end it below the fixed salary cap for the season. Which is why you see situations where when the Las Vegas Aces acquired Melissa Smith earlier this season, they had to drop two players as a result of that trade and Tiffany Mitchell and Elizabeth Keatley just to get below the salary floor. And you have to end a trade with the requisite number of roster spots, right? You have to have 11 or 12 on your team at the end of a trade. So you see a situation in Dallas where they trade one player, Dijonay Carrington, 4:2 in Karlie Samuelson and Diamond Miller, and that means that they have to waive Tierra McCowan after the trade is over because you can only end a trade with 12 players, right? So there's a lot of specifics that go into how a trade can happen and it's very difficult to find the exact matches to make a trade work. And then you add in this compounding factor of the 2026 off season where everybody is going to be a free agent and there's a lot of reticence from general managers to trade future assets for a player who's probably just going to be a two month rental at best for your team over the rest of the season. So I think that's why, you know, there's some measure of hesitation, little inactivity that you're going to see at this time of year. One, because generally it's very hard to make a trade and two, because there's just not a lot of team control over these veterans that you might expect in other seasons when players are on longer contracts. You know, as we were trying to come up with fake trades, right? Like, it's just really hard to find examples. Like, you know, for instance, I've been really trying to get Rachel Banham to the Seattle Storm. I think she's a very good fit. There's. But Rachel Banham makes $95,000. Katie Lou Samuelson, who I think is the perfect matching salary for her, makes $90,000. But Seattle doesn't have $5,000 of cap room to get a bigger player in, so they only have $233 of cap room, right? So either you're trading a much more expensive player to get Rachel Banham, in which case now you're making the other team have to go above the cap. So you basically have to trade like for like salaries. It's very complicated. That's why you've seen one team in Dallas which had some flexibility at the center of all three trades that have happened in the WNBA this season. Because if you have the flexibility, then you can make trades. If you don't, you kind of just sit on your hands until the off season happens.

[Ben Pickman]

This is quite literally a Rubik's cube, Ben. I feel like there's so many, like, as soon as you figure out one color, it's like, oh, wait, the other side is completely messed up. And it's between, like, as you mentioned, roster spots, finances, all the above. Ben, when you were gearing up to do this exercise, just thinking about the trade the lines and thinking about all of these restrictions around it, what was bothering you the most?

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, I mean, it is the money. I think we just need to underline. The Seattle storm have $223. Yeah. Of salary cap. That's not $223,000. It's not $223 million. That is $223 of cap space. That is, you know, they can't do. That's online shopping work. Right? Like, that's what they have in cap space. Like they can't buy a couple of new pairs of jeans or they might go over the salary cap. Like, that's what we're talking about here because of just how the salary cap is structured. And that really does limit all these transactions. As Sabrina, it's saying, like, we would have so much more fun. And look, we will see in a new CBA if some of these rules do change, if the caps changes, if, you know, the ability to make trades and how that impacts the cap, if there are different rules put into place. But for now, like, these are the parameters that executives around the league, GMs who are negotiating these trades with other GMs are working through. And you know, they're the same parameters that we, when we engage in this exercise, are also working.

[Ben Pickman]

Okay, one more question before we dive into these trades. You just mentioned it, Ben. You know, the GMs are talking to the other GMs, et cetera. But like, I'm curious for both of you guys, how much do the players know what's happening? You know, we talk about all the time on like the. At least on the NBA side, people can get traded and they are like mid flight to another game. Right? They have no idea. Some people find out that they're getting traded and they're like on the bench playing the team they're going to get traded to. Sometimes, like literally the craziness that happens on the NBA side, obviously we haven't seen that same thing here. But like how much do we know that the players know about where they're getting traded outside of the ones that are asking for one.

[Zena Kaeda]

We've seen in off seasons, you know, players and their respective camps exercise leverage to try and kind of maneuver around and figure out where they want to get traded. Right. We saw that situation with Juloid for instance, or Kelsey Plum. Like those are situations that, that both of those respective players wanted to be in and they were eventually moved to those situations. Same deal with Satus Abali. Right. Going to the Phoenix Mercury from the Dallas Wings last year. But it is a lot more rare for players to kind of exercise their leverage in the middle of a season in the way that in the NBA you still see, you know, players voice or you know, through media or through their agents make clear where they want to go. And then we sometimes see mid season trades that you know, go along with those demands or those requests in the W. It is a lot more rare. To your question of how much are players in the know. I mean I do think players recognize or understand some of the context that might be surrounding their situation or are aware of if their team has a number, you know, has salary cap space or doesn't that might make it more or less likely if they are going to be moved. I mean I do think, and I should say like when we tape this on Monday evening, like we haven't talked to Diamond Miller yet about kind of rejoining the Dallas Wings. I think it's interesting that Diamond Miller got a DNP cd a do not play coaches decision on Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening in Las Vegas. The next morning she was traded. It was a 50 point game. Cheryl Reed was asked about it and Cheryl talked about, you know, wanting to give Kosu their second round pick an opportunity. But you know, at this moment I think it's fair to to wonder at least like were the Minnesota Links, did they know that they were going to trade Diamond Miller very soon? And so you put Diamond Miller in that game and she gets injured and suddenly, you know, the deal might be off. Like that is a place we saw Diamond Miller change some of her social media. Like I know people always love to read into that her bios. I want to say it was on Saturday night, Sunday morning, same thing with dijonay. So I think it just kind of depends, you know, whether it's in season, out of season and who the player is.

[Ben Pickman]

Okay, well if they're listening to this podcast they'll be well aware.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah, like last season when Maisha Heinz Allen was traded from the Mystics to the Lynx. She had no idea like that she was even in trade rumors until a reporter from the Washington Post asked her about it and was like, hey, what do you think? You know, the deadline's coming up in two days. How do you feel like your future's gonna look like here? And she's like, what? Am I gonna get traded? Like, are you saying that I'm gonna get traded?

[Zena Kaeda]

Wow.

[Ben Pickman]

Okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

All right.

[Ben Pickman]

Well, we're not trying to catch anybody off guard here. You guys have a full. If you're listening to this Tuesday. So full 48 hours before you get to wake up on Thursday and see if your name's gonna be in trade deadlines. But if any GMs are listening, here are our thoughts as to what we're thinking could happen. Why would it be smart? Does it make financial sense future wise? Does it make sense on the basketball court? Of course. We wanna make sure that all these things make sense. So, Ben, I'm gonna start with you. What is your first trade? And lay out the reasons for it.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, I don't really love my first trade. I don't really love any of the first trades that Sabrina said.

[Sabrina Merchant]

They're really hard to come up with.

[Zena Kaeda]

This is. This is a really, really, really hard exercise. So I'm just gonna throw one out and see what we think. This is going to be involving a player whose name has been in kind of trade rumors since the start of the season. She was a first time all star this year. Brittany Sykes. So I have the Washington Mystics in this scenario, trading Brittany Sykes to the Phoenix Mercury for Kalani Brown. Lexi held a 2026 second round pick and a 2027 first round pick.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Oh, sorry, say it again.

[Zena Kaeda]

Brittany Sykes to the Phoenix Mercury for Kalani Brown. Lexi held a 2026 second and a 2027 first.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay, does the math work on that?

[Zena Kaeda]

The math does work on it. Brittany Sykes, I think she makes around $195,000. Everyone get your calculators out if you want to engage in this exercise. So Brittany sykes makes around $195,000. Kehlani Brown, she makes 128, 750. Lexi Held makes 66, 079. And the Washington Mystics have plenty of cap space. So it will require Washington then to release a player. But again, they have a lot of space and they will be fine to release whoever they want in this scenario. So again, Phoenix, I'm happy to make the rationalization. Or do you want to give a reaction to what I've just thrown out.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So Phoenix managed to get alyssa Thomas and Satu Savwe this offseason without giving up the 2027 first rounder. Because 2027, as we remember, is a draft that could include Juju Watkins, Madison Booker, Hannah Hidalgo, big class in the NCAA if they manage to get at and Satu without giving up that pick. I don't think they're giving up that pick for Brittany Sykes, especially not two months of Brittany Sykes.

[Zena Kaeda]

That's a very good point, Sabrina. And you know, the context here is important. The 2027 pick is kind of the crown jewel asset of this trade in many ways for the reason you just mentioned. And who knows where the Phoenix Mercury will be. But you kind of make that move if I'm Phoenix, you know, if I, if I'm trying to justify it as the Phoenix Mercury, you would make that move if you believe that adding someone like Brittany Sykes, who is again, an All Star, she's having a career year on the offensive end, you know, attacking the rim the way that she never has before, made first All Star team and an All W defender. If you can get a player like that in, do you suddenly close the gap between, you know, yourself and Minnesota? Can you position yourself to be the second seed, you know, in the playoffs potentially, and go on a deep run and potentially knock off, you know, New York with another All Star guard or knockoff, whoever you need to knock off and make the finals? And then who knows, if you get a Brittany Sykes, is she the missing piece? That's kind of why you make the move. And if you're Washington, it's as you said, you would want to acquire, you know, maybe 27 first and 26 second is a little too much. But if I'm Washington, I'm first asking for that 27 first. And if you're Washington, like, you know, that's a, that's a potentially really substantive pick, meaningful pick down the road. And this is a team that has shown a lot this year, obviously in Iria, Fenn and Citron being All Stars. And yet, like, they want to continue to build for the future and getting those assets in, you know, helps them kind of do both.

[Ben Pickman]

I really don't know if they'll get all of that from Phoenix for Brittany, but I do like this from a perspective of Phoenix is right on the cusp and having someone like a Britney Sykes that can create, especially right now, as you're still seeing Kyle Copper kind of get her footing back into the league and still try and figure Out. You know how she fits into this offense. Having a Brittany Sykes come in and immediately be kind of gangbusters offensively could be huge. Now if they were to pull this off, it would be highway robbery. Like I would be like, jamila Wideman gets all the awards because oh, that's a phenomenal quote unquote rookie for Phoenix, especially with her outside shooting. And I think that would be really helpful for Washington. I like Kalani Brown. I feel like that would just like kind of clog the posts conversation in Washington. We already know that Aaliyah Edwards is still not kind of broken through where she was last year. So that's where it feels a little bit like do they even need Kalani? But if you get that 2026 and 2027, I'm scared for what the Mystics will unleash on the league in a few years. Like that team is already stacked with future and youth and just versatility in the way that they show up on the court. Add in Alexi Held, who's not that young, but young.

[Zena Kaeda]

25. Actually she's 25.

[Ben Pickman]

Fair enough. I mean, yeah, I guess what I'm saying is like she's not like straight out of college. Right. But yes, still young. Very much still young. And these, you know, the upcoming NCAA players. Ooh, ooh. And that's not even counting some of the folks that are still overseas. So you never know that you might pick up in that 2026 second round pick. I like this pick. I just think it is.

[Zena Kaeda]

Look, it's. It is a passable first start Sykes.

[Sabrina Merchant]

At fit because I think you should surround Alyssa Thomas with players who can shoot in Sykes career. Not a good three point shooter. Like she's ball dominant at is ball dominant. Personally, I just don't like the way the two of them work together offensively. Fair, Fair.

[Zena Kaeda]

All right, let's keep it moving.

[Ben Pickman]

What are you saying?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I had more things to say about.

[Ben Pickman]

This from a nerdy perspective, Ben. I like the way you're thinking though, because especially I'm happy you brought up Brittany Sykes. She is a player that people have been talking about in trade talks for a minute and she's a valuable piece to move. So I do. Like we started that we like we started there. Sabrina, keep us moving. What's your trade? What you thinking?

[Sabrina Merchant]

I just want to say real quick on that trade because you're doing two for one. Washington wouldn't even be able to keep Kalani and Lexi held. So you have to probably waive Kalani Brown. She's got Money on the cap for next year too. So that's like maybe why you have to add more assets to it, right?

[Ben Pickman]

Or do you waive an older big.

[Sabrina Merchant]

She wave Stephanie Dolson or something? You know, like they don't have old players on Washington.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Interesting. Okay, okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I like it though. It's a. It's a fun. Like you said, appetizer for.

[Ben Pickman]

Nice one to start with.

[Zena Kaeda]

We're okay.

[Sabrina Merchant]

We're going to build on it.

[Ben Pickman]

You've wetted my palette. Here we go. Let's keep it going. Sabrina, continue.

[Sabrina Merchant]

All right, we're going to start with, let's see. Mentioned Chloe Bibby obviously being the first reserve in Indiana, you know, first big off the bench. I do think having a backup center they trust a little bit more might help. So I'm not sure Demeris Dantes is that player Brianna Turner not sure. Is that player Mikayla Timpson Very young. So this one is Tina Charles to the Indiana Fever for Demirus Dantes and a 2026 first round pick.

[Ben Pickman]

I like this. I like this a lot.

[Zena Kaeda]

Tina Charles to the Indiana Fever or Dantes and a first round pick.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah.

[Ben Pickman]

Tina has nothing left to prove.

[Sabrina Merchant]

But she doesn't have a ring yet.

[Ben Pickman]

Well, she doesn't have a ring yet. That's very true.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And this is a good spot to try to get one.

[Ben Pickman]

Does she need to start is what I'm trying to say.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, she can't.

[Ben Pickman]

She can't and she doesn't need to. And she has the opportunity to win a ring. She has an opportunity to prepare the next generation in Aaliyah Boston and be a great vet in the locker room and on the bench. And she has the opportunity to be a very solid second unit big. I like this a lot. And it inches the Indiana Fever one step closer to a championship hopeful. So I like this. Ben, what are you thinking?

[Zena Kaeda]

Well, I want to throw out one other. Sabrina, do you like this fake. I'm going to go fake. Trade off your fake trade here.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Let's do it.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah.

[Zena Kaeda]

You can tell me you can break both down. I was also thinking about the Fever's center position here. What about Bri Turner and Demir's Dantes to Dallas again in this kind of.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Two for one because it has to involve Dallas.

[Zena Kaeda]

Right. You know, the money there basically works. Do you like that machination more where you're getting MHA back in return if you're Indiana and you're not giving out a first round pick or would you rather have Tina Charles but also have to give out a first round draft pick.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah. So I again, I don't know like what the, the assets would have to be if you trade Bree Turner and Demir Santis, because I assume you're going to have to add an asset to that if you're trying to get Maisha out of Dallas. Probably like a second. But we just saw Maisha Hines Allen struggle significantly in the WNB finals against the New York Liberty. And to me that calculus has not really changed that I don't think she's a player who can hang out against the Liberty. And I'm not saying that the Fever absolutely have to go through New York to get to the championship, but I would assume you planning a team based on the fact that you're going to have to be the defending champions at some point. And I don't like Heinz Allen in that matchup, just her size. Tina Charles significantly bigger. So that's the only reason why I would probably avoid Maisha Hines Allen if I were Indiana.

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, I think that point is really fair. I mean, look, I think the Charles fit obviously would maybe change a little bit of how they want to play. Right. Just stylistically, like, Indiana has put a premium on playing with pace. They have guards who really like to get downhill and don't really have like, I mean, I guess they have Aaliyah Boston to kind of be this steadying post player. And do you want your backup center to also kind of be, you know, in the similar vein or would you rather have the, you know, temifag Benley Vayne, who I think we saw succeed.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Indiana wanted they could have had Timmy Fagbenley?

[Zena Kaeda]

No. Exactly. And that's why, you know, maybe, maybe they do go this route. I also think, like, this is the kind of trade to your question Xena, about players and what input they have. This is the kind of deal you typically see, at least in the NBA context where like if you're going to move a player like Tina Charles midseason, you, you know, you would hypothetically be communicative with them and get their approval because it's clear that she went back to Connecticut, you know, a place where she had played a large part of her career, where she's had so much history because she wanted to maybe close out this chapter of her career there. And so if you were going to make that move, like, I think out of respect, you would often see an organization get a sign off there. I think that's another component here too. But from a basketball perspective, no, I do like the Fit. And you know, I like the fever upgrading their, their center position.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, they would solidify their big rotation. I think, Ben, you make a great point. Like Tina Charles is a future hall of famer and she absolutely made that decision to leave Atlanta to go to Connecticut for. For a reason. To kind of close out that hall of fame career and you know, casually hit a few more milestones while she's there. But I really like this idea. If she wants a ring, I think that that is. And I don't know how much, you know, how much emphasis she puts on it. I don't think she's spoken.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I mean, we've seen Tina do the mid season ring chasing thing like three years ago with Seattle. Right.

[Ben Pickman]

Fair.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And it created some weird dynamics with Ezzy Magmagore and it didn't exactly any in glory for all of them. But you'd have to believe that she has a better understanding of how this is gonna go this time around. Like Aaliyah Boston is not Ezzy Magmagore. You're not supplanting any of her minutes. Right. So if there's a real understanding, real buy in from Stephanie White and Tina Charles, like what this role's gonna look like. And that is easier said than done, Right. Like we just saw this with dejuanna Bonner where the role may not be what you want it to be. Right. So there's a lot of tricky, like emotional management dynamics there, which is why you have to be very certain, like there's gotta be some real tampering going on of what it's gonna look like before you get into this.

[Ben Pickman]

I think a move like this, anytime you move a player of that caliber at this level of their career, it is a lot more, I would say, less about the basketball. Like Tina Charles is going to figure out how to be productive on this team and more so about egos and feelings and you know, all these different kind of peripheral elements to the move. But I like it as well. I don't know. I think both of these situations are in which teams, you know, Ben, your pick, talking about Phoenix, trying to get closer to a ring. Same thing with Indian Fever. No move so far for the purpose of like shoring up the future. It feels like I got one of.

[Zena Kaeda]

Those, you know, okay, let's get into it.

[Ben Pickman]

Let's get into it.

[Zena Kaeda]

This is, this is more loose framework, but I'm trying to find a place, you know, Arike Gumbawale, who, you know, makes $249,000, she's a second highest player paid player in the league. And you know, I would say that the first half of her season in Dallas with Paige Beckers has not gone as well as some of her prior seasons. I mean, she's averaging career lows in a number of statistical categories, as we said on last week's show. And frankly, there is a team that I think should be, maybe should have looked at her last off season and maybe they try and make the move mid season to not necessarily leapfrog so much in the standings right now, but also position themselves going forward. And that is the Chicago Sky. And so a potential move for Rick Walley to the Chicago Sky. I mean, there's a number of different machinations you could use here. And Sabrina, maybe you can weigh in with some of the draft capital. But like Arique for Beck Allen and Rachel Banham or Arique for Beck Allen and Haley Van Lith, which seems a little bit more likely if Dallas wanted to get a young guard back and you know, that would require Dallas again to release a player in a two for one deal. We would see Chicago in terms of draft assets, they would probably have to throw in some of these second round picks. They have their own second round pick in 2026. They have New York's second round pick in 2026. Those will probably be, you know, potential trade, you know, assets that Dallas would ask for. Arike is a free agent and you know, maybe if you're the Chicago sky, you hope to convince Arike to stay right and play alongside Camilla and Angel and Ariel Atkins and be part of this core going forward. I think that's the incentive for the sky. And if you're the Dallas Wings again, this is a, like trying to get young, trying to build for the future and this is one way to do it. So what do we think about, you know, that general framework? What do you got?

[Sabrina Merchant]

First of all, Hayley Van Lith, Diamond Miller, Paige Beckers were basically reuniting my favorite USA team of all time, the U19 2019 team that won the World cup against Australia because of an errant elbow that hit Ryan Howard in the face and caused the USA to make this comeback in the final minute. So love all of that. The only thing is like you just got Ariel Atkins, right? So are you not committing to Ariel Atkins anymore? Are you playing both of them together? Like what's the long term plan there?

[Zena Kaeda]

I think you're trying to figure out a way to make it work and play both together. I mean, I think Chicago, we have seen, even though they might not be well they just aren't as good as some of the other WNBA's upper echelon in free agency. Last year, they very much went after veterans to try and kind of lay the foundation. And this kind of move would go along, work along those lines. And I'm not saying they necessarily should do this or I would do this as if I was in Jeff Baglioca's shoes making the move versus going young. But I, like, I could kind of see it like a reek going there. And maybe they should have done this before the Atkins trade, but it at least creates, like an interesting core four, you know, of Rhys Cardozo, Atkins and a guma wall. Assuming you can convince, you know, the latter two to stay.

[Ben Pickman]

I think it's a great point about Ariel Atkins, but, you know, for. If this is real, trade deadline is this Thursday. You think about Arika coming in. Ariel Atkins is out right now, and there's no timetable for her return. And so that is immediately a plug and play situation. We've been talking about Chicago needing some perimeter offense for a while. I think we've seen pops of it in Ariel Atkins, we've seen pops of it in Haley Van Lith, but it's not been a consistent capability. I think that's been demonstrated. We know what Ari K is capable of providing. And I was trying to look up really quickly what the All Star numbers were with Arike and Angel last year in terms of if they had any assist numbers between each other or anything like that. But we know that she went off in last year's All Star Game. We know that angel was on her team. Angel did pretty well as well in that game. There might be a little bit of synergy there that we don't know about just yet. I like this. I really like this. I think that R, just like Brittany Sykes, is another player that's been in a lot of trade conversations. I wasn't ready to move her. We talked about this last week. I'm like, I'm not. I don't know if I'm ready to move her just yet. I feel like she's just starting to click. But if, you know, Kurt Miller was like, listen, I gotta make one more. I gotta do one more thing. By this trade deadline, I'm itching. I like this one. I think this is a really good pickup for. For Chicago. And remind me, what would Dallas get back?

[Zena Kaeda]

Yeah, I think they would probably end up wanting Beck Allen and Haley Van Lith back. Just getting a young guard over someone like Rachel Banham.

[Ben Pickman]

All right. Yeah. I don't, I don't mind this at all. I don't mind this at all. I think this is actually a really good one. And you're right. I think it sets up particularly Dallas even more so for their future. Sabrina, keep us going. Close us out. I think we're like hitting on some really good names here and some big. Some nice trades here.

[Sabrina Merchant]

This last one, unfortunately, is never going to happen because the Connecticut sun have made it very clear that they're not trading Marina Mabry, but because Marina has been at the center of like every important trade over the last three seasons in the toffee NBA. It just. Marina to Seattle for Alicia Clark. Keita Luz Hamilson, like, it just, it makes too much sense. I was in Seattle last week. Noel Quinn had an extended conversation with Alicia Clark after practice on Thursday. Alicia ends up not playing in the game on Friday. So maybe it was a conversation about rotation. Like, hey, we're prioritizing Tiffany Mitchell and Lexi Brown over you for the time being. Or maybe it's, hey, things are happening. But the kind of conversation that makes it so that you can't talk to Noelle Quinn or Alicia Clark after that conversation.

[Ben Pickman]

Oh, yeah, that's some depth. So you said Marina to Seattle because I had in my mind Marina to Seattle for Alicia Clark in a first rounder.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Well, it's gotta include Katie Lou Samuelson because Alicia makes less than Marina Mabry. So they have to take in less money than they're bringing something out. Yeah, you have to include the pick with it too. Probably Seattle's first round pick. You don't want to give up the Aces pick or the Sparks first round pick because those are much better assets than Seattle's pick.

[Ben Pickman]

Got it. I like it outside shooting.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And again, unfortunately, the problem is Marina Mabry, despite an outstanding trade request, has been told she is not getting traded.

[Ben Pickman]

I know. Ben, if you're a GM and you have a player that's like, I don't want to be here anymore, do you want to keep that energy in your locker room?

[Zena Kaeda]

Even if she seems. She seems a little bit happier now, things have changed, I would say, than the off season. I mean, this is the kind of trade when I saw, I think this is a good hypothetical super for me. Like this is where I would love, like could Alicia Clarke then get rerouted in this scenario? Right. If I'm with her, like, that's, that's the kind of move where, like I would love then if you were to hypothetically make the first part of this deal and send Mabry to the Seattle Storm. Can you then reroute Alicia Clark somewhere where she, you know, can help an instant impact winner? That, to me would feel like a viable second kind of move to come out of this. Because, you know, despite what you said, Sabrina, and despite Alicia Clark, you know, playing the fewest minutes that she's played since 2014, I still think she's one of these trusted veterans who totally in the right locker room in the right situation can contribute to a championship winning or, you know, title contending team.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Right. And she signed in Seattle presumably because she sees her career coming to a close and she started it in Seattle. I mean, the broadcasts have made it clear all season. Alicia Clark is the oldest player in the wnba. Like, she. She has a right to determine the end of her career, I would think. And Seattle's not just going to send her around the league willy nilly. So that makes a little bit more challenging. And like, like we said, in addition to all of, like, the actual physical constraints that prevent you from making trades. Right. Like with the caps, with the roster numbers, like, this is a people business, too. Right. And you can't just be in the business of sending people places that they don't want to go and expecting your reputation to remain intact as an organization.

[Ben Pickman]

Right? Yeah. If I had to take a squat for every time an announcer talks about how old Alicia Clark is, I'd have the tightest butt this side of the Mississippi. Okay. It is crazy how much they talk about this lady. I'm like, and she still looks amazing. Okay. Like, she is running incredibly well. My hips wish that they were as old as she is and in the shape that she is. So shout out to Alicia Clarke. Okay, I like this. I think that we've done a pretty good job of finding reasonable trades that actually make sense. I actually don't think that we're going to get blown up, but we have to wait and to see. You know, once this goes live, we'll see what fans have to say about. Hold up. You are not taking Tina Charles out of Connecticut. I feel like there's going to be a lot of Dallas fans feeling a type of way of us trying to get rid of Enrique. But we'll see. We'll see. Okay, I like this. We got to keep going. Let's move on to the next segment where, Ben, you've got a game for us foreign.

[Zena Kaeda]

If you're alignment in charge of keeping the lights on, Grainger understands that you.

[Ben Pickman]

Go to great lengths and sometimes heights.

[Sabrina Merchant]

To ensure the power is always flowing.

[Ben Pickman]

Which is why you can count on Grainger for professional grade products and next day delivery. So you have everything you need to get the job done.

[Zena Kaeda]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or join.

[Ben Pickman]

Just stop by Granger for the ones.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Who get it done. This is Car Tracks with Turtle Wax. Your car says a lot about you. So if we asked your car what it would say about you, what would it say?

[Ben Pickman]

Listen, you dropped one of those tiny cheeseburgers under the seat like last week.

[Sabrina Merchant]

And now we're both dry heaving the stench. Do us a favor, grab some Turtle wax and let's get to work. This has been Car tracks with turtle Wax.

[Ben Pickman]

You are how you car got a.

[Sabrina Merchant]

New puppy or kitten. Congrats. But also yikes. Between crates, beds, toys, treats and those.

[Ben Pickman]

First few vet visits, you've probably already.

[Sabrina Merchant]

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[Ben Pickman]

Alrighty, friends, it is game time. No off season game time. And Ben, I'm excited. What do you have in store for us today?

[Zena Kaeda]

You know, we're going to bring back one of our old favorites, something in common. Where I'm just going to read some names of players and you're just going to have to tell me what is the common thread that groups them all together. I have four for you today. We'll just run through them quickly. Okay, round one. Here are the four players. Sidney Coulson, Ty Harris, Mackenzie Holmes and Maria Clinda Cova. Sidney Colson, Ty Holmes, Ty Harris, Mackenzie Holmes and Maria Clindakova of the Minnesota Links. For all those out there.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Is this a jersey number thing again? Like, yeah, jerseys in the 50s or something?

[Zena Kaeda]

Sabrina, these are players whose jersey numbers are all over 50.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Yeah.

[Zena Kaeda]

And let's be clear. These are the only four players in the WNBA this season who have jersey numbers over 50.

[Ben Pickman]

What are the numbers?

[Zena Kaeda]

47, 51, Colson, 52, Harris, 54, Holmes. And 88, Maria Clinda Cova. All right, we're moving on. Category number two. Here are four players. Kia Nurse, Ziya Cook, Maureen Johannes and Rebecca Gardner.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Oh, my God.

[Zena Kaeda]

I'll write it again. Kia Nurse, Zai Cook, Marine Johannes and Rebecca Gardner. Shooting guards. That's a. I mean, I guess.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I got it. I got it. It's. It's job names. Like in the name.

[Zena Kaeda]

Job names is correct. Well done, Sabrina. She's starting to understand me as a.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Quiz master, a gardener and a Marine.

[Ben Pickman]

Got it.

[Zena Kaeda]

I'm taking that ball. Done, Sabrina. Well done, Sabrina. All right, we're going to keep it moving here. On topic, Marina Mabry, Dijonay Carrington, Queen Egbo and Leysha Clarendon. Mabry Carrington, Queen Egbo and friend of the pod, Leysia Clarendon.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay. They have all played for the Connecticut sun, which I don't think is the qualifier here.

[Ben Pickman]

Marina, Leysha dijonay, and Queen Egbo. Whoa.

[Sabrina Merchant]

I don't. Have they all been, like, in season traded? Is that the thing?

[Zena Kaeda]

They have all been in season traded. On the topic, well done, Sabrina.

[Sabrina Merchant]

When was Lejea in season traded?

[Zena Kaeda]

20 in Atlanta.

[Ben Pickman]

From Atlanta to Connecticut.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay.

[Zena Kaeda]

2018.

[Ben Pickman]

Yeah, I do remember that.

[Sabrina Merchant]

So DJ late add to this category.

[Zena Kaeda]

Nice work. I guess we're gonna close it out strong. We will close it out strong here.

[Ben Pickman]

Am I closing it out strong or am I allowing.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Sorry.

[Ben Pickman]

I'm just saying.

[Zena Kaeda]

We'll go with the extra hard one. Maya Moore, Jonquil Jones, Megan Gustafson, and Dawn Staley.

[Ben Pickman]

I was almost gonna say double names.

[Zena Kaeda]

Megan, Jonquil Jones, Megan Gustafson, and Dawn Staley.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Megan Gustafson. Okay, the first Two have been MVPs, but not Megan Gustafson.

[Ben Pickman]

No. Yeah.

[Sabrina Merchant]

Okay. Megan Gustafson no longer holds scoring record. Iowa. That is a Caitlin thing. Maya Jonquill. Maya's from Missouri. Jonquille's from the Bahamas. So. Not about that.

[Ben Pickman]

Maya Moore, Megan Gustafson, Jonquil Jones, and Don Staley. And Dawn Staley.

[Sabrina Merchant]

They all have their jerseys retired by their alma mater. Like, that's one.

[Zena Kaeda]

That might be true. Where I was going is related to their alma mater, Sabrina. Oh, they've given commencement speeches. They've all given commencement addresses to their universities or schools at their universities before. Maya Moore did it at UConn 2020. JJ did it this past spring. Megan Gustafson did it to the Iowa School of business in 2023. And Don Staley has done it multiple times, I guess to the University of South Carolina, I should say. I assume she's maybe.

[Ben Pickman]

She's from Virginia, though. She played at Virginia.

[Zena Kaeda]

That's true. I assume she's maybe done it at Virginia in the past, but I was going off, you know, graduation speeches. Two universities would be the category that's not necessarily their own. In the case of Dawn.

[Ben Pickman]

Well, on that note, Sabrina, well done. Applause for Sabrina. Because I was just sitting here processing, still was like, oh, well, you know, Jonquill Jones, that's a double J. Maya Moore, double M. Megan Gustafson. Damn, I lose. Okay. All right. Thank you, Ben. I appreciate every single time you bring a game, switching it up, allowing us to have a little fun. And I want to hear you guys thoughts on our trades. By the way, I think that was a lot of fun too. It's just likely not to happen. But we'll see what happens by this Thursday. Of course, by the time this is live, you never know. You never know what could happen. Appreciate you guys tuning in with us today. We'll be keeping you guys up to date with everything going on with Connecticut and of course, the rest of this league, of course, the trade deadline. Keep it locked in right here at the Athletic. Subscribe here and on the Athletic. You want to read and listen, do a little homework, do a little bit of listening. It's great. Make sure you check out our content at Yahoo. Sports hub. It is www.yahoosportshub.com womens-sports on behalf of the Athletic, Ben Pickman, Sabrina Merchant. I'm Zena Keda. Thanking you for listening. Until next time, no off season is hosted by Zena Keda with Chantelle Jennings, Sabrina Merchant and Ben Pickman. It's produced by Tanika Burrell. Our executive producers are Andrea B. Scott and Cassius Fleming. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Monica Compton is our video editor. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of women's basketball at the Athletic. Jessie Burton is our head of audio and Tim McMaster is director of audio Oper.

[Sabrina Merchant]

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