This WNBA offseason has already been exciting. Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Plum, and Jewell Loyd were moved in two blockbuster deals. Brittney Griner, Nneka Ogwumike, Brionna Jones, Courtney Vanderlsoot, and Natasha Howard made big decisions in free agency.
Next, Satou Sabally got her wish to leave the Dallas Wings. After five seasons with the franchise, Sabally is headed to the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury acquired the All-Star in a three-team deal with the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever.
Alongside Sabally, the Mercury are also getting Kalani Brown and Sevgi Uzun. Sophie Cunningham and the 19th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft are headed to Indiana. Last but not least, the Wings are getting NaLyssa Smith, Tyasha Harris, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Phoenix Mercury grade: A
Losing Brittney Griner in free agency was a big blow to the Mercury, especially if Diana Taurasi decides to retire ahead of the 2025 season. They recovered quickly, though, landing two of the most coveted players available this offseason. With Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, the Mercury now have two new All-Stars to put around Kahleah Copper.
Giving up Sophie Cunningham was probably a tough decision for the Mercury, but that is the price for bringing yet another All-Star to town. With three All-Stars already in place, the Mercury figure to be pretty competitive in the 2025 season. That may be enough to also convince Alyssa Thomas’ fiancée DeWanna Bonner to come to Phoenix.
Indiana Fever grade: B+
By being involved in this trade, the Fever pretty much accomplished their biggest offseason goal: replace NaLyssa Smith with a versatile 3-and-D player. Sophie Cunningham is just that. She shot 37.8 percent on 4.5 3-point attempts last season, can play several positions, and is a tough defender.
Getting Cunningham in this trade while also agreeing to a deal with Natasha Howard solves the Fever’s forward problem and gives the team some much-needed tough defenders.
However, at the same time, the Fever had to give up the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft—which speaks to Smith’s value across the league—and will miss out on an opportunity to draft another talented young player. The Fever are obviously ready to focus on winning now rather than building for the future, though. If adding Cunningham and Howard translates to playoff success, it is worth giving up a first-round pick.
Dallas Wings grade: C
It’s been a tough offseason for the Dallas Wings. With Sabally headed to the Mercury and Howard to the Fever, they lost two of their three top scorers from the 2024 season. Arike Ogunbowale is now the lone All-Star on the roster, and much of the Wings’ future success depends on how NaLyssa Smith develops and who they can land in the 2025 draft.
The Wings may not have gotten a star-level player in return for Sabally, but now have the first and eighth picks in this year’s draft. That gives them plenty of options. If they keep both picks, the Wings can land two young players to put around Ogunbowale, including a future star with the first overall pick.
The Wings could also decide to use the eighth pick in a trade to get Ogunbowale some more veteran help. That really depends on who is available, though. The Wings might be able to land DiJonai Carrington (Smith’s girlfriend) in a sign-and-trade.
Landing Ty Harris is not bad either for the Wings. She just came off the best season of her career, averaging 10.5 points, 39.5 percent shooting from three, 1.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal over 39 games.
Nevertheless, the Wings lost an All-Star, and much of their future success now depends on luck. If NaLyssa Smith has a breakout season, for example, the trade will look much better for the Wings. There is no guarantee that that will happen, though. Since drafting Ogunbowale, the Wings have only made one deep playoff run, and how long Ogunbowale will be content with that is a serious question the Wings must consider.