Ultimate WNBA trade deadline guide: Buyers, sellers, trade candidates and how the new CBA impacts it all — CBS Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

Ultimate WNBA trade deadline guide: Buyers, sellers, trade candidates and how the new CBA impacts it all — CBS Sports | AIPROPX

The WNBA trade deadline has historically been an afterthought, and you can count on one hand the number of truly meaningful in-season deals. That could change this season, however, as the Los Angeles Sparks consider whether to move All-Star guard Kelsey Plum ahead of her impending free agency.

Before going down with a leg injury that has sidelined her since June 21, Plum was averaging 23.9 points. She no longer qualifies for the official leaderboard, but if she did, that would be the sixth-best single-season scoring average in league history. If Plum gets dealt to a contender -- say, the Golden State Valkyries -- she could swing the title race.

As we wait to see what happens with Plum, and the rest of the league, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 WNBA trade deadline.

The 2026 WNBA trade deadline is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. After that time, teams cannot make trades for the remainder of the season.

There are a bunch of reasons why the trade deadline in the WNBA has never been as busy as it is in the NBA and MLB . Let's run through some of the most notable:

First and foremost, expansion. There are three more teams than there were two seasons ago, but the same number of playoff spots (eight). That doesn't guarantee anything, but more teams mean more potential trade partners and more lottery teams mean more potential sellers.

Usually, the majority of the league's teams are still in the playoff race at the deadline, but that's not the case this season. With just two months to go, a sizeable gap has already opened up between the top-eight teams and everyone else. Entering Thursday, the eighth-place Washington Mystics are four and a half games up on the ninth-place Portland Fire .

Then there's the 2027 draft class to consider. JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo highlight the top-tier talent, but this is an extremely deep class and there should be real value toward the back end of the first round that usually isn't there. Teams in the 9-12 range that might otherwise try to make a playoff push have more incentive than usual to not only remain in the lottery, but try to acquire extra draft picks if possible.

It's also worth noting that the new CBA not only significantly raised salaries, but slightly altered how much of the cap certain deals take up. For example, last season, a regular max contract took up 14% of the cap, but this season it takes up 17% of the cap. Is that a massive difference? No, but it makes it harder to withstand a max player not living up to their deal. It also could make it harder to trade someone on a max.

Ahead of Sunday, here's where every team stands:

The Dream beat the Wings in dramatic fashion Wednesday to extend their winning streak to four games in a row, but are stuck in sixth place amid an up-and-down season. Acquiring Angel Reese in the offseason has allowed them to double-down on their strengths -- namely, defense and rebounding -- but they still lack reliable scoring and consistent shot-making. Notably, they're 13th in 3-point percentage (30.6%). And while Brionna Jones ' return helps their depth, they're 14th in the league in bench-scoring (16.7 points per game).

The Sky went all-in this offseason, but nothing has gone right. Rickea Jackson tore her ACL four games in, Skylar Diggins has been sidelined with a knee injury since July 3, DiJonai Carrington still hasn't played yet (though she is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game against the Sun), they're 4-11 in clutch games and they're stuck in 13th place, six games behind the eighth-place Mystics. To make matters worse, they owe the Mystics a 2027 first-round pick swap and their 2028 first-round pick outright. The Sky can't tank in either of the next two seasons, but it would still make sense to be a seller at the deadline if they can recoup any sort of draft capital. It will be particularly interesting to see if a team would take Diggins, who has been public about her disappointment with the franchise.

The Sun have actually been pretty competitive since their 2-15 start, but they're well on their way to another lottery appearance in their final season in Uncasville, and it will be interesting to see how they approach the deadline. They might just stand pat and continue their rebuild next season in Houston, but they have a few veterans that contenders might be interested in and a slightly unbalanced roster. Would they look to move Kennedy Burke, or one of their young bigs, such as Aaliyah Edwards?

The new-look Wings gave away a game to the Dream on Wednesday but they've already nearly doubled last season's win total and are going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2023. However, while they sit in fourth place, they have some real weaknesses. Notably, they're thin in the frontcourt and allow opponents to shoot 65.6% in the restricted area, which ranks 12th. They profile as a buyer given their place in the standings, but they'd have to find someone to take Alanna Smith or Arike Ogunbowale's contracts to make a major addition. Neither prospect is impossible, but it could include attaching pick(s).

The Valkyries used a franchise-record nine-game winning streak to vault up the standings, but have now lost back-to-back games to the Mystics and Mercury , highlighting the concerns about their ability to actually contend for a title. Offense is their biggest issue. While they have the league's best defensive rating (100.9), they're eighth in offensive rating (107.7), 13th in true shooting percentage (53.9%) and don't have a single player averaging 15 points per game. Without a go-to scorer, they aren't winning the title. The good news is that Kelsey Plum appears to be available, so there's a rare mid-season path for them to fix their biggest weakness.

The Fever are one of the hottest teams in the league. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell took over in the second half on Tuesday against the Storm to push their winning streak to four games, and they've won eig...