Kelsey Plum headed to Los Angeles and Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas in blockbuster 3-way deal: AP source

By DOUG FEINBERG – AP Basketball Writer

Kelsey Plum is headed to Los Angeles as part of a three-way trade that will send Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The Sparks traded the No. 2 pick in the draft and Li Yueru to Seattle. Los Angeles also received the No. 9 pick. The Aces got the 13th pick in the draft. The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday night because no official deal has been announced.

Plum helped the Aces win consecutive WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. She was designated as the team’s franchise player on Jan. 11, meaning the only way she could leave the team was via trade. She averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists last season.

Loyd requested a trade last month out of Seattle, where she had spent her entire career since getting drafted by the Storm in 2015. The 31-year-old averaged 19.7 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and is a six-time All-Star. Loyd helped Seattle win two WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020 as well as a scoring title in 2023.

She was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2015.

ESPN first reported the trade.

Las Vegas still has more room to make pickups in free agency to add to the core group of Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson.

Teams could start talking to free agents this past Tuesday, but can’t officially sign them until Feb. 1.

Acquiring Plum gives a veteran guard to the Sparks young core of Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink and reunites her with her former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby. It also brings Plum closer to home as she grew up in Poway, California.

Like Loyd, Plum had spent her whole career with the Las Vegas franchise since she was drafted first in 2017 when the team was still in San Antonio.