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Phoenix Mercury

All articles tagged with #phoenix mercury

sports25 days ago•10 min saved

Plum Trade Rocks the WNBA Deadline as Sparks Land Makani and Picks

The 2026 WNBA trade deadline produced the marquee move: the Los Angeles Sparks sent five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani plus a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder. The swap gives Plum a fresh path toward free agency in Phoenix and hands Los Angeles cost-controlled depth and future draft capital, potentially including two lottery picks if Phoenix misses the playoffs. Other notable deals included Aneesah Morrow to Toronto (with the Sun receiving Maria Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick) and Chloe Bibby to Minnesota, while the Connecticut Sun were viewed as a loser for their tanking stance. Nate Tibbetts lands in the middle as both a winner and loser, depending on how well his system maximizes the new talent. Overall, the deadline was quieter than expected, but Plum’s arrival dominated headlines and reshaped late-season trajectories and free-agent dynamics.

via NBC Sports|

#kelsey-plum #los-angeles-sparks #phoenix-mercury

sports26 days ago•9 min saved

Lynx Stay on Top by Staying Put as Quiet WNBA Deadline Sparks Late Playoff Buzz

The WNBA trade deadline passed quietly with only two deals, but the ripple effects matter: the Minnesota Lynx chose not to trade and remain atop the standings behind a strong rookie year from Olivia Miles; the Phoenix Mercury acquired Kelsey Plum in hopes of a late playoff push, with long‑term retention still in question; the Los Angeles Sparks moved to a rebuild by trading Plum for future assets; Aneesah Morrow left the Sun in a deal that further waters down Connecticut’s roster; and the Liberty stood pat while the tight No. 8 seed race remains unsettled, leaving several teams within a game for Nos. 9–13 and a real shot at the postseason in the stretch run.

via CBS Sports|

#los-angeles-sparks #minnesota-lynx #phoenix-mercury

sports26 days ago•5 min saved

Kelsey Plum Heads West as WNBA Shuffle Intensifies Front-Office Drama

Kelsey Plum is traded from the Los Angeles Sparks to the Phoenix Mercury in a three-team deal that also sent Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas and included the Sparks’ 2025 No. 2 pick; Phoenix adds Plum with a potential path to re-signing her, while Los Angeles confronts management shakeups and a fragile playoff picture as Plum’s free-agency plans loom.

via Defector|

#kelsey-plum #los-angeles-sparks #phoenix-mercury

sports27 days ago•5 min saved

Plum lands in Phoenix on midseason blockbuster swap

Hours before the WNBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Sparks traded five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani and 2027 first-round and 2028 second-round picks. Plum, who had career-best averages of 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game before an injury sidelined her, joins a Mercury team fighting for a playoff spot as LA pursues a rebuild. The deal marks only the fourth midseason All-Star trade in WNBA history.

via foxnews.com|

#basketball #kelsey-plum #los-angeles-sparks

sports27 days ago•7 min saved

Plum trade signals Sparks’ rebuild, boosts Phoenix’s playoff push

The Los Angeles Sparks traded five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for Monique Akoa Makani and a pair of future draft picks (2027 first-round, 2028 second-round) ahead of the WNBA trade deadline. Plum, who has battled injuries but was averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists this season, joins a Phoenix lineup led by Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper as the Mercury fight to stay in playoff contention. Los Angeles, mired in a rebuild after a disappointing season, acquires young assets to shape the future. CBS Sports grades the swap with Sparks receiving an A and Mercury a D, arguing Phoenix overpaid for a short-term rental.

via CBS Sports|

#kelsey-plum #los-angeles-sparks #monique-akoa-makani

sports27 days ago•1 min saved

Mercury land Kelsey Plum in win-now trade

The Phoenix Mercury acquired guard Kelsey Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks for guard Monique Akoa Makani, plus a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder, adding Plum who averages 23.9 points and 6.4 assists this season and has been out since June 21 with a leg injury. The Sparks sit at 10-17 and fired their GM as they rebuild; Plum, a pending free agent, could help Phoenix's playoff push as they contend with injuries and roster changes ahead of the deadline.

via Bleacher Report|

#kelsey-plum #los-angeles-sparks #phoenix-mercury

wnba1 month ago•17 min saved

Hull Bloodied by Elbow Clash as Fever Rally Past Mercury

During a third-quarter sequence in the Fever–Mercury game, Lexie Hull suffered a bloodied nose after a right elbow from Alyssa Thomas; officials reviewed the contact and ruled it a defensive personal foul as Thomas was rising to shoot. Hull returned to the floor, and Thomas hit free throws to push the Mercury ahead, but Indiana stormed back with a late third-quarter surge and clinched a road win, while social media commentary focused on officiating and past controversies surrounding the players.

via EssentiallySports|

#alyssa-thomas #indiana-fever #lexie-hull

sports1 month ago•5 min saved

Thomas's 22-point Night Lifts Fever Past Mercury as Clark Rested

Alyssa Thomas scored 22 points to pace the Indiana Fever to a 92-89 comeback win over the Phoenix Mercury, with Thomas delivering a physical moment against Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham icing the game with late free throws as Caitlin Clark sat out a rest day. The Fever erased two 10-point deficits to beat Phoenix, continuing a heated, physical rivalry between the teams this season.

via Fox News|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #indiana-fever

sports1 month ago•6 min saved

Alyssa Thomas Demands WNBA Backing After Online Threats

After a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, Alyssa Thomas says she has received death threats and racial slurs, accusing the WNBA of failing to protect players off the court and criticizing commissioner Cathy Engelbert for silence, though a source says Engelbert exchanged texts and offered a call; DeWanna Bonner also reports harassment, while the league says security is involved and condemns hate.

via The New York Times|

#alyssa-thomas #cathy-engelbert #online-harassment

sports2 months ago•7 min saved

Mercury coach questions Thomas suspension, cites social-media hype over Clark clash

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts defended Alyssa Thomas after her one-game suspension for a reckless hit on Caitlin Clark, saying the league’s process wasn’t thorough and should not be driven by social-media screenshots. He criticized the decision-making and suggested bias, while Clark remains out with a back injury as the Mercury prepare for a game against the Toronto Tempo.

via Fox News|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #phoenix-mercury

sports2 months ago•7 min saved

Peterson says Caitlin Clark should let her play do the talking

Former NFL star Patrick Peterson urged Caitlin Clark to respond to a throat-punch by Alyssa Thomas by letting her on-court performance do the talking, arguing silencing opponents comes through dominance rather than confrontation after the Fever–Mercury game.

via Fox News|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #indiana-fever

sports2 months ago•9 min saved

Mercury's Alyssa Thomas hit with one-game ban after throat-punch incident with Caitlin Clark

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended for one game after a reckless, non-basketball throat punch aimed at Caitlin Clark during a loose-ball scramble, an act the league condemned; the incident sparked widespread backlash and drew reactions from Fever coach Stephanie White and team officials who defended the suspension and emphasized safety in the league.

via Fox News|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #phoenix-mercury

sports2 months ago•7 min saved

Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas suspended for throat strike; teammates rally in her defense

The WNBA suspended Alyssa Thomas for a throat strike on Caitlin Clark during a game. Teammate Natasha Mack and Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver publicly defended Thomas on social media, with Toliver quoting Michelle Obama’s “when they go low, we go high.” The piece also notes past Clark-related incidents and surrounding commentary about the league and its treatment of Clark.

via Fox News|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #phoenix-mercury

sports2 months ago•3 min saved

One-game ban issued after throat-contact incident between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark

The WNBA suspended Alyssa Thomas for one game after video review found she recklessly made non-basketball contact by pushing a fist toward Caitlin Clark’s throat during the Fever–Mercury game. The ruling upgraded the incident to a Flagrant 2 with a $1,000 fine; Clark left the game with a back issue. Fever coach Stephanie White called it a ‘cheap shot’ and criticized officiating for inconsistencies as Indiana prepares for a rematch with Phoenix and a subsequent game against Toronto. The incident continues a season of tense moments between the two teams and Thomas’s history of aggressive plays.

via USA Today|

#alyssa-thomas #caitlin-clark #phoenix-mercury

sports2 months ago•6 min saved

Clark Targeted Again: Fever Coach pushes for a Response from the WNBA

After Caitlin Clark was shoved, punched in the neck and stepped on during the Fever’s 111-109 loss to Phoenix, with no calls from officials, Fever coach Stephanie White blasted the referees and the league as disrespectful, saying Clark faced two cheap shots and should defend herself if the officials won’t. The piece argues Clark has been targeted by peers across the league, notes her exit with a back injury, and frames this as a turning point prompting the league to protect Clark or for her to push back publicly, a stance supported by other players and commentators.

via Fox News|

#caitlin-clark #indiana-fever #officiating