Wilson, Ogwumike discuss WNBA CBA negotiations
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Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WNBA trade deadline: 3 trade scenarios for playoff contenders looking to make a push
The WNBA trade deadline less than a week away, on August 7. While the WNBA isn't known for a flurry of deadline day trades like we saw in MLB on Thursday, there have been some impactful midseason trades. The biggest was in 2015, when Sylvia Fowles sat while being under contract with the Chicago Sky until she was traded to Minnesota. She went on to become a key part of the Lynx's championship win that season and was named Finals MVP. Those are the kind of trades general managers dream of making. But this year is particularly interesting, as nearly every non-rookie contract ends after this season because of the impending CBA expiration. Will general managers be more likely to make risky trades because of their concerns about how the future CBA will affect their teams? Or will it make them more conservative for the same reason? WNBA trade rules are fairly cut and dry. With the help of Her Hoop Stats, here are the basics of WNBA trades: Any player can be traded, and contracts do not need to be equal for trades to happen. Cash considerations are not a part of WNBA trades for that reason. The team picking up a player is on the hook for the rest of her salary from the time she's traded. Draft picks can be traded, and the 2026 draft order already includes several trades. Not every team will be active at the trade deadline, as some teams don't have the salary cap room to make changes. The Liberty don't have much cap space — $119,000, per Her Hoop Stats, but that was before they signed Belgian superstar Emma Meesseman. The top team in the league, Minnesota, is also unlikely to make a huge move; they have a chemistry that has led them to a record of 23-5, and only $43,494 in cap space. Atlanta is salary cap-prohibited, and Indiana has a full roster at 12. The Fever have been active on the free-agent market this season with their injury issues, and signed Chloe Bibby to a rest of the season contract on Friday. Now, let's get to the trades that could make sense: Dallas' DiJonai Carrington to Golden State for a second-round draft pick Kayla Thornton had been enjoying a breakout season in Golden State, making it to her first All-Star Game, but her season ended with a knee injury on July 25. To make it into the playoffs in the franchise's first season, the Valkyries will need to continue to focus on defense. The Wings' Dijonai Carrington is relentless on that end of the floor, and could make an immediate impact at Golden State. She's dealt with ongoing injuries, so a second-round pick could be fair compensation as the Wings are likely looking forward to the team they will build around Paige Bueckers. Plus, Golden State has plenty of cap space (about $300,000) to absorb the trade this way. Chicago's Rebecca Allen to Seattle for Alysha Clark and a draft pick Seattle's defense is incredible, and with Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga on patrol, it will only get better. But on offense? Seattle is ranked ninth in the league in points per game (80.7) and 3-pointers made per game (7.4). Currently ranked fourth in the WNBA at 16-11, the team is hoping to follow Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins to a title. But they could use a shooter, and Chicago's Rebecca Allen could be a good fit. She is a plug-and-play type, as she's played for four different teams over the past four seasons. To be able to afford Allen, Alysha Clark's giant contract ($185,000) will need to be moved. Clark and a draft pick to build up the Sky in the future could make the trade worthwhile for Chicago. Los Angeles' Azurá Stevens to Washington Mystics for Aaliyah Edwards and a second-round draft pick One of the pleasant surprises of the 2025 season is how well the young Mystics team has played. Led by rookie All-Stars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, the team is well-positioned to make a postseason push in Sydney Johnson's first season as head coach (they're 13-14, currently 9th in the league). But they could use some veteran leadership and depth in the frontcourt. The Sparks' Azurá Stevens (14.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game) could provide both, and with Cameron Brink healthy again, she's needed more in Washington than in Los Angeles. Aaliyah Edwards has been eclipsed by the Mystics' rookies and could find a new start in LA.
Chicago Tribune
6 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
A look back at when Chicago ballparks have hosted All-Star Games as Wrigley Field prepares for 2027
Chicago hosted MLB's first All-Star Game in 1933 — and six more have followed since then. Here's a look back at each of them.
Fox Sports
6 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Royals' trade deadline moves aim to balance winning now and building for the future
Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals found themselves in a strange and precarious position at the trade deadline: They were both buyers and sellers, interested in supplementing the club to win now while simultaneously continuing to build for the future. In other words, they wanted to have it all. They largely succeeded, too. By the time manager Matt Quatraro and the Royals boarded a plane late Thursday destined for a weekend series in Toronto, the roster looked a whole lot different from how it did just days ago. They had traded backup catcher Freddy Fermin and a few other assets that didn't necessarily figure into their immediate- or long-range plans, and in return got an outfielder and three pitchers capable of starting — a haul of four players who can help their big league club immediately. The swap with the Padres of Fermin for pitchers Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek fortified their rotation, which has been hit hard by injuries, as did the deal with Pittsburgh that sent minor leaguers Evan Sisk and Callan Moss for left-hander Bailey Falter. Then, minutes before Thursday's deadline, the Royals upgraded their outfielder by landing right fielder Matt Yastrzemski — who is particularly good against right-handed pitching — for low-minors pitching prospect Yunior Marte. 'What we've done,' Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said, 'is going to allow us to work through the year with the pitchers we have in an efficient way, in a way that's going to be healthy for all of them, and we're just excited to get these guys. 'It's 14 years of club control on the starting pitching side of things.' That last bit is important: The pitchers the Royals landed will be theirs for a while. They headed into Friday night's series against the Blue Jays well out of the AL Central lead but only 3 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot, which they parlayed last season into a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs. They had followed up an abysmal month of June in which they went 8-18 by going 15-9 in July, clawing themselves back to within a game of .500. So, the Royals believe they are still very much in the thick of the postseason hunt, and they needed the help to do it. 'We're playing better right now,' Picollo acknowledged. 'I like the way we're starting to score some runs.' Yet the Royals aren't exactly in a position to go all-in, either, so those moves came with a certain level of judiciousness. They did not want to part with any of their prospects, because they foresee a window to win over the next several years, particularly with a young core headlined by All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. under their control through 2029 and even beyond. 'We're still a fairly young team with a young core together, and trying to build that culture of winning is extremely important to us,' Picollo said. 'I'm just really glad that we're not in that position where we felt like we had to (sell).' Instead, the Royals will turn their attention to the task of making up that ground in the wild-card race. They begin with a tough three games against the Blue Jays, the surprising leaders of the AL East, before a set in Boston against a team currently holding down a wild-card spot. But then comes a tantalizing stretch of nine games — six in the friendly confines of Kauffman Stadium — against the Twins, White Sox and Nationals, all clubs with losing records. Along the way, the Royals are hopeful that starters Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen can return from the injured list, further bolstering a staff that Picollo managed to make deeper and more talented at the trade deadline. 'You can't be reckless about things. We have to be smart in what we do,' Picollo said. 'When we talked about trying to win now and take care of the future, I think that's what we did.' ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 2
