We played WNBA general manager with your trade proposals. Who says no?

Editor’s note: This article is part of our WNBA Trade Deadline coverage, which follows the moves reshaping the league.

The WNBA trade deadline is fast approaching. It’s been an uneventful window thus far, though not a quiet one by any means, and the expectation is some activity is incoming before the 3 p.m. ET Sunday deadline.

First things first: Every WNBA trade has to end with both teams under the cap for the 2026 season. There is one tiny exception, and we’ll get to that with the Golden State Valkyries. Also, each team has to have 12 players on its roster, so imbalanced trades work only if the teams still have enough cap space to get back to 12.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at your suggestions for potential trades and evaluate how they would work for all parties.

(Note: The questions have been edited for clarity and length.)

Chicago trades Skylar Diggins, Rachel Banham and Atlanta’s 2027 first-round pick to Washington for Angela Dugalic and Lucy Olsen, plus rescinding the pick swap rights for their 2027 first-round picks. — Brendan W.

The Washington Mystics say no. The 2027 swap with the Chicago Sky, which Washington acquired during the 2025 offseason in exchange for Ariel Atkins, is one of the best assets in the league. The Sky have the second-best odds of the No. 1 pick in the draft and are 1 1/2 games away from the best odds. This is a draft that could include JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo; the Mystics aren’t trading out of that, even if the return includes another (late) first-rounder and Diggins.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for the Mystics to acquire a veteran point guard, but not one who isn’t much of a floor spacer — Diggins is a career 32.9 percent shooter from deep — and who threatens to disturb the locker room chemistry in Washington. Also, even if Dugalić hasn’t popped yet, it’s far too early to cut bait on a rookie selected ninth. Other readers suggested the Mystics’ making a run at other veteran PGs, including the Dallas Wings’ Odyssey Sims. A 2028 second-rounder for Sims makes sense for both sides since it’s a minimal asset cost and would bring some desperately needed playoff experience to the Mystics’ rotation.

Connecticut trades Aaliyah Edwards to Indiana for a post presence. — Dan O.

I can’t see the Connecticut Sun moving on from Edwards, who is at least their second-best young prospect, without getting at least two first-rounders in return. If the Indiana Fever were willing to send their 2027 and 2028 firsts to Connecticut with Ty Harris, who would have to be included for matching salary, the Sun could be interested.

If you could add a player to the Lynx guard/wing room whom they could realistically get before the deadline, who would it be? Follow-up: Do you think the Lynx could play Napheesa Collier or Nia Coffey at the 3? — Mary M.

The Minnesota Lynx don’t have any obviously movable salary as they did the last two seasons when they made midseason trades for Myisha Hines-Allen and DiJonai Carrington. Trades are also a little bit more challenging since teams have to carry 12 players instead of 11 during the previous collective bargaining agreement. If Minnesota doesn’t want to promote Eliska Hamzova from her developmental contract (which is the easiest option), the biggest salary the Lynx can reasonably trade is Coffey. Anastasiia Kosu could probably fill in Coffey’s minutes, but that would still be a downgrade, and Coffey’s matching salary ($350,000) could only bring back a player such as Julie Allemand or one of the Samuelson sisters.

I’d advocate promoting Hamzova and then trying Coffey at the 3 next to Collier in addition to playing backup power forward. Her defensive versatility would make Coffey playable there in the right matchups.

Los Angeles trades Kelsey Plum to Seattle for Natisha Hiedeman. — Blahnid R.

The Los Angeles Sparks should be trying to acquire young players to reset the timeline if they move Plum. At 29 years old, Hiedeman is a little too old to fit the bill. Plus, L.A. is likely looking for draft picks, and it doesn’t make sense for the Seattle Storm to send any out in Year 1 of its build.

Los Angeles trades Nneka Ogwumike to Golden State for Justė Jocytė and Tip Hayes. — Daniel H.

The Sparks would be wild to say no to this deal. A young player who was selected fifth and another former first-round draft pick is an excellent return for a veteran player who can be a free agent this offseason. This was the type of return I was considering in a Plum trade, with Kaila Charles potentially replacing Hayes since they make the same salary. There is sentimental value in retaining Ogwumike, who is playing her 13th (out of 15) season with Los Angeles. However, if she is on board, then send her to Golden State. It could be a full-circle moment for the former Stanford star.

It is a high price to pay for the Valkyries, but if Jocytė isn’t a part of their plans at point guard — and that isn’t unreasonable, considering how good Veronica Burton and Kaitlyn Chen have been for them — Ogwumike slots in at power forward ahead of Kayla Thornton and immediately improves their offensive upside. She also has championship experience and hasn’t really shown signs of slowing down, even at age 36, so it doesn’t have to be a rental. I like this deal for both sides; a little less for Golden State, but if it results in a banner, who cares?

If you’re wondering how the Valkyries can complete this trade even though they’re over the cap, it has to do with the pregnancy exemption for Iliana Rupert. The salaries Golden State paid out to Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Nadia Fingall as the replacement players for Rupert don’t count toward the cap, so the Valkyries have enough breathing room underneath.

Los Angeles trades Kelsey Plum and/or Cameron Brink to New York for picks, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and another bench player. — Montarius M.

There were a few more suggestions about the Sparks’ tearing down their roster and a few ideas about where Laney-Hamilton could end up, so we’ll address them here. Los Angeles cannot move on from Brink. She is the highest-upside young player on the roster and the primary hope for an All-Star on the next great Sparks team. Picks from a contending team that likely won’t even be in the lottery aren’t worth it. L.A. should absolutely be canvassing the whole league for Plum, and late-round picks are more palatable in that situation since Plum is an impending free agent. The New York Liberty also have interesting young players such as Pauline Astier, Raquel Carrera and Han Xu who might be superfluous on the current roster and would be more exciting for a team such as the Sparks.

As far as Laney-Hamilton, she can’t get off the bench in New York but might still have enough in the tank to help another contending team. She makes some sense in Dallas if the Wings send over Sims and a second-round pick. I also like her fit in Indiana if the Fever trust Raven Johnson enough to part with Harris, but that’s a big risk to take. Maybe Sydney Colson or Aari McDonald will hang around Indiana long enough to sign at the end of the season when the team has enough cap space and then become the backup point guard for the playoffs.

Phoenix trades Valeriane Ayayi and its 2027 first-round pick to Seattle for Ezi Magbegor. — Kim K.

This is easily the most surprising trade suggestion we received. Seattle basically takes a mulligan on Magbegor’s contract, which hasn’t aged particularly well with her injuries and the fact the Storm were able to draft Awa Fam. The Phoenix Mercury bring in some young talent with their first-round pick, which will probably be in the late lottery. Magbegor turns 27 next month and has oodles of playoff experience; given Natasha Mack’s success playing next to Alyssa Thomas, Magbegor would fit right in with the core of Thomas and Copper.

The motivation for both sides is clear. It’s not the type of trade we usually see in the WNBA, but Seattle doesn’t need to pay Magbegor above-max money to be its third big, and Phoenix needs the talent at that position. I like it.

Could the Valkyries take a swing on someone like Napheesa Collier? It seems like a perfect match in theory. A star name that fits into the culture that coach Natalie Nakase has built. — Chris C.

This seems like an offseason move for Golden State to go after Collier in free agency. It would have to be at least a two-for-two player trade to make the cap math work, and one of those players would be Gabby Williams, which defeats the purpose of such an exercise. Once Thornton and Hayes come off the books this offseason, use that extra money to pursue Collier.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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