Aces trade deadline primer: No fireworks expected this year

By the WNBA trade deadline at noon Thursday, the Aces’ window to improve their current roster in pursuit of another championship will slam shut.

There are no indications as of Tuesday that the team is planning one last big swing.

Moves can come together quickly. The Washington Mystics sent guard Brittney Sykes to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday in exchange for former Aces forward Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke and a 2026 first-round pick.

The Aces “had a chance” to acquire Sykes, according to an agent involved in the transaction. But it’s no surprise that they couldn’t. The Aces have already traded away their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

The reality is the team may need to stand pat and bet on its existing roster. It doesn’t seem like the Aces can afford to double down.

Limited space

The team, while technically over the salary cap limit, has some wiggle room financially because of the WNBA’s pregnancy/childbirth exemption.

That means any money the Aces spend on players considered replacements for forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who gave birth to her second child in July, doesn’t count. That rule helped the team complete its trade with the Dallas Wings for forward NaLyssa Smith in June.

The Aces waived veteran guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year center Elizabeth Kitley after the deal, which means they have an open roster spot as long as Parker-Tyus remains out. But president Nikki Fargas said in an interview with the Review-Journal in July that the team wasn’t looking for additional help.

“We believe in the core and the supporting cast. We feel like we have enough,” Fargas said. “Although our record is not reflecting it, you can see there’s a shift in us. We’re going to be peaking at the right time. So we’re going to stay with our nucleus.”

Upcoming offseason

Fargas’ endorsement of the Aces’ core — which includes three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, guard Jackie Young and point guard Chelsea Gray — is understandable ahead of a pivotal offseason.

All three of those players are set to be free agents, along with most of the league. Many players opted not to extend their contracts past this current season because the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire.

Minnesota Lynx coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said those circumstances could make it difficult for teams to pull off deals before the trade deadline because most of the players available are rentals.

“It makes it more challenging for teams that maybe have a player and maybe in an ordinary year could be a seller,” Reeve said. “The value isn’t going to be there, as it would be in normal years.”

The Lynx still made a move, acquiring guard DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings on Sunday in exchange for forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round pick.

It’s hard to imagine the Aces could pull off something similar.

Rookie guard Aaliyah Nye is unlikely to be traded because she’s one of the only players on the team still under contract for next year. Guard Jewell Loyd, who was acquired via trade this offseason, is likely too expensive to be moved. Center Kiah Stokes and forward Kierstan Bell are probably staying put as well, sources indicated, while guard Dana Evans and center Megan Gustafson wouldn’t fetch much of a return.

The Aces could look to the waiver wire to see if any interesting players shake loose as a result of other moves, but that could threaten the group’s current chemistry. The team doesn’t have much margin for error as the playoffs approach. The Aces (15-14) are seventh in the standings and only the league’s top eight teams make the postseason.

The Golden State Valkyries (14-14) and Mystics (13-15) are close behind in eighth and ninth place, respectively. That means a win against the Valkyries on Wednesday could be just as important to the Aces as a last-minute move before the trade deadline.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.