{
  "id": 48485,
  "title": "Sparks send Kelsey Plum to Mercury for a 2026 1st-round pick and Monique Akoa Makani, AP source says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/sparks-send-kelsey-plum-to-mercury-for-a-2026-1st-round-pick-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-02T15:53:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/plum-sparks-mercury-trade-5e986cfd0c3c006e33fc0821325c8441"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Los Angeles Sparks have traded their All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for a first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 season and a second-round draft choice in 2028, according to a source familiar with the deal. The trade occurred late Saturday night ahead of the trade deadline on Sunday, and it was first reported by ESPN. Plum, who is a free agent at the conclusion of the current season, has been out since June 21 due to a lower leg injury. She had practiced earlier in the week and was expected to play in the Sparks' game against Portland before the trade took place. Phoenix's next game is scheduled for Monday in Chicago. Plum was averaging 23.9 points and 6.4 assists prior to her injury. The Los Angeles team has faced difficulties since her absence, particularly in their last six games. Phoenix currently stands at 11-19, six games behind the eighth-place New York Liberty. They recently secured a narrow 94-92 victory against the New York team on Saturday. The Mercury returned stars Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper, but have not displayed the same level of performance since the previous season's WNBA Finals appearance. Akoa Makani, a Mercury forward, has been averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in 16 games this season. She had been dealing with a hamstring issue earlier in the season. The Sparks acquired Plum before the previous season in a significant trade, sending the No. 2 pick to Seattle. The Sparks had hoped that acquiring Plum would help them in their rebuilding process. Seattle utilized the pick they received to draft Dominique Malonga, who had a standout season as an All-Star.",
  "summary": "The Los Angeles Sparks traded All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for a first-round pick next year, Monique Akoa Makani and a second-round draft choice in 2028, according to a person…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}