Kelsey Plum is set to join the Los Angeles Sparks as part of a significant three-team trade that will see Jewell Loyd making her way to the Las Vegas Aces, as confirmed by a source familiar with the situation.

In this deal, the Sparks have exchanged the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft along with Li Yueru to the Seattle Storm. In return, Los Angeles will receive the No. 9 pick in the draft, while the Aces will acquire the 13th pick. The source chose to remain anonymous since the official announcement regarding the trade has not yet been made public.

During her time with the Aces, Plum played a crucial role in leading the team to back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023. She was designated as the franchise player for Las Vegas on January 11, which meant a trade was necessary for her to leave the team. Last season, Plum posted impressive averages of 17.8 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Jewell Loyd, on the other hand, had requested a trade from Seattle last month after spending her entire career with the Storm since becoming their first-round draft pick in 2015. The 31-year-old guard had an average of 19.7 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and is a six-time All-Star. Loyd was instrumental in helping Seattle secure two WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020, and she also won a scoring title in 2023. She was recognized as the league’s Rookie of the Year in her debut season.

ESPN was the first to break the news on this trade.

With this trade, Las Vegas still has opportunities to strengthen its roster in free agency, complementing their core players including Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson. The negotiations with free agents commenced on the previous Tuesday, although official signings will not occur until February 1.

Plum’s move to the Sparks adds an experienced guard to the team’s developing core featuring Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink. This trade also reunites her with former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby, while bringing Plum closer to her roots, as she is originally from Poway, California. Like Loyd, Plum has been with the Las Vegas franchise since being selected first overall in the 2017 draft when the team was still based in San Antonio.