Kelsey Plum headlines quiet WNBA Trade Deadline

The Cleveland WNBA expansion team is teasing their new name ahead of a Tuesday announcement this week.

Kelsey Plum heads to Phoenix in midseason trade

All-Star guard Kelsey Plum is on her way to Phoenix, after the LA Sparks sent their star to the Mercury before the midseason trade deadline passed on Sunday.

• In return, Phoenix sent guard Monique Akoa Makani to Los Angeles, alongside a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

• Plum joins Phoenix on an expiring contract, without promising to re-sign with the organization after this season — though ESPN reported she’d be open to remaining with the Mercury.

Big picture: Plum’s departure from Los Angeles after less than two seasons marks the only big swing trade of the weekend, with Toronto the only other team making a move to push up the standings.

• The Tempo sent Maria "Masha" Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for second year forward Aneesah Morrow, as Toronto sits in 13th in the WNBA standings.

• "She's a relentless competitor who impacts the game in so many ways, particularly with her ability to rebound at a high level,” Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said of Morrow.

Utah dominates Portland to keep up in Shield race

The No. 3 Utah Royals showed off on Sunday, defeating No. 6 Portland 5-1 in a flurry of attacking quality that keep Utah just four points back from the top of the NWSL standings.

• Portland forward Sophia Wilson opened the scoring in just the first minute of the match, but Utah came roaring back courtesy of two goals from Cece Delzer, and single strikes from Brecken Mozingo, Kiana Palacios, and Kate Del Fava.

• “That's just a beauty of our roster,” said Delzer of the Royals’ multiple goal-scorers. “Our locker room is very much where we want to give each other our flowers and celebrate each other.”'

Big picture: With their 10th win of the season, Utah has already registered the club’s best win record since 2019, and their best overall record since re-joining the NWSL as an expansion side in 2024.

• The club’s 31 goals in 2026 mark their highest single season scoring tally in team history, while their +12 goal differential sits second in the league this year, only behind No. 2 Washington.

• “it just shows that we're here to compete, we're here to stay in the mix.” said Delzer. “This is a great result for us and something that we can really carry on to next weekend.”

What’s next: Utah takes on Denver on Saturday, while Portland attempts a bounce-back performance against Boston on Sunday.

Aces face Atlanta following collapse in Chicago

The No. 2 Las Vegas Aces saw an uncharacteristic collapse on Saturday, falling 84-83 to the No. 10 Chicago Sky after entering the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead.

• The game’s result came down to the final play, as undrafted Sky rookie Sydney Taylor hit a near buzzer-beater 3-pointer to seal the win, capping off a 29-point performance to offset Aces forward A’ja Wilson’s 36 points.

• “This loss was completely avoidable,” said Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon. “If you’re looking at it from our perspective.”

Big picture: Sitting four games behind league-leading Minnesota, the Aces face another difficult battle tonight against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, who have rattled off five straight wins after a difficult stretch of results.

• The return of forward Brionna Jones from injury has bolstered the Dream’s key depth, as forward Angel Reese continues to dominate the boards as an elite rebounder.

• “That’s kind of what we’ve been waiting for, for Bri,” said Reese. “I’m glad I’m on this side of things now, having Bri on my team.”

Tune in: Las Vegas takes on Atlanta tonight at 7 PM ET, live on Peacock.

Catch up on the latest women’s soccer headlines, as an all-new episode of The Late Sub presented by Ally Bank dishes up host Claire Watkins’s hottest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, Champions League, and more.

• In the episode, Claire rehashes some big-name injuries after USWNT mainstay Emily Sonnett was stretchered off Gotham’s 2-2 draw with Portland.

• Claire goes on to explore other teams facing roster woes — before diving into potential 2027 World Cup implications as the global tournament approaches.

Tune in: Catch The Late Sub with Claire Watkins on YouTube.

Ally Bank, Member FDIC.

WPBL opening weekend passes the torch

Women’s professional baseball started anew on a rainy day in Springfield, IL on Saturday, as the LA Queens won the first-ever WPBL game 10-8 over the New York Heights in dramatic fashion.

• LA’s victory came after a furious comeback, overcoming a 7-2 deficit in the second inning, pulling ahead in the seventh and final inning of the game to come out of the inaugural Opening Day with a win.

• San Francisco also came out of the weekend with a 1-0 record, taking down Boston 11-3 on Sunday behind a three RBI performance from second baseman Amanda Gianelloni.

Big picture: The weekend also held greater importance than just the result on the field, as hope springs eternal for a consistent women’s baseball league in the US.

• “When I walked on the field, I started crying because of how much this moment meant and how much it meant to everybody,” said LA catcher Maggie Foxx. “It means everything to us.”

NWSL cuts ties with Victory+

The NWSL will finish out the 2026 seasoason with one fewer broadcast partner, after the league announced last week that it has severed its partnership with Victory+, effective immediately.

• The Athletic reported on Thursday that the move is in part due to a lack of on-time payments — an issue that has caused MLB’s Texas Rangers and the NHL Anaheim Ducks to also leave the platform.

• “There will be no disruption to our broadcast schedule, so you can continue to watch your favorite clubs all season long,” the NWSL said in a statement.

Big picture: The NWSL had signed on with Victory+ less than a year ago, finding a home for inventory in addition to the league’s ongoing partnerships with CBS Sports, Prime, ESPN, and Scripps.

• All NWSL matches originally scheduled to air on Victory+ this season will now be streamed for free on the league-produced NWSL+ service.

Quote of the day

Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams
on what she told Caitlin Clark after not wearing Clark’s signature shoe against the Fever on Sunday.