How Mercury’s Kelsey Plum trade could go down as one of the worst in WNBA history

The Kelsey Plum and Phoenix Mercury arrangement never went as anyone planned. The five-game and 105-minute sample size was supposed to be 14, but a lingering injury sidelined Plum for the remainder of the Mercury’s season.

It’s not missing that chunk of time that is the problem. The issue lies in the 2026 offseason. Plum is set to become an unrestricted free agent and will have plenty of suitors.

She even said she’s keeping all her options open after the initial trade to Phoenix. The front office had to make this trade, seeking to have first dibs during the free agency process.

Even head coach Nate Tibbetts spoke on the matter and emphasized how the 14 remaining games would be a trial run to determine a long-term fit.

Playing alongside All-WNBA players like Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper doesn’t faze her, especially the latter. The two have a very close friendship, stemming from the 2024 Olympic run.

The facilities, environment, culture, and being a key part of a potential winning team is extremely enticing. But if Plum signs somewhere else, the Mercury could have made one of the worst trades in recent memory.

Kelsey Plum leaving could signal beginning of the end for Mercury

Despite competing in the WNBA playoffs and the Finals for almost the entirety of the franchise’s inception, they haven’t went through a full rebuild since 2004, when they drafted Diana Taurasi.

They’ve had brief stints of missing out on the playoffs but being right back in it. The last time that happened? 2023, which was Brittney Griner’s first season back, and a midseason coaching change and injuries.

Phoenix has always brought All-WNBA players together and made it work. But with one of the league’s worst defenses (10th in defensive rating) and one of the oldest rosters, things aren’t looking too promising.

Still, they brought in one All-WNBA player in Satou Sabally, and it meshed perfectly. Plum isn’t Sabally, and still doesn’t solve the team’s frontcourt issue of rebounding and size.

The 21.5-point-per-game guard provides serious star power next to Copper, but can that duo alone carry the team? The sample size is too small to make that connection.

If Plum ends up walking, it could signal a new leaf for the Mercury to turn to, whether they like it or not.

Losing a first-round pick for five games is embarrassing

No one could anticipate that this would happen. Tibbetts routinely joked with the media, saying that he knew we were getting tired of hearing “she’s getting closer” in regard to her health.

Since 2020, Phoenix has not owned any of its first-round picks. Granted, the mission of winning at all costs is evident beyond measure, but it doesn’t mean that draft picks are as disposable as they could be.

Not to mention, with the league growing at the rate it is, players coming out of college are becoming better and better with every draft class. There could be a diamond in the rough, even if it’s a rotational player.

Tossing a first-round pick like it’s chump change is always something that can come back to bite, especially with the lack of depth at a variety of positions.

The Mercury’s identity can drastically change based on Kelsey Plum’s decision

For years, the Mercury have been a premier destination for free agents– top-tier facilities, a unified standard of winning, and simply investing in the players and team before other organizations caught on.

Once they did, Phoenix has yet to elevate the on-court product. They’ve relied on superstar-caliber players and haven’t exercised the WNBA draft or truly developed players like teams such as the Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire, or even the Chicago Sky.

That over-reliance on veteran players and not being well-rounded can create a seismic shift in how players view the Phoenix Mercury.

And Kelsey Plum can be the first domino for those questions to arise if she signs elsewhere in free agency. And if that’s the case, then this could go down as one of the worst trades in league history.

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