WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

WNBA stars and two-time league champions Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum are on the move, with ESPN reporting Sunday that the Storm, Aces, and Sparks have finalized a huge three-team trade.

According to the report, Seattle is honoring Loyd's trade request by sending the six-time All-Star to Las Vegas. Plum is subsequently LA-bound on a one-year deal after the Aces cored her for a sign-and-trade.

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The Aces also receive LA's No. 13 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft in the deal. Meanwhile, Seattle's No. 9 pick in 2025 plus their second-round pick in the 2026 draft now belong to the Sparks.

The Storm walk away with Sparks center Li Yueru, plus two massive draft selections. Seattle now owns valuable assets in the form of LA's No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and Las Vegas' first-round pick in 2026.

However, should they hang onto their chips, Seattle now has a shot at righting a disappointing 2024 run by snagging a top NCAA select like No. 3 Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles or No. 4 USC forward Kiki Iriafen.

WNBA trade subjects Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm look on during the fourth quarter of a WNBA game.
Both Loyd and Plum went No. 1 overall in their WNBA drafts. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Loyd, Plum trade makes WNBA history

Though the news won't be official until the free agency signing window opens on February 1st, the deal is the first in WNBA history to include multiple No. 1 overall draft picks.

Top-picks Loyd (2015) and Plum (2017) have only played for the franchises that originally drafted them. Plum relocated to Las Vegas as part of the San Antonio team that originally selected her out of the University of Washington

Plum has reportedly indicated her intention to remain with the Sparks past the 2025 season, despite inking a one-year contract.

While the terms of Loyd's agreement remain unclear, both athletes will likely become free agents in 2026. They'll join the majority of WNBA players in doing so, as athletes hope to take advantage of a new CBA that's expected to significantly impact salary caps and other contract stipulations.

The WNBA free agency carousel started spinning this week, with teams evaluating rosters and coring athletes to either retain talent or trade players for a return.

Thus far, cored players include Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams.

Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally lays up a shot during a 2024 WNBA game.
Dallas cored free agent Satou Sabally for a likely upcoming trade. (Ian Maule/NBAE via Getty Images)

Squads employ single-use coring on WNBA stars

Each of the WNBA's teams can core one unrestricted free agent on their roster, ensuring them exclusive rights to that cored athlete. Cored players receive an offer for a one-year, supermax salary contract, along with the option to negotiate different terms.

Cored athletes are unable to directly sign with another franchise, but they can be part of a trade offer by their coring team.

New York cored Stewart after she expressed interest in remaining with her 2024 WNBA Championship-winning squad. Sabally, on the other hand, will likely be part of a sign-and-trade deal after telling media late last week that she is looking to leave Dallas in 2025.

Plum's situation with the Aces is less clear-cut: The two-time WNBA champion could re-sign with her team, though Las Vegas could be exploring opportunities to cash in should she want to compete elsewhere.

Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter reacts to a play during a 2024 WNBA game.
Chicago's top scorer Chennedy Carter has yet to receive an offer from the Sky. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Other offers spark WNBA free agent negotiations

In addition to coring, WNBA teams have also begun sending qualifying offers to certain restricted free agents, allowing them to initiate negotiations with those players.

Most notably, despite making Monday offers to three players — guard Dana Evans, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and forward Nikolina Milić — Chicago has yet to extend a qualifying offer to the Sky's 2024 points-leader Chennedy Carter.

Ultimately, while negotiations kick off next week, WNBA contracts cannot be finalized until free agency revs up in February, meaning more shuffling is on deck as teams gear up for the longest and most competitive roster-building season in recent memory.

The league's midseason transaction deadline came and went on Tuesday, leaving a flurry of relatively unusual WNBA trades in its wake.

This year marks the first to feature at least three in-season trades league-wide since 2017, as salary cap and roster space complicate midseason moves.

WNBA trades headliner Gabby Williams led Team France at the Olympic gold medal match against Team USA
WNBA-bound Gabby Williams brought Team France within two points of upsetting the reigning Olympic champions at this year's gold medal game. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Seattle Storm signs Olympic silver medalist Gabby Williams

The biggest piece of news was arguably a signing rather than one of the WNBA's many trades, as Paris Olympics Best Defensive Player and French gold medal game hero Gabby Williams returned to the Seattle Storm. Williams missed the first half of the WNBA season, opting to prioritize playing with her European club and the France national team in the run-up to the Olympics.

Similar to her 2023 partial contract, Williams inked a rest-of-season deal with the Storm. The forward played every game for Seattle after being traded by the LA Sparks in 2022.

"I feel more than ready to finally return to Seattle," Williams said in a team release. "I’ve missed the organization, my teammates, and the fans so much. I absolutely can’t wait to come back and finish the season strong."

She joins an already stacked starting roster featuring Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd, and Ezi Magbegor.

Recent WNBA trade Myisha Hines-Allen on the court with Washington Mystics
This season's noteworthy WNBA trades include former Mystics forward Myisha Hines-Allen to the Minnesota Lynx. (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA trades, hardship signings rock midseason rosters

The Washington Mystics sent Myisha Hines-Allen to the Minnesota Lynx in return for Sika Koné and Olivia Époupa, before waiving Époupa and Didi Richards, while the Phoenix Mercury sent Sug Sutton to the Mystics in exchange for the rights to Swedish star Klara Lundquist.

These Tuesday WNBA trades come after the Chicago Sky traded Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun in a high-profile exchange for Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham over the Olympic break.

In addition, hardship signings headlined the week's WNBA trades news, as Monique Billings agreed to a seven-day contract with the Mercury and Odyssey Sims landed with the LA Sparks.

While the trade window has officially closed, deals can continue as long as teams have the requisite salary cap and roster space.

Chelsea Gray made her return to the basketball court on Wednesday, helping the Aces to a 94-83 win over the Seattle Storm. 

The lauded point guard missed the first 12 games of the season, having been injured in last year’s WNBA Finals. The left foot injury caused her to miss Game 4 of the championship series, and she’s continued to rehab it through the beginning of the 2024 season. 

Her return on Wednesday was capitalized by the fact that she needed just 20 seconds to make an impact and record her first assist. While she finished with just one point, she had seven assists, four rebounds, and two blocks to go alongside it in 15:30 minutes. Gray's contributions on the night brought her career assist record up to 1,500.

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"I probably went through every emotion leading up to today," Gray said after the game. "I was a little anxious all day. It's been a long time since I've been out on that court. But the fans were amazing from the time I came out to warm up to the time I checked in the game. It was a rush and a feeling I missed a lot."

It’s been a roller coaster of a season so far for Las Vegas, who have lost five of their last seven games. Gray, who averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 2023, has proven herself a much-needed addition to the team’s lineup.

"Felt like my heart," Aces coach Becky Hammon said when asked how she felt hearing the crowd erupt for Gray's return. "She's the leader of our team. I thought she did a wonderful job too."

WNBA icon Skylar Diggins-Smith and Just Women’s Sports announced Wednesday that they are partnering on a new premium content series re-examining some of the most important stories in the history of women’s sports. 

Diggins-Smith, who just began her first season with the Seattle Storm, and JWS are developing the docuseries as a way to bridge the past and present while bringing more authentic storytelling to the women’s sports space. The six-episode series will examine how each narrative impacted the way female athletes are treated and discussed in the media today. 

For the six-time WNBA All-Star and Notre Dame legend, the partnership provides a chance to elevate the discourse around women’s sports. 

"Women’s sports are breaking into the mainstream in a major way, but some of the most compelling stories have not been told in a way that’s authentic, impactful, and real," said Diggins-Smith. 

While at Notre Dame, Skylar Diggins-Smith led the Fighting Irish to three NCAA Final Fours. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

A nine-year WNBA vet, Diggins-Smith first achieved national celebrity while in college, when she led Notre Dame to three Final Fours. She was the first female athlete to be signed to Roc Nation and is still represented by the agency today. While she has appeared in a number of high-profile commercials, productions, and brand campaigns throughout her professional career, this will be her first time leading a premium content series. 

Diggins-Smith chose to partner with Just Women’s Sports because of the brand’s approach to women’s sports coverage and its success at growing and engaging a digital-first audience. 

"Just Women’s Sports is the perfect partner for this project because they understand what makes women athletes unique," she said. "They’re a brand that celebrates every part of the game, and they talk about sports in a way that resonates with fans and the professional athletes in this space."

Just Women’s Sports is one of the fastest-growing and most engaged media platforms in sports, having started as an Instagram account in 2020 before expanding into a multi-platform brand reaching 80 million fans per month. The company has produced a number of podcasts and digital series — including the award-winning 91st, an in-studio show covering last summer’s Women's World Cup hosted by Midge Purce and Katie Nolan — but this will be JWS’s first premium content offering. 

"There is a growing hunger for authentic women’s sports content that lets fans go beneath the surface and see the full picture," said Just Women’s Sports CEO and founder Haley Rosen. "So much of our focus these last few years has been around turning female athletes into household names. Now that the awareness is there, it’s time to level up and tell more complicated and compelling stories that speak to both die-hard and casual fans." 

Fans can expect a formal announcement detailing the stories featured in the series following the conclusion of this season's WNBA and NWSL Championships. 

Seattle rookie Nika Mühl made her long awaited WNBA debut in last night’s 85-83 win over Indiana after missing the first four games of the season due to visa issues. 

A Croatian national, Mühl had been waiting on P-1 visa approval in order to work legally in the US. While the paperwork came through Friday, she had to travel to Canada in order to get her status changed.

The former UConn star poked fun at the delay ahead of the game, walking into Climate Pledge Arena wearing a t-shirt displaying her approved visa.

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Mühl checked into the game on Monday in the third period to a standing ovation, immediately diving over the baseline to save a loose ball. She spent her first few minutes of the game the same way she completed her career at UConn: guarding Caitlin Clark

Mühl, who had two rebounds in two and a half minutes, held Clark to five points, a rebound, and a turnover when the two were matched up. 

"I threw her in the fire," Storm coach Noelle Quinn said with a smile after the game. "It’s tough to come into the game at that rate and think that you’re going to stop the player, but I like… her physicality, her poise, her confidence. She took an open shot and I thought that was a great look for her. We’ll continue to put her in the mix in practice, and she’ll have opportunities to show what she can do on the defensive end to start."

An instant fan favorite, the UConn star donned the No. 1 jersey — in part because her usual No. 10 was retired by Seattle after Sue Bird, who wore it for her entire WNBA career, retired last year. Mühl's new number was chosen by none other than Bird herself. 

"I actually FaceTimed Sue and asked her what number I should wear. She took a day to think about it and came back to me with an answer of No. 1," Muhl said in a WNBA video posted to social media. "When I asked her why No. 1, she basically said 'This is a new beginning, but you’re not starting from scratch.' I loved that whole analogy and story, so Sue actually picked it and I love it."

The New York Liberty are 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2007. 

The 2023 WNBA title finalists notched a 74-63 win over Seattle on Monday night, with Sabrina Ionescu dropping 20 points alongside eight assists. After the game, Ionescu told reporters she thought the team was coming together a bit easier than they did last year.

"I think having a year together, we don't nearly have to communicate as much on the court anymore," she said. "Because we can just play off one another and read. And that's obviously been the growth of this team, is being able to play a season together last year."

The team’s defense has also contributed heavily to the season's winning start. Last night, the Liberty held Jewell Loyd to just 13 points and nine rebounds. Loyd let the Storm in scoring, with only two other players in double digits, while Nneka Ogwumike missed her second straight game with an ankle injury. 

Storm free agency acquisition Skylar Diggins-Smith had eight points, and is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 assists per game this season. In her postgame remarks, Storm head coach Noelle Quinn called on others to give her grace in her return. 

"There needs to be respect about the fact that she's had two children and hasn’t played in 20 months," said Quinn. "She’s not going to come overnight and be who she was 20 months ago and we have to respect that and honor that. And I do.

"My grace as a coach is to know she’s working her butt off every day. You guys don’t see it. Every single day. Two children. Not one, two. Not many can do that."

Teams around the WNBA are under pressure to finalize their 12-player rosters before Monday's league-enforced deadline.

Teams must cut their 2024 rosters down to just 12 spots from as many as 18 training camp players. And while this year’s WNBA draft class is undoubtedly rife with talent, only 18 draftees remain rostered ahead of Monday's final cuts. Last year, just 15 of the league’s 36 draftees made it onto their team’s opening-day squad. 

And it's not just rookies. Veteran players are also on the chopping block, even former title-winners: On Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx waived 2021 WNBA champ Ruthy Hebard.

But with every wave of cuts, players that survive dismissal inch closer to claiming a coveted roster spot. The Las Vegas Aces have already reached that magic number 12, opening the door for draft picks Dyaisha Fair and Kate Martin to stay on with the reigning champs.

Additionally, Dallas has whittled their training camp group down to 12. Fifth overall pick Jacy Sheldon and undrafted rookie Jaelyn Brown continue to remain in the mix. 

Other teams, meanwhile, still have decisions to make. Seattle currently lists 13 players, while others like New York still have a full 18 players in training camp. It’s likely that the final preseason game will tip roster decisions one way or another as coaching staffs continue to evaluate performance and playing time. 

But being cut doesn't mean the end of the road for everyone. Should players be waived, they can still be signed to short-term hardship contracts with teams carrying injured players on their permanent rosters. 

The 2024 WNBA season kicks off on Tuesday, May 14th.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.