The WNBA is buzzing to start 2023.

The Connecticut Sun in particular are making moves under new coach Stephanie White and new general manager Darius Taylor, trading away several stalwarts from their recent WNBA Finals runs.

Just Women’s Sports is tracking key trades before the new season tips off in May.

Jan. 16 — Sun trade Jasmine Thomas to Sparks

The 12-year WNBA veteran had played for the Sun since 2015, but now Thomas is headed to the Sparks in exchange for a package of up-and-coming players.

Los Angeles receives Thomas and the No. 10 pick in the 2023 draft, while Connecticut receives Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Jasmine Walker and the contract rights to Kianna Smith.

In Thomas, the Sparks receive a dogged defender who has been selected to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team three times. The 33-year-old point guard missed most of the 2022 season with a torn ACL, but she will rejoin former Connecticut coach Curt Miller in his first season in Los Angeles.

“I have had the pleasure of coaching Jasmine for my entire professional head coaching career and know she will be an incredible addition to this team and the culture we are building in LA,” Miller said in a statement. “Her knowledge of the game and her ability to lead a team both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor is something that will be invaluable to us.”

The Sun receive several of the Sparks’ recent top-20 draft picks: Walker, the seventh overall pick in 2021; Smith, the 16th pick in 2022; and Nelson-Ododa, the 19th overall pick in 2022. However, Smith is unlikely to play in 2023 after rupturing her patella tendon in December.

They don't know what's coming. 🤫

See you on the court, @jaszthomas.

⭐2017 WNBA All-Star
3️⃣x WNBA All-Defensive First Team
2️⃣x WNBA All-Defensive Second Team#LetsGoSparks pic.twitter.com/j8HGGKc9CC

— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) January 16, 2023

Jan. 16 — Sun deal Jonquel Jones to Liberty

The 2021 WNBA MVP requested the trade to the Liberty after meeting with multiple teams during the offseason, per Rachel Galligan of Winsidr and Just Women’s Sports.

Connecticut sent Jones to New York as part of a three-team trade. The Sun received Rebecca Allen and the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft from the Liberty, as well as Tyasha Harris from the Dallas Wings. The Liberty received Jones from the Sun and Kayla Thornton from the Wings, while the Wings received Natasha Howard and the contract rights to Crystal Dangerfield from the Liberty.

The centerpiece of the trade, Jones was entering the final year of her contract with Connecticut. The 29-year-old forward averaged a team-leading 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 2022.

Transaction: Connecticut Sun Acquire Rebecca Allen, Tyasha Harris and the No. 6 Pick in a Three-Team Trade with New York and Dallas.

Details: https://t.co/mY861JmZrI pic.twitter.com/ph0PQiZZ8a

— Connecticut Sun PR (@CTSunPR) January 16, 2023

This year's All-Star action extends beyond the court, as more than 40 players — including All-Stars, executive committee members, and WNBPA representatives — met with the WNBA in Indianapolis on Thursday for the second CBA negotiations of 2025.

"I'm encouraged. I'm just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said after Thursday's session, which drew the largest turnout in union history.

"It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear the wording from both sides," Chicago Sky star Angel Reese added. "I was really eager to know and understand what was going on."

With revenues booming, both players and the league are struggling to settle issues surrounding payouts, revenue sharing, and the salary caps ahead of the current CBA's October 31st expiration date.

"This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion," the WNBPA wrote in a statement following Thursday's meeting. "But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."

While CBA negotiations continue, the union indicated that players are open to a work stoppage should they fail to reach a new deal by the end of this WNBA season.

Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.

"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."

"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.

Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.

The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"

Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

Even with Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark sidelined, Friday's 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will heat up the Indianapolis competition before Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game tips off.

Single-round record holder Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and reigning champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) headline the 3-Point Contest, with Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), and Clark-replacement Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) rounding out the bill beyond the arc.

Gray will also be on hand to defend her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) looking to upend the Dream guard.

Players are shooting for more than just bragging rights in the Friday competitions, with Aflac boosting prize money for the second year in a row.

The insurance giant will award $60,000 to the 3-point Contest winner and $55,000 to the Skills Challenge champ, topping off the league's $2,575-per-player All-Star bonus check.

With big money on the line, both Gray and Ionescu are battling to become just the second WNBA player to win multiple 3-Point Contests, following in the footsteps of retired Sky guard and four-time event champion Allie Quigley.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

Team Collier is looking locked and loaded for Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, with captain Napheesa Collier heading up a roster stocked with talent from the league-leading Minnesota lineup.

The Lynx star will start the game alongside 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), and rookie phenom Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings).

Team Collier's bench showcases a balanced group of Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks).

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) will also join the squad, replacing the injured Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), boosting the team's Minnesota contingent to three players.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Adding to the Lynx representatives is Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve, who will serve as the squad's head coach following a first-of-its-kind draft-day swap between the Collier and fellow All-Star captain Caitlin Clark.

"I'm just glad people are understanding Phee's greatness," Reeve said about Collier before the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. "There's nothing else you can say at this point."

With a steady front and backcourt presence, Team Collier has experience on their side as they take on a youth-heavy Team Clark on Saturday.

How to watch Team Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.