2025 WNBA trade deadline grades: Report cards for every deal - ESPN

With the WNBA trade deadline coming up on Thursday, contenders are starting to get serious about upgrading their rosters within the narrow confines permitted by the league's hard salary cap.

On Sunday, the league-leading Minnesota Lynx made a key move, picking up reigning Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings in exchange for Diamond Miller, injured Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round pick.

Another standout guard was on the move Tuesday as the Seattle Storm sent Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke and their 2026 first-round pick to the Washington Mystics for first-time All-Star Brittney Sykes. Averaging 15.4 PPG and a career-high 4.4 APG, Sykes helps strengthen Seattle's push for playoff positioning.

We'll be grading all the significant trades between now and Thursday's deadline in terms of their impact on the rest of this season and the long-term outlook for both teams.

Storm get:
G Brittney Sykes

Mystics get:
F Alysha Clark
G Zia Cooke (has since been waived)
2026 first-round draft pick

Seattle grade: B+

I noted in last week's story on potential WNBA trades that the Storm were the most interesting contender to watch leading up to Thursday's deadline because of their combination of draft picks — likely four of the top 16 in next year's draft, including extra first-rounders from the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks — and tradeable salary.

Although I had Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey going to Seattle, I wrote Sykes «would probably top the Storm's wish list» if the Mystics made her available despite being a game out of the eighth and final playoff spot with 16 games left in the season. Sykes can fill a variety of roles in what will become the WNBA's most versatile perimeter trio alongside fellow