Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to Mercury in blockbuster move

Nypost · Aug 02, 2026 · 305 words · By Bridget Reilly

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Daily briefing

What to know about Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to Mercury in blockbuster move

In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Sparks traded the five-time All-Star guard to the Mercury in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, ESPN first reported.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Plum became the league’s top trade target after word got out that she didn’t plan to re-sign with Los Angeles after this season.

Common ground

The Sparks came to an agreement with the Mercury late Saturday night ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trade deadline.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to Mercury in blockbuster move?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the Mercury (11-19)?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/sports/sparks-trade-kelsey-plum-to-mercury-in-bloc…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3

verified Verified By Reference 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

cancel Disputed 1

check_circle Corroborated 1

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Claim 1: “the Mercury (11-19)”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the Phoenix Mercury's specific record of 11-19.

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Claim 2: “this season Plum has been sidelined since June 21 with a lower leg injury”

DISPUTED

The claim states she has been sidelined since June 21 with a lower leg injury. However, one web search result mentions a lower leg injury on May 26, and another mentions an ankle sprain. There is no evidence confirming a June 21 date.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor. He gained fame for his role as the Harvard-educated Boston psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1984–1993) and i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Grammer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kelsey Christine Plum (born August 24, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Phantom of Unrivale…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Plum

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the West…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Aces

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “the Sparks traded the five-time All-Star guard to the Mercury in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm the trade of Kelsey Plum from the Sparks to the Mercury in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Los Angeles Sparks was the franchise's 29th season in the Women's National Basketball Association, and the first season under head coach Lynne Roberts. In addition to their preseason match-up…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Los_Angeles_Sparks_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Sparks

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 4: “Plum has averaged 23.9 points this season while tallying 2.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 12 games”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute these specific statistics.

info

Claim 5: “Plum, 31, was also shown interest from the Dream and Liberty ahead of the deadline”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries for Kelsey Grammer and the name 'Kelsey', with no mention of trade interest from the Dream or Liberty.

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web search NEUTRAL — He gained fame for his role as the Harvard-educated Boston psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1984–1993) and its spin-off Frasier (1993–2004, and again from 2023–2024). With more…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Grammer

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web search NEUTRAL — Kelsey is a given name of English origin. The name most probably derives from an Old English given name Cēolsiġe, which meant "ship's victory", [2] or it could be a place name meaning "Cenel's island"…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_(given_name)

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web search NEUTRAL — Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is Houston's trusted healthcare source. Whether you need a primary care doctor or specialist, we have appointments available close to work or home.
https://www.kelsey-seybold.com/

verified

Claim 6: “Kelsey Plum is a five-time All-Star”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The Wikipedia entry for Kelsey Plum explicitly states she is a 'five-time WNBA' All-Star.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition women's basketball game played on July 20, 2024, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States as part of the 2024 WNBA season. The Phoenix …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_WNBA_All-Star_Game

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kelsey Michelle Mitchell (born November 12, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Hive of Unrivale…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelsey_Mitchell_(basketball)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “It’s only the fourth time in WNBA history that an All-Star has been traded midseason.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the trade itself is corroborated, the specific historical claim that this is only the fourth time an All-Star has been traded midseason is not confirmed by any other independent source in the provided evidence.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Sparks have traded five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury in a major WNBA deadline deal. Los Angeles will receive Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028…
https://news.az/news/wnba-blockbuster-sparks-trade-five-time…

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web search NEUTRAL — The 2026 WNBA trade deadline has come and gone with relatively few moves, although the eleventh hour blockbuster trade that sent Kelsey Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks to the Phoenix Mercury provided…
https://www.nbcsports.com/wnba/news/2026-wnba-trade-deadline…

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web search NEUTRAL — In another historic performance, Caitlin Clark recorded her 4th career triple-double, moving up to 3rd most in WNBA history! In this video, we break down her incredible game, key stats, highlights, an…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AmzP9pXYgk

info

Claim 8: “the Sparks (10-17) fall to No. 11 in the league standings, five and a half games behind the eighth-place Liberty”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific record (10-17) and league standing (11th) are not corroborated by the provided evidence; one search result mentions a 10-4 run in the last 14 games, but not the overall record or specific gap to the Liberty.

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web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Sparks. Minnesota Lynx. New York Liberty.Every week. With WNBA League Pass, watch live games across the league.
https://www.wnba.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks have been one of the hottest teams in the WNBA going back before the All-Star break with a record of 10-4 in their last 14 games. That run was cooled off a bit fol…
https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/los-angeles-sparks/sparks-news…

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web search NEUTRAL — It kicked off Wednesday, July 22 at 11:00 PM ET. The stream links have been retired — but the schedule below is live right now.
https://wc26hub.com/new-york-liberty-vs-chicago-sky

verified

Claim 9: “the team traded their No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft for her during the offseason”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence confirms the 2025 and 2026 seasons for the Sparks, but there is no specific mention of the Sparks trading their No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft to acquire Kelsey Plum.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles Sparks is the franchise's 30th season in the Women's National Basketball Association and the second under head coach Lynne Roberts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_Sparks_season

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “the Sparks fell two games short of the playoffs in 2025”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence mentions the 2025 season exists, but does not provide the final record or the number of games the Sparks fell short of the playoffs.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.