The Phoenix Mercury traded All-Star guard Diamond DeShields to the Dallas Wings in a four-team deal involving the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky, the teams announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- In addition to DeShields, who averaged 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game last season, Dallas is receiving Chicago’s No. 5 pick in the 2023 draft, Chicago’s 2024 first-round pick and rights to swap first-round picks with Chicago in 2025.
- DeShields was the No. 3 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Sky and spent the first four seasons of her career with Chicago.
- Dallas finished in sixth place last season with an 18-18 record, while Phoenix finished eighth at 15-21. Both teams were eliminated in the first round of the 2022 postseason.
Details of the four-team trade with Chicago, Phoenix and New York. pic.twitter.com/yhHMouNihh
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) February 11, 2023
Other trade details
The Sky received Marina Mabrey and Phoenix’s 2024 second-round pick.
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The Mercury received Chicago’s 2024 third-round pick, 2025 second-round pick and Michaela Onyenwere.
The Liberty received the rights to Leonie Fiebich, Chicago’s 2024 second-round pick and rights to swap 2025 first-round picks with Phoenix.
Who won the trade?
Dallas came out swimmingly in this four-team deal. The Wings converted Mabrey’s restricted free-agent rights into a quality sixth woman in DeShields as well a significant amount of draft capital. This year’s No. 5 pick has a chance to make the final roster, but the real coup is acquiring Chicago’s 2024 first-rounder, when Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are all projected to be draft-eligible.
Dallas potentially added two rotation players this year and a chance at a star next year. — Merchant
What will DeShields bring to Dallas?
DeShields never really found her footing next to Diana Taurasi in Phoenix, which made her a no-go for the Mercury moving forward. But she consistently got the ball into the paint and finished 65 percent of her shot attempts at the rim, an elite figure for a guard. The Wings need that kind of rim pressure, though it remains to be seen if DeShields will be able to drive to the basket as easily on a team without the pristine spacing of Phoenix or Chicago in her previous seasons.
DeShields has the physical tools to be a great wing defender but hasn’t been able to apply those consistently. If coach Latricia Trammell can use her defensive wizardry to get to DeShields, this would be an even bigger win for Dallas. — Merchant
Why were the other three teams involved?
New York needed to clear some cap room and a roster spot and did so at the cost of Onyenwere, who was a little redundant with the acquisition of Kayla Thornton. Phoenix also needed to clear cap room to presumably re-sign Brittney Griner and Taurasi to supermax contracts, and turned DeShields into a player who makes half as much in Onyenwere, and who might fit better around the team’s stars; however, the price of doing business was a 2025 first-round swap, though Phoenix has rarely shown much interest in the draft in recent years.
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Chicago’s participation in this deal is the most shocking. Mabrey is a high-volume scorer who can make 3s at an above-average rate, but the Sky gave up a ton to bring her in. They surrendered two first-round picks, including the aforementioned 2024 pick, as well as a first-round swap, two more late-round picks, and the rights to Feibich. That’s a superstar haul, even more than what trading Jonquel Jones returned for Connecticut this offseason.
Mabrey has All-Star upside, but Chicago may have been too motivated to get her. The Sky have essentially announced their intentions as a free agency team for the next two offseasons, even though that didn’t go so well for them this year. — Merchant
Required reading
(Photo: Kate Frese / NBAE via Getty Images)
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