A trade with the Mercury would make more sense than the Aces, at least from the Washington Mystics’ standpoint.
Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne will be signing a new contract with Washington because she is cored. But given reports of her wanting to play somewhere else, fans are waiting to see which teams are most likely to get her.
According to Alexa Philippou of ESPN, Delle Donne is most interested in moving to the Phoenix Mercury or Las Vegas Aces. She said this during the WNBA’s free agency show yesterday on the network and further elaborated on by Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic.
Scott, being a Phoenix-based reporter, elaborated on the possibilities of a Mystics and Mercury trade.
Considering that the Mystics have cored Delle Donne, any trade will give the Mystics some form of compensation for her. As Scott noted in his piece, since the Mercury were in the WNBA Draft Lottery last season, they ultimately received the No. 3 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. This could be an asset that the Mystics demand in any deal for Delle Donne.
From Delle Donne’s vantage point, it would make sense to move to Phoenix, because she could reunite with the recently-signed Natasha Cloud, and play alongside Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. Former Mystics play Kristi Toliver will also be on the coaching staff.
Playing for the Aces would be a great situation for Delle Donne as well because they are the two-time defending WNBA champions. However, the Mystics would not receive a high draft pick and a young core player in exchange for her.
What do you think about this possibility of Delle Donne playing for Phoenix or Las Vegas? Let us know in the comments below.