Procrastinators unite

The GIST: Twelve of the WNBA’s 16 teams stood pat at yesterday’s trade deadline, so let’s dissect the two deals that did go through before giving flowers to an undrafted rookie who’s making it rain.

🪐 LA Sparks trade All-Star Kelsey Plum to Phoenix Mercury: Saturday’s trade marked just the fourth time in WNBA history an All-Star’s been dealt midseason, an expected move given the Sparks’ dubious playoff hopes and soon-to-be free agent Plum’s anticipated exit at season’s end. That said, few predicted the five-time All-Star would land in the desert.

• The 11-19 Mercury are six games out of the playoffs with 14 games left…the same position as LA. This trade’s a gamble for Phoenix: There’s zero guarantee the 31-year-old re-signs this offseason, though a playoff push courtesy of Plum’s playmaking prowess could help.

👟 Toronto Tempo acquire Aneesah Morrow from Connecticut Sun: Another team trying to keep pace in an intriguing playoff race is the injury-riddled Tempo — the third-worst rebounding team in the league. Expect Morrow, the W’s most efficient rebounder, to make an immediate impact.

💐 Undrafted Chicago Sky rookie Sydney Taylor shines: In a season full of standout rookie campaigns, Taylor’s a name to know. She’s the Sky’s leading scorer, breaking records left and right, and shooting the lights out (see: Saturday’s dramatic game-winning three, part of a 29-point outing). Catch her in action vs. Plum’s Mercury tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Two birds, one stone basketball.

The GIST: Tonight’s 6 p.m. ET MLB Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching, but the biggest blockbuster is already in the books: Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal is heading to the LA Dodgers, a move that will have an immediate impact on the playoff race…and perhaps lasting consequences on the future of the league. *gulps*

🤝 The move: With their postseason hopes dwindling, the Detroit Tigers sent two-time Cy Young winner Skubal to the two-time defending champ Dodgers in exchange for three of LA’s top prospects. Plenty of teams hoped to pick up the stalwart southpaw at the deadline, but it’s not surprising the three-peat favorite Dodgers landed him. The rich get richer.

😬 Why it matters: Not only does the trade make the stacked Dodgers even better, it’s stoked fears of a lockout ahead of the 2027 season. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1st, and the players’ association and owners are at odds over the implementation of a salary cap, a rule that would limit LA’s high spending.

• The MLBPA staunchly oppose a salary cap, while the owners insist it will help small market teams compete with the big dogs despite low-budget clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays leading the league this season.

• Negotiations continue, but the latest news has only underscored the work that remains.

👀 More trades to come: The wheeling and dealing accelerated yesterday, with even more moves expected before the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET tonight. With Skubal off the board and starting pitching a hot commodity, watch for other top hurlers to move, including NY Met Clay Holmes and San Francisco Giant Robbie Ray.

• And speaking of arms, Toronto Blue Jay Kevin Gausman is officially leaving the Six, traded to the Chicago Cubs last night. Gausman wowed ever since signing with Toronto during the 2021 offseason, leading the American League in strikeouts in 2023. Wishing him the best.