Natasha Howard to the Liberty headlines a day of dramatic WNBA trades

A major trade has shaken up the WNBA landscape, with Natasha Howard heading to the New York Liberty and the No. 1 pick in the 2020 Draft landing with the Dallas Wings.

In the span of just a few minutes, a slew of related WNBA trades sent assets spinning around the league with All-Stars and even the No. 1 pick in the 20201 Draft changing hands. It took several distinct trades for everything to settle out but in the end, here’s what each team ended up with:

New York Liberty: Natasha Howard, Sami Whitcomb, No. 6 pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft

Dallas Wings: No.1 pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft

Phoenix Mercury: Kia Nurse, Megan Walker

Seattle Storm: Katie Lou Samuelson, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Stephanie Talbot, two 2022 second-round picks (DAL, NYL)

Minnesota Lynx: 2022 first-round pick (PHX)

Who made out the best in the flurry of WNBA trades?

As a three-time champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, Natasha Howard is the highest-profile player to switch teams. She demonstrated that she could be a two-way star in 2019 when Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart were both out with injuries but took a step back with their return, dropping under 10 points per game last season.

She’s still just 28 and will reportedly get a new multi-year deal in New York to carry a larger offensive load and act as the veteran scaffolding for their young backcourt and future star Sabrina Ionescu.

The Wings find themselves in an interesting position, now holding the top two picks in the 2021 WNBA Draft. They’ll have the opportunity to add two top-tier players to their young core of Satou Sabally and Arike Ogwunbowale. The Storm reload their depth to try and defend their 2020 championship as well as some added draft value for down the road.

The Phoenix Mercury have traded their next two first-round picks in exchange for the talent to try and take one more swing at a title with Diana Taurasi. Nurse struggled mightily in the Wubble but at 24 she’s already made an All-Star team and has a versatile offensive skill set. Walker didn’t play much in her rookie season but she’s a talent guard who could play meaningful minutes this season.

Only time will tell, but this certainly looks like a situation where different timelines and goals mean every team could come out a winner.