Fansided

5 WNBA players that will be traded before the season is over

By Simon Shortt

May 13, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Chicago Sky guard Kahleah Copper (2) drives to the net against Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Chicago Sky guard Kahleah Copper (2) drives to the net against Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner (21) and. Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker (3) during the first half of game four of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner (21) and. Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker (3) during the first half of game four of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

WNBA Trade Candidate No. 3: Brianna Turner, Phoenix Mercury

Brianna Turner is in an interesting situation for the Phoenix Mercury. She has started 14 of the 21 games she’s played in and has been in the rotation heavily all season. So, while she hasn’t necessarily lost minutes on the court, she has seen a significant decrease in offensive role.

In 2020 and 2021, Turner attempted 5.2 and 6.1 shots per game, respectively. Which equated to 7.2 and 7.8 PPG in those seasons in addition to over nine rebounds per game (RPG) those years as well.

But in the last two seasons, we’ve seen her shot attempts decrease to 3.2 in 2022 and just 2.1 so far in 2023. As well as less than seven rebounds. It’s clear she is no longer a focal point of the team on this end, but again at just 26 years old and with a track record for being effective, is an intriguing trade target.

One team I like for Turner is the Seattle Storm, who have a glut of guards I’ll talk about next and could use a forward like Turner between their centers and wing players. But more on that later.

From the Mercury’s point of view, their season is not going to plan. Just 4-6 in their last 10 games, and sitting at 6-15 on the season. Similar to LA, it might be time to clear a path for players actually in their long-term plans.

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