Aneesah Morrow trade grades: Tempo fix defensive issues, Connecticut takes a gamble

One of the WNBA's newest expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo, made a splash right before the trade deadline by acquiring Aneesah Morrow from the Connecticut Sun, per Alexa Philippou.

The second-year player will head to Toronto in hopes of fixing the rebounding issues that have plagued the team amid a five-game skid. She'll be a young addition and a key part of the future of their frontcourt.

Sun-Tempo Aneesah Morrow Trade details

• Sun get: Rights to F Maria "Masha" Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick
• Tempo get: F Aneesah Morrow

The Sun acquired the rights to Masha Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick in exchange for Morrow. Toronto drafted Kliundikova in the expansion draft, but she never came over to the WNBA this season. If she does make the jump next year, she'll be going to Houston, as that's where the team is relocating.

The Sun drafted Morrow No.7 overall in the 2025 draft. She was rumored to be in trade talks earlier this week and was linked most heavily to the Liberty. But it seems Connecticut found a more suitable deal with Toronto.

Tempo trade grade: B

The Tempo get immediate help on the defense end, which has been struggling of late. But it's not like this trade helps their chances for the rest of the season: They're currently 12th in the standings, meaning they have some serious ground to make up if they want to sneak into the eighth spot and make the playoffs.

Morrow is a solid young player who took strides this year, but she still has a lot to prove. She's averaging 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and one steal a game. This is an increase from her rookie season when she averaged 7.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals. She shines when teams need rebounds or physical defense in the paint, which is what Toronto lacks. Last season, Morrow had nine double-doubles as a rookie.

Toronto currently ranks 13th in the league in rebounding and seventh in field goal percentage allowed. Morrow is comfortable in the paint, but still needs to show that she has the offense to back up her game. Improving her perimeter shooting and her efficiency overall will be key for her to become a two-way threat on the Tempo. If she's able to do that, then Toronto might have found their big of the future.

Sun trade grade: C-

The Sun are taking a huge risk, and even if it pays off, there isn't much upside. Kliundikova most recently played with the Minnesota Lynx during the 2025 season, where she averaged 4.4 points and three rebounds. The forward never played a minute for the Tempo because she never came back to the WNBA this season.

Targeting a player who may not even play in the WNBA next year means that this isn't the best trade from a value perspective. The Sun did also land a second-round pick in 2028, but if history means anything, that pick may or may not even stay in the league. Of the second-round picks of the 2025 draft, nine of the 13 are still active. As time goes on, that number gets smaller because of the limited roster spots in the WNBA.

Assuming that Kliundikova does go to Houston next year, she could be a potential starter for the team. On the Lynx, she had to play behind two great players in Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith, which meant she wasn't going to start. Being in Houston gives her the opportunity for consistent minutes, and she's been an efficient scorer so far in her career, averaging 50 percent from the field last year with the ability to step behind the 3-point line if needed. She can potentially pan out as a threat, but the question marks surrounding her mean the Sun get a low grade here.

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