Drafted by the Sky in 2011, Vandersloot won a championship with the team in 2021 but spent the past two seasons with the Liberty and helped them win their first WNBA title in 2024. She is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-WNBA pick but took a reduced role with New York, coming off the bench during the teams' championship run.

In the three-team trade, the Storm are also acquiring the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and forward Li Yueru from the Sparks, as well as Las Vegas' 2026 first-round pick, sources told ESPN. Los Angeles receives the 2025 No. 9 pick and a 2026 second-round pick from Seattle. The Aces receive the 2025 No. 13 pick from the Sparks.

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the teams who may have exceeded expectations halfway through the season. So far, they’ve been able to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics twice, and also have wins against the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.