Alyssa Thomas heading to Mercury from Sun in WNBA’s latest shake-up

The Phoenix Mercurius ended a deal to acquire Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun, a person who is familiar with trade on Tuesday evening to The Associated Press.

The sun will also send Ty Harris to Phoenix, while Connecticut Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the No. 12 Pick in this year’s design will receive, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly talk about the deal.

Thomas played her entire career at Connecticut and helped the franchise to reach the WNBA final in 2019 and 2022. Thomas was an unlimited free agent before she was designated as a franchise player of the team earlier this month, which means she could be the only way Drawing with another team was through trade.

Because the deal is a drawing and trade, it cannot become official until 1 February. ESPN First reported the trade.

Thomas’ fiancé, Dewanna Bonner, is a free agent and could also go to Phoenix, where she spent the first 10 years of her WNBA career.

The 32-year-old Thomas won an Olympic gold medal with the United States last summer and had an average of 10.6 points, 7.9 assists and 8.4 rebounds last season. She is the career riot leader of the WNBA in Triple-Doubles with 15, four of which came in the late season.

Thomas, an MVP two in 2023, was pronounced about the lack of a practice facility of the sun and the franchise failure to keep pace with other teams. Phoenix has opened a new practice facility in the past year.

Cloud signed as a free agent at Phoenix last year and will now be back on the east coast after having spent the early part of her career in Washington. Allen played for Connecticut in 2023 before he was traded to Phoenix last year.

This season, Phoenix is ​​undergoing a transition with All-Star Center Brittney Griner that explores free agency. And it is not clear whether veteran Diana Taurasi will play again or retire.

This was the second major trade in the WNBA this week. A three -way deal reached on Sunday between Las Vegas, Seattle and Los Angeles, send Kelsey Plum to the Sparks, Jewell Loyd to the Azen and the No. 2 Pick in the design to the storm.