How a historic trade in February has helped shape the WNBA semifinals

When the Phoenix Mercury clinched a spot successful the WNBA semifinals Friday, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas combined for 43 points, 22 rebounds and 14 assists.

On Tuesday, arsenic the Las Vegas Aces evened their bid connected the different broadside of the bracket, starting guardant NaLyssa Smith tallied 18 points and 7 rebounds.

Seven months aft the largest commercialized successful WNBA history, its ripple effects proceed to power the WNBA playoffs. In all, the four-team commercialized included 13 players and 5 draught picks successful February. Though immoderate players person subsequently been dealt elsewhere, 5 are connected rosters successful this week's semifinals. And contempt the injuries, the mode the archetypal circular played retired assured astatine slightest 1 subordinate progressive successful the February commercialized volition triumph a championship.

The Mercury were astatine the halfway of the deal, highlighted by Sabally and Thomas, 2 All-Stars landed via sign-and-trade. The Indiana Fever's cardinal addition, Sophie Cunningham, averaged 8.6 points and changeable 43% connected 3s implicit 30 games earlier suffering a season-ending injury successful August.

The different 2 teams successful the deal, the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun, finished successful the lottery. Still, the Wings managed to interaction the semifinals by trading distant the 2 cardinal players they acquired, Smith and defender DiJonai Carrington. The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx traded for Carrington successful aboriginal August, though she is out for the playoffs with a mid-foot sprain. But the Aces and Lynx could extremity up gathering successful the Finals.

Let's interruption down however the commercialized came unneurotic and what it has meant for the WNBA's title contention earlier Indiana, Las Vegas, Minnesota and Phoenix proceed the semifinals Friday.

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