With the Aug. 2 WNBA trade deadline nearing, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Cameron Brink, and Aneesah Morrow top the list of players most likely to be moved.
The WNBA's 30th season has reached its halfway point, with the league coming off a record-breaking All-Star Game attendance and the trade deadline approaching, which could result in some players being traded.
Team Spoon won the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game over Team Coop 129-122, and Jonquel Jones was named MVP. The second half of the WNBA season begins on July 28th with five games.
While blockbuster trades normally don't occur during the season or before the trade deadline, except for the Chicago Sky trading guard Marina Mabrey at the 2024 deadline to the Connecticut Sun and the Sky trading center Sylvia Fowles in 2015 to the Minnesota Lynx.
USA Today's Mitchell Northam published power rankings and targets for every team, while emphasizing that forwards Aneesah Morrow, Cameron Brink, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton could be on the move.
Here are the rankings for which player is more likely to be traded.
3. Aneesah Morrow
Morrow is a possible target for a contending team despite being a second-year player. She was drafted No. 7 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
In Morrow's second season, she is averaging 10.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while playing a career-high 22.6 minutes per game. Although she is shooting a low percentage from the field (39.9 percent) and in the three-point range (24.6 percent), she is a high-energy player for the struggling Sun.
Northam projected that Morrow would be traded to the Golden State Valkyries because of how she would complement the young team. She can run on the fast break, play defense, and dominate on the glass.
Another scenario for the LSU product could be the New York Liberty, who have the cap space and could possibly be looking to add depth and move on from Laney-Hamilton.
Morrow could add youth to the roster for a franchise that is looking to develop talent while competing for championships at a cost-effective rate, and Laney-Hamilton could get a fresh start with more minutes.
2. Cameron Brink
Brink is another possible trade option before the August deadline as she continues to try to find her niche with the Los Angeles Sparks. The third-year player is still trying to find her footing after tearing her ACL in her rookie season in 2024.
Brink is currently averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor. While Los Angeles is a great opportunity for her, head coach Lynne Roberts continues to challenge her to take the next step, but it doesn't seem to be the best fit for her.
Earlier in the season, Roberts challenged Brink to take the next step, which resulted in her being benched in June. However, the Sparks center has elevated her game as of late, coming off the bench.
Northam projected that the Stanford product will land with the Fever, in exchange for Myisha Hines-Allen or Damiris Dantas to help with the team's pick-and-roll. Another location that could be on the forecast is the Dallas Wings, who could use another big, or the Las Vegas Aces to develop young talent, or the Toronto Tempo, who believe in building depth at all positions.
1. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Laney-Hamilton could be traded by the August 2 trade deadline from New York. She took the 2025 season to rehab from injury and was a pivotal part of the franchise's rebuild and first championship.
Nonetheless, Laney-Hamilton's role has diminished under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco, who vows that she is an important part of the team and that her time will come. However, she is averaging a franchise low 1 6.8 minutes per game and has only started five games out of the 17 she has played.
The Rutgers product is averaging 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. During the team's championship run she averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 40.2 percent from three and 45.6 percent from the field.
Laney-Hamilton could be a pivotal piece for a young team trying to reach the playoffs, or a championship contending piece that may want to add more depth and veteran presence.
Northam projected that the Liberty forward could end up on the Washington Mystics, who are rebuilding with playoff aspirations and a need for a veteran presence. Another place she could land is the Dallas Wings if they want to move on from Arike Ogunbowale.
Ogunbowale and Laney-Hamilton would be a solid contract exchange. The Wings guard would bring more scoring to the Liberty and could play off the ball.
Laney-Hamilton could give the Wings a consistent wing who can play defense, stretch the floor, and provide leadership.
