The Seattle Storm are sitting at a crossroads as the WNBA trade deadline approaches. They're still in playoff position after losing the tiebreaker with the Indiana Fever, sitting at No. 6 with a 16-13 record, but the Storm were the definition of inconsistent through the month of July. Seattle alternated victories and defeats every game, never winning or losing more than one at a time.
The Storm have seemed to hit a wall, with stagnating offense and defensive rebounding struggles in the clutch moments that matter most. An upgrade is needed if Seattle wants to make a serious postseason run, and luckily for them, there's a perfect trade target still available.
As the Storm continue to define their identity, the opportunity to trade for Connecticut Sun star Marina Mabrey has been a rumored option for most of the 2025 season, according to The Ringer. Suggested pieces to move alongside Mabrey include rookie guard Saniya Rivers and veteran restricted free agent Olivia Nelson-Ododa.
The idea of being on the move shouldn't be far from the sharpshooting guard's mind, as Mabrey formally requested a trade after last year's massive roster and coaching turnover, which resulted in a rebuilding year. The Sun's president announced that they intended to build the team around Mabrey, but the franchise's denial of her trade request left tensions in the relationship.
Mabrey has since chosen to grow into a leadership role during her second year in Connecticut, but she could fulfill a similar purpose for Seattle while also filling the team's need for a wing who can defend and address all its other needs.
The Storm have more than enough assets to pull off the move, with three first-round picks and picks via the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks in their back pocket. That would leave the Sun with enough of a chance at getting one of the many stars expected to enter next year's draft, and the Storm would have fresh shooters in Mabrey and Rivers, along with a defensive core with them, 2025 WNBA Draft No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga, and star vet Ezi Magbegor.
Seattle could walk away with a win-win situation by making the trade with Connecticut, gaining a veteran with win-now potential while shoring up the youthful movement the other half of its roster is heading in. The Sun would benefit too, making sure they gain something from Mabrey's departure instead of risking losing her for nothing in free agency. No matter what, the Storm's choice will determine the trajectory of the rest of their campaign.
