Phoenix acquired three-time All-Star forward Kahleah Copper in a trade with the Chicago Sky, the Mercury announced Tuesday.
The Mercury also received Morgan Bertsch and sent fellow forwards Brianna Turner and Michaela Onyenwere to the Sky.
Chicago also will receive Phoenix’s first-round draft picks in 2024 (third overall) and 2026. The Sky also will get their 2025 second-round pick back from the Mercury (acquired in a 2023 deal), plus a second-round pick swap in 2026.
Copper, 29, won a WNBA championship and was the Finals MVP with Chicago in 2021. She made her third straight All-Star team in 2023 and averaged a career-high 18.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 38 games (all starts).
“The opportunity to add a player of Kahleah’s caliber in the prime of her career is rare,” Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren said. “She is one of the most dynamic and athletic players in our league, with a true knack for scoring the ball. She is also a fierce competitor, proven champion and the ultimate two-way player, who can disrupt the game on the defensive end with her length and activity.”
Copper played seven seasons in Chicago following her 2016 rookie campaign with the Washington Mystics, who drafted her seventh overall in 2016. She has career averages of 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 254 games (138 starts).
Bertsch, 26, made her WNBA debut in 2023 and averaged 4.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 28 games (five starts) for Chicago.
“Morgan is a sharpshooter and savvy defender — we are excited for the energy and scoring punch she can provide off the bench,” U’Ren said.
Turner, 27, played in 158 games (134 starts) over the past five seasons in Phoenix. She averaged 3.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 40 games (33 starts) in 2023.
Onyenwere, 24, contributed 8.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 40 games (27 starts) for the Mercury last season after playing her first two campaigns with the New York Liberty.
–Field Level Media