Phoenix Mercury acquire Sky’s Diamond DeShields in 3-team trade
Feb 3, 2022, 9:10 AM
Diamond DeShields #1 of the Chicago Sky handles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury during the first half of the WNBA game at the Footprint Center on August 31, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Mercury acquired 2018 third overall draft pick Diamond DeShields in a three-team sign-and-trade with the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, the team said Thursday.
Phoenix will ship Bria Hartley to the Fever and its 2023 first-round draft choice to the Sky. The Mercury’s 2022 and 2023 second-round picks were additionally shipped to Indiana.
Chicago will send the No. 7 pick for this year to the Fever and receive Indiana’s Julie Allemand.
DeShields, who was an All-WNBA Second Team pick and All-Star in 2019, will sign a two-year deal to facilitate the trade, adds the Chicago Sun Times’ Annie Costabile.
“She was one of our top targets this offseason because of her ability to score and defend from the wing position and how dangerous she is in the open floor,” Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said in a statement. “We are thrilled to add Diamond to our All-Star core.”
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A 6-foot-1 guard who is 26 years old, DeShields averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 2021.
She shot 39% from the floor and 30% from three-point range in 32 games last season (22 starts).
Under first-year Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard this upcoming season, DeShields joins a talented core with the Mercury that includes point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, center Brittney Griner and the anticipated return of future Hall of Famer Diana Taurasi.
DeShields played a bench role for the Sky when they met Phoenix during the WNBA Finals in October. Her best game came in Game 3 of the four-game series won by Chicago, when DeShields scored 11 points to go with five rebounds and five steals.
For the Mercury, the trade for DeShields is the second significant maneuver this offseason. On Monday, they dealt center Kia Vaughn to the Atlanta Dream for a third-round pick in next year’s draft.
The outgoing Hartley made 19 regular season appearances for the Mercury in the past two years, largely due to a torn ACL in August 2020. She did, however, return to play significant minutes in the postseason rotation during Phoenix’s WNBA Finals run.
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