As the WNBA trade deadline nears, the league's contenders are positioning themselves for a run at the title this fall. The Minnesota Lynx swung a deal for Dallas Wings guard Dijonai Carrington in a bid to load up for the playoffs, while the Seattle Storm on Tuesday acquired All-Star guard Brittney Sykes from the Washington Mystics.
The Indiana Fever own the league's longest winning streak at five games, all of those wins coming without their superstar point guard. Caitlin Clark remains sidelined with a "weird" right groin injury, and no firm timetable for her return -- though she is expected back this season.
At 17-12, the Fever are 1.5 games behind the New York Liberty for the WNBA's second-best record. To that end, Indiana is expected to be a "buyer" before the league's trade deadline on Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern -- and one new trade idea has the Fever dealing for a "unicorn" three-time All-Star.
MORE: Mercury receive encouraging Satou Sabally update as trade speculation grows
Bleacher Report has posited that the Fever could trade Natasha Howard and a first-round pick to the Phoenix Mercury for forward Satou Sabally, whose passing ability and three-point prowess might fix the floor spacing issues Indiana has had to work around in Clark's absence.
In her first season with the Mercury, Sabally is averaging 17.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3-point range. In Dallas last season, Sabally shot 45 percent from beyond the arc and notched five assists per contest -- though injuries limited her to just 15 games for the Wings.
As Phoenix is in contention mode as well, the Mercury may need more assets coming back in order to consider trading Sabally. But working in the Fever's favor is the 27-year-old's expiring contract -- as well as possible issues behind the scenes in Phoenix.
Sabally last Friday was benched in the second half of the Mercury's 95-72 loss to the Atlanta Dream. She was absent due to personal reasons when the Mercury defeated the Chicago Sky, 83-67, on Sunday.
MORE WNBA NEWS:
Seattle Storm trade for 15.4 PPG scorer while dealing away player, pick to chase playoffs
Fever's Stephanie White reveals true 'rock' amid Caitlin Clark injury woes
Napheesa Collier's injury creates trade deadline problem for the Lynx
Wings make Arike Ogunbowale decision before WNBA trade deadline