2008 WNBA Trades

One of the biggest trades of the WNBA season came about when the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty got together for a little three-way deal. Each team had something the other team needed, but these bettertrades weren't possible without moving the pieces together through a trio of clubs.

Here's what they got in this series of better trades:

The Los Angeles Sparks received Noelle Quinn, who had been playing for Minnesota. The better trades portion of this deal is that Quinn will be going home. She is a native of Los Angeles and starred at UCLA, where she was the school's fourth all-time leading scorer.

Quinn's presence will mean better trades for the team, which should get a little bang for their buck as far as attendance. But Quinn needs to pick up the pace on the court. She averaged only 3.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists for Minnesota, which is underwhelming for a player who was the fourth player chosen in the 2007 draft.

Quinn, asked about the bettertrades potential of the deal, told the Associated Press, "I'm overwhelmed. My family has always had season tickets and I grew up watching them and then being able to play at UCLA, I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to continue playing at home."

The Los Angeles Sparks traded guard Sidney Spencer to the New York Liberty in exchange for their No. 1 draft pick in 2010 and the exclusive negotiating rights to forward Raffaella Masciadri.

Spencer may turn out to be one of the better trades, as she brings more offensive punch to the table. Spencer was a second-round pick by the Sparks. She averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons in Los Angeles and was 11th in the league in 3-point shooting last year.

Masciadri, a native of Italy, has been in the league for three years, primarily as a reserve player. She has averaged 3.5 points in her career. She was a steady double-figure scorer in Italy and said she is looking forward to ensuring the deal will be a better trade for the Sparks. "My goal is to work hard to have the opportunity to come back to the Sparks and win a WNBA championship," she said.