The Connecticut Sun traded center Kelsey Bone to the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday for rookie Courtney Wililams, the draft rights to rookie Jillian Alleyne and a second-round pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft.

"Obviously, we are not where we hoped to be at the start of the season," Sun vice president and general manager Chris Sienko said in a statement released by the team. "With this trade, we acquire a pair of talented young players as we continue to build under coach Curt Miller."

Phoenix traded a pick it acquired from San Antonio, which means the final draft position will be determined by how the Stars finish this season.

"We are excited about acquiring both Courtney and Jillian," Miller said. "This gives us two more young pieces as we build around our young nucleus. Courtney was a dynamic scorer at the collegiate level and brings an athleticism at the guard position that is needed on our roster. Jillian had a prolific collegiate career at Oregon with some of the best rebound numbers in the country. If it wasn't for the knee injury late in her senior year, she was projected to be a first-round selection.

"We wish Kelsey the best of luck in Phoenix. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to coach her, and I respect her outstanding skill-set."

Williams, a 5-foot-8 guard out of South Florida, was the No. 8 pick in the WNBA Draft after leading the American Athletic Conference in scoring (22.4 points per game) and tying for fifth in rebounding (8.4). She played sparingly in six games for the Mercury.

Alleyne was selected 20th overall out of Oregon despite suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in February that will sideline her for the remainder of the season. The 6-foot-3 forward ranked second in the nation in rebounding (13.6) while also averaging 19 points before her injury. She was the co-Pac 12 Player of the Year.

Connecticut will sign Alleyne to a contract next season.

Bone, meanwhile, appeared in 81 games for the Sun, averaging 12 points per game. In 2015, she earned the WNBA Most Improved Player Award after averaging a career-high 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. This season, Bone averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds through the first 14 games of the year.

The move came a day after began a four-game road trip with a 98-81 loss to the Seattle Storm before 6,568 at KeyArena.

UConn rookie Breanna Stewart opened the night with a 3-pointer, and Seattle would never trail, opening a 17-2 lead before cruisng past the Sun (3-11).

"Seattle played great," Miller said. "Hats of to them. It was a tremendous start, and before we knew it, and before we made adjustments, it was 17-2."

The Storm scored the game's first 10 points and shot 70 percent in the first half. They led by as much as 24 points (92-68) with three minutes, 59 seconds left in the game and finishing shooting 61.4 percent for the game.

"We just got punched in the face in the first few minutes and didn't adjust," Sun forward Chiney Ogwumike said. "They had their game plan and executed it aggressively. ... By the time we figured things out, we looked up and we're down."

Stewart wrecked Connecticut. She made 9 of her 15 shots, including five 3-pointers, and scored 29 points. She also had nine rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

"The first (3-pointer) went in, and the second one went in, and then a few of them were contested shots, but they still went in," Stewart said. "After you see yourself making some shots, you have the confidence to continue that."

Miller said, "Breanna Stewart had missed 16 straight threes at one point this season. ... You play percentages, and those things happen with a player as talented as her."

Sue Bird made 7 of 8 field goals for 19 points with seven assists for the Storm (5-9). Jewell Loyd added 19 points and five rebounds.

Alex Bentley scored 13 with four assists and reserve Shekinna Stricklen had 12 points for Connecticut. Bone and Ogwumike scored 10 points apiece.

The Sun continue their road trip on Sunday at the Los Angeles Sparks (12-1). Los Angeles beat the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx on Friday night, 94-76, ending the latter's record season-opening winning streak at 13 games.