As 2022 WNBA free agency gets underway, teams around the league will look to bolster their rosters ahead of the WNBA Draft in April and the upcoming season.

Reserved free agents who have been extended qualifying offers can re-sign with their teams at any time. Restricted and unrestricted free agents can start negotiating contracts on Jan. 15 and officially sign with teams beginning Feb. 1.

The WNBA free agency market is stacked with talent this year. For more information on the terms, dates and players to know, check out Just Women’s Sports’ free agency primer.

Unrestricted free agent Breanna Stewart previously told SB Nation that she expects this year to be the “biggest free agency” since the new CBA went into effect in January 2020. Follow along with us here as we see if Stewart’s prediction comes true.

Monday, Jan. 31 — Kahleah Copper agrees to multi-year deal with Chicago Sky

WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper is finalizing a multi-year deal to return to Chicago, sources tell Just Women’s Sports. Copper had the core designation placed on her earlier this month. A member of the Sky since 2017, in 2021 she led Chicago in scoring during the regular season (14.4 points per game) and playoffs (17.7). She was the first of two major dominoes to fall for the Sky on Monday, as it was reported by Winsidr’s Rachel Galligan and later confirmed by Just Women’s Sports that the Sky will be signing Emma Meesseman for the upcoming season. A high-scoring power forward, Meesseman is the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, having won the 2019 championship with the Washington Mystics. She spent last season overseas with UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Tina Charles is also leaving the Mystics, according to the Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland. Last season the former No. 1 overall pick led the league in points with 23.4 per game.

In other Mystics’ news, Elizabeth Williams will join the team on a one-year deal, according to The Next Hoops. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 draft, she spent the last six seasons with the Atlanta Dream. Last season she averaged 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The Dream also acquired Kia Vaughn from the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for their 2023 third round draft pick.

Thank you, 2023 third round draft pick 🙏 #DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/USq3rSlJxk

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) January 31, 2022

Sources told Just Women’s Sports that in other Mercury news, Sophie Cunningham is expected to re-sign with the team.

Sunday, Jan. 30 — Stefanie Dolson to sign with New York Liberty

According to The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings, unrestricted free agent Stefanie Dolson has agreed to terms for a multi-year deal with the New York Liberty. Previously, it had been reported that she had narrowed down her choices to New York and Seattle.

Dolson spent the past five seasons with the Chicago Sky, including winning a WNBA championship with the team last season. Last season the two-time All-Star averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 24 games.

Mercedes Russell will be returning to the Seattle Storm on a multi-year deal, according to Windsidr’s Rachel Galligan.

Friday, Jan. 28 — Angel McCoughtry to sign with Minnesota Lynx

Unrestricted free agent Angel McCoughtry has reached an agreement with the Minnesota Lynx, as first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV. A member of the Atlanta Dream from 2009-19, McCoughtry spent the past two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces.

A five-time WNBA All-Star, the guard has twice been the WNBA scoring champion (2012, 2013) and twice led the WNBA in steals (2012, 2014). In 2020, McCoughtry averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. She sat out of the 2021 season with a torn ACL. McCoughtry is a big pickup for the Lynx, who are returning reigning Defensive Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles for her 15th WNBA season.

Myisha Hines-Allen is also reportedly close to a deal. Hines-Allen will re-sign with the Washington Mystics on a multi-year contract, according to Winsidr.

The Connecticut Sun, meanwhile, have reached an agreement with Courtney Williams, as first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV on Jan. 23 and confirmed by The Next Hoops on Friday. Williams will return to Connecticut after playing for the Sun from 2016-19. The 2021 WNBA All-Star was traded to the Atlanta Dream in February 2020, spending two seasons with the team.

Two-year Sun guard Briann January is expected to leave to sign with the Seattle Storm. January averaged 7.0 points, 3.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game for Connecticut last season.

Thursday, Jan. 27 — Stef Dolson narrows down final destination choices

Unrestricted free agent Stefanie Dolson has reportedly narrowed her choices down to New York and Seattle. She had previously been linked to Chicago, Las Vegas and Atlanta as landing spots.

The Olympic gold medalist has been a member of the Sky since 2017. Last season, she averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game for the WNBA champions.

Monday, Jan. 24 — Jonquel Jones to sign multi-year deal with Connecticut Sun

Sources told Just Women’s Sports that reigning league MVP Jonquel Jones will return to the Connecticut Sun on a multi-year deal. The deal follows the Sun placing the core designation on Jones with the offer of a one-year, $228,094 supermax deal. According to sources, the multi-year deal that Jones plans to sign is less than the supermax, enabling the team more cap space to work with in free agency.

Jones had a strong 2021 season, winning WNBA MVP, being named to the All-WNBA First Team and making her third All-Star appearances. She led the Sun with 19.4 points per game and the league with 11.2 rebounds per game.

Sunday, Jan. 23 — Courtney Williams to sign with the Connecticut Sun

Per Girls Talk Sports TV, Courtney Williams is expected to finalize a deal and return to the Connecticut Sun. She spent three seasons with the Sun before being traded to the Atlanta Dream in 2019.

Williams spent the last two seasons with the Dream, but was told she would not be re-signed following an incident outside of an Atlanta day club in May. She was later suspended for two games of the upcoming season by the WNBA. While with the Sun she was a major factor in the team’s 2019 WNBA Finals run, averaging 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists in the postseason.

Saturday, Jan. 22 — Kiah Stokes finalizing deal with Atlanta Dream

On Saturday, Winsidr reported that Kiah Stokes is expected to sign with the Atlanta Dream. Stokes is a six-year WNBA veteran, playing five seasons with the New York Liberty and more recently with Las Vegas. Through 15 appearances with the Aces, she averaged 1.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.

According to Winsidr, the Dream are also in the stages of finalizing a deal to re-sign Tiffany Hayes. During the 2021 season, Hayes had a career-best season, averaging 14.7 points, 1.6 steals and 3.0 assists per game.

Tuesday, Jan. 18 — Sylvia Fowles to return in 2022, Indiana Fever waive Kysre Gondrezick

All-Star center Sylvia Fowles intends to return to the WNBA next season, the StarTribune reported on Tuesday. Fowles has played for the Minnesota Lynx in seven of her 14 seasons but is currently an unrestricted free agent. The two-time WNBA champion had one of her best seasons at age 35 in 2021, averaging 16 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31 games.

The Indiana Fever also made headlines on Tuesday when they opted to waive Kysre Gondrezick, their No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Gondrezick played 19 games during her rookie season, averaging 1.9 points in 9.1 minutes. She took personal leave from the team after the Olympics, revealing in November that she needed time to address her mental health after the death of her father last January.

Gondrezick is the second top-four draft pick the Fever have released in two years, after the team waived 2020 No. 3 overall pick Lauren Cox last season. (The Los Angeles Sparks picked up Cox last June and have since re-signed the forward for the 2022 season). The Fever have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, where Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith are expected to be the top prospects.

Also on Tuesday, the Atlanta Dream claimed Megan Walker on waivers. Walker, the ninth overall pick of the New York Liberty in 2020, averaged 4.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 29 games with the Mercury last season.

Dream fans, help us welcome @_megwalker3 to the 🅰️!

📰 » https://t.co/49XJni4zjJ#DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/e0gdGB9hCD

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) January 18, 2022

Saturday, Jan. 15 — Las Vegas Aces renounce rights of Clarissa Dos Santos

The Las Vegas Aces renounced the rights of Clarissa Dos Santos, a 33-year-old Brazilian post player who was a member of the Chicago Sky from 2015-16. In two seasons in the WNBA, she averaged 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.

Friday, Jan. 14 — Seattle Storm place core tag on Jewell Loyd

One of the biggest questions of free agency was somewhat answered Friday when the Storm placed the core designation on Jewell Loyd. At the beginning of free agency, it was unclear whether Seattle would choose to put the core designation on Loyd or Stewart, both unrestricted free agents this offseason. In September, Stewart said she expected to re-sign with the Storm, calling Seattle “home.” Loyd, however, remained undecided at the time.

As part of the core designation, Loyd could sign the one-year, supermax deal with Seattle or negotiate different terms. One of the top players in the league last season, the guard averaged 17.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the 21-11 Storm.

Thursday, Jan. 13 — Shey Peddy signs training camp contract

After being extended a qualifying offer on Tuesday by Phoenix, Shey Peddy opted to sign a training camp contract to return to the team. The Mercury also extended a qualifying offer to Kia Nurse and waived Megan Walker.

Tianna Hawkins is back on the market after the Atlanta Dream waived the forward. In 2021, Hawkins averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds through 28 games before missing the final four games of the season with a right foot injury.

Thank you, @t_hawk21 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8Fsj9ajFGX

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) January 13, 2022

Wednesday, Jan. 12 — Chicago Sky place core tag on Kaleah Copper

The Chicago Sky opted on Wednesday to put the core designation on Kahleah Copper. The designation gives the Finals MVP the option to accept a one-year, $228,094 supermax deal to return to the team. The Sky will retain her rights, but the two sides can begin negotiating different terms on Jan. 15. While the offer could result in a sign-and-trade, Sky head coach and GM James Wade told Just Women’s Sports that the team wants to see Copper in a Sky uniform “for a long time.”

“She is a very important part of our culture off the court and on the court,” he said. “We appreciate the growth that she has had and we appreciate the fact that she is so motivated to continue to grow and evolve as a star player.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Sparks added Gabby Williams to the 2022 roster. Williams was acquired by the Sparks via a trade with the Chicago Sky in May but spent last season on the full-season suspended list due to international commitments with the French national team. The team also announced that 2021 No. 7 overall pick Jasmine Walker will return after missing nearly her entire rookie season with a torn ACL.

Tuesday, Jan. 11 — Phoenix Mercury extend qualifying offer to Shey Peddy

The Phoenix Mercury extended a qualifying offer to Shey Peddy on Tuesday. A three-year WNBA veteran, Peddy is a reserved free agent. She joined the Mercury in August of 2020. During the 2021 season, Peddy averaged 4.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

The New York Liberty have also been active, extending qualifying offers to Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe and Paris Kea.

Monday, Jan. 10 — Connecticut Sun offer Jonquel Jones one-year super max contract

The Sun offered reigning league MVP Jonquel Jones a qualifying offer on Monday of a one-year super max contract. Under league rules, the starting supermax salary in 2022 is $228,094. Jones can accept the offer or begin negotiations with any team on Jan. 15 as an unrestricted free agent.

In her MVP campaign last season, Jones led the Sun with 19.4 points per game and finished first in the league with 11.2 rebounds per game.

Friday, Jan. 7 — Sue Bird announces return

Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird broke the silence on her future on Friday, announcing that she will return for her 19th WNBA season in an Instagram post. An unrestricted free agent, the 41-year-old is all but certain to re-sign with Seattle and finish off her career with the team that drafted her No. 1 overall out of UConn in 2002. The Storm indicated Bird’s return on their own Twitter page, later deleting the posts because teams cannot officially announce signings until Feb. 1.

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Throughout her career, Bird has averaged 12.0 points on 43 percent shooting, 5.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes per game.

Thursday, Jan. 6 — Megan Gustafson returns to Washington on training camp contract

The Mystics extended qualifying offers to Megan Gustafson and Myisha Hines-Allen on Wednesday. On Thursday, Gustafson accepted the offer to return for her second season with the Mystics and fourth in the WNBA on a training camp contract. A reserve player, the 6-foot-3 forward averaged four points and 3.6 rebounds in 11 games last season.

OFFICIAL: Megan Gustafson has been signed to a training camp contract pic.twitter.com/UYzOWhgQA3

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) January 6, 2022

Fever forward Chelsey Perry signed her qualifying offer on Thursday to return to the Fever for a second season. The 26th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft averaged 2.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 6.7 minutes in six games last season.

Jaylyn Agnew accepted her qualifying offer with the Atlanta Dream, becoming the first player to sign a training camp contract with the franchise. Agnew last played for the Dream in 2020. The guard averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists through eight games with Sparta&K in the Russian PBL League before sustaining an injury that kept her out of the 2021 WNBA season.

Tuesday, Jan. 4 — Lauren Cox, Beatrice Mompremier, Bridget Carleton sign qualifying offers

Forward Lauren Cox signed her qualifying offer to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, as first reported by JWS. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Cox was waived by the Fever during the 2021 season and signed with the Sparks on June 30.

Beatrice Mompremier, the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft, re-signed with the Connecticut Sun on a one-year, $60,471 qualifying offer deal. The 6-foot-4 forward played in all 23 regular season games for the No. 1 Sun last season.

Guard Bridget Carleton signed her qualifying offer with the Minnesota Lynx to return for the 2022 season. The Ontario native averaged 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.3 minutes per game for the Lynx in 2021.

Monday, Jan. 3 — Natisha Hiedeman re-signs with Connecticut Sun

Natisha Hiedman will return to the Sun for a fourth season after signing her qualifying offer. The guard’s contract is for one year at $72,141, the veteran minimum for three-plus years of service. Hiedeman averaged a career-high 7.6 points in 20 minutes per game last season.

𝓘𝓷𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 ✍️@NatishaHiedeman is back! pic.twitter.com/8sa1HqONNg

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) January 3, 2022

With recent transfers Talia von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen joining first-team All-American JuJu Watkins and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at USC next season, the Trojans look to transition from an up-and-coming squad to a legitimate title contender. 

Former Oregon State graduate student von Oelhoffen is the latest collegiate talent to commit to the program, announcing her transfer Monday via ESPN. She follows ex-Stanford leading-scorer Iriafen in the jump to the pair’s one-time Pac-12 rival.

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The 5-foot-11 Washington native was a two-time All-Pac-12 guard during her time at Oregon State. But after the recent dissolution of the Pac-12, the Corvallis side found themselves without a permanent home conference going forward. Many big name players opted to take their skill elsewhere as a result, with von Oelhoffen’s fellow ex-Beaver Raegan Beers announcing her own departure to Oklahoma on Monday.

According to DraftKings, USC is now tied with UConn for the second-best betting odds to win the 2025 NCAA women’s tournament. Dawn Staley’s tested South Carolina side, poised for a repeat performance, holds down the number one spot.

Last year, LSU loaded up in the transfer portal after beating Iowa to win the 2023 national championship. The Tigers were clear favorites coming into the 2023-24 season, but were bounced in the Elite Eight by Caitlin Clark’s Hawkeyes. Shortly thereafter, star transfer Hailey Van Lith opted to transfer a second time, this time signing with TCU. 

Yet while history proves that an excess of star power doesn’t always translate to on-court chemistry, on paper, USC sure looks ready to hold their own — in 2025 and beyond.

The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, per a Monday afternoon release from U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

According to the statement, they will instead focus on developing a "more equitable" bid for the 2031 tournament, with the ultimate goal of "eliminating investment disparities" between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

The federations went on to cite the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an opportunity to build support for local infrastructure, improve audience engagement, and scale up media and partnership deals in preparation to "host a record-breaking tournament in 2031."

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"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe."

The decision leaves just Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands in the running for the 2027 host spot. Brazil — the rumored frontrunner — has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, while Germany hosted the 2011 tournament as a solo venture. 

Furthermore, this postponement doesn’t mean the U.S. is a shoo-in for 2031, as it's been previously reported that 2022 UEFA Women's EURO host England is considering their own Women's World Cup bid. FIFA is scheduled to confirm the winning bid after the FIFA Congress votes on May 17th.

Former Stanford leading-scorer Kiki Iriafen is set to join star rising sophomore JuJu Watkins at USC next year, reported ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday. 

The 6-foot-3 forward is coming off a breakout season with the Cardinal, where the then-junior led Stanford to the Sweet 16 with an average of 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Walking away with the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Pac-12 team, Iriafen entered the portal at the close of last season and was subsequently ranked second on ESPN’s 2024-2025 transfer ranking list.

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At USC, Iriafen will play out her senior year alongside the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s 2024 National Freshman of the Year JuJu Watkins, forming what could be an explosive partnership for the Trojans as they look to build momentum going into next season. The Southern California side advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 this year, ultimately falling to UConn in a heated 80-73 battle.

Iriafen wasn’t the only one making choices this past week. LSU guard Hailey Van Lith officially announced her own transfer to TCU on Friday, while Princeton standout Kaitlyn Chen committed to UConn for her final year of college eligibility. Other big names still weighing their options are Oregon State's Talia Von Oelhoffen and Raegan Beers, as well as UNC's Deja Kelly.

With conference realignment on the horizon and team fit a contending factor, the NCAA women's basketball transfer portal has been busier than ever. And while transfers can bolster many types of college programs, this particular offseason has seen talent-rich programs growing even richer.

Legendary WNBA superstar Candace Parker announced her retirement from professional basketball on Sunday, effective immediately.

"I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," she wrote in an Instagram post. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it."

The Las Vegas Aces forward was in the midst of rehabbing a right ankle injury and a left foot fracture after missing part of the 2023 season.

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One of women's basketball's most prominent trailblazers, Parker popularized the play of a "big guard." A back-to-back NCAA National Championship winner with Tennessee, she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She was named both WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in her debut season with the league. 

Parker exits the pros a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion, in addition to many more individual accolades. Throughout her 16-year career, she averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. She remains the only player in WNBA history to earn three WNBA titles with three different teams: LA in 2016, Chicago in 2021, and Las Vegas in 2023. 

In her announcement, the 38-year-old implied the physical toll of league play was a driving factor in her ultimate decision to walk away from the game, despite recently signing a one-year deal with Las Vegas.

"This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating," she wrote. "It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing 'she isn’t the same' when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.

"I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped," she continued. "I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special."

Fans weren’t the only ones shocked by Parker’s surprise retirement. In a reaction captured on video, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart responded to the news with a jaw-dropped, eyebrow-raised "What? Wow." 

Yet while the Naperville, Illinois native’s time on the court might be over, Parker says she isn't leaving the world of basketball anytime soon.

"This is the beginning," she wrote. "I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball."