WNBA free agency is upon us, with teams extending qualifying offers to 2022 reserved free agents as of Jan. 1. As the activity heats up, we made a cheat sheet to get you ready for what should be an eventful free agency period.
A reserved free agent is any player who is out of a contract and has been in the WNBA for three years or fewer. These players can negotiate only with their previous team. Teams have until Jan. 14 to extend qualifying offers to reserved players.
Any player with four years of service in the WNBA is considered a restricted free agent. These players can negotiate and sign with any team in the league, but their previous team has the “right of first refusal” to match any offer and try to retain the player.
Unrestricted free agents have completed a contract and played at least five years in the WNBA. A player can also become a UFA if they are cut by a team and passed through waivers without being claimed. Unless designated a core player, a UFA is free to negotiate and sign with any team.
A core player, as mentioned above, is unable to negotiate with other teams, but the team that has cored them must offer a one-year supermax contract. The team and player are able to negotiate a longer contract, but the tag will stick to that player for the length of the contract unless the player is traded, waived or retires. Each team has one core player designation, such as Phoenix with Brittney Griner and Los Angeles with Nneka Ogwumike. A player can be cored for only two seasons.
Teams may begin contract negotiations with free agents on Jan. 15, and players may officially sign contracts starting Feb. 1.
UFAs: Briann January, Jonquel Jones
Reserved: Natisha Hiedeman (signed qualifying offer), Stephanie Jones (extended QO), Beatrice Mompremier (signed QO)
UFA: Jessica Breland
RFA: Lindsay Allen (extended QO)
Reserved: Victoria Vivians (extended QO), Temi Fagbenle (extended QO), Emma Cannon (extended QO), Chelsey Perry (extended QO), Bernadett Határ (extended QO)
UFA: Nia Coffey
Reserved: Te’a Cooper (extended QO), Lauren Cox (signed QO), Marianna Tolo
UFAs: Kahleah Copper, Stefanie Dolson, Astou Ndour-Fall, Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot
RFAs: Diamond DeShields (extended QO), Lexie Brown (extended QO)
UFAs: Tina Charles, Leilani Mitchell, Theresa Plaisance, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Shavonte Zellous
RFA: Myisha Hines-Allen
Reserved: Megan Gustafson
UFAs: Sue Bird, Cierra Burdick, Jewell Loyd, Breanna Stewart
RFAs: Jordin Canada (extended QO), Mercedes Russell (extended QO), Stephanie Talbot (extended QO)
Reserved: Karlie Samuelson
UFAs: Liz Cambage, Angel McCoughtry, Kiah Stokes, Riquna Williams
RFA: A’ja Wilson
Reserved: JiSu Park
UFAs: Rachel Banham, Layshia Clarendon, Sylvia Fowles
Reserved: Bridget Carleton (signed QO), Anna Cruz (extended QO)
UFAs: Sophie Cunningham, Alanna Smith
RFA: Kia Nurse
Reserved: Shey Peddy, Sonja Petrovic
UFAs: Rebecca Allen, Reshanda Gray
Reserved: Paris Kea, Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe
UFAs: Blake Dietrick, Tiffany Hayes, Odyssey Sims, Shekinna Stricklen, Courtney Williams, Elizabeth Williams
RFA: Monique Billings (extended QO)
Reserved: Jaylyn Agnew (extended QO), Crystal Bradford
The Wings have no free agents and had previously exercised options on Satou Sabally, Tyasha Harris and Bella Alarie.