As 2023 WNBA free agency continues to roll, teams around the league are looking to bolster their rosters ahead of the WNBA draft in April and start of the season in May.

The market is stacked with talent this year. And bombshell moves rocked the league early in the free agency period, with Candace Parker joining the Las Vegas Aces and Breanna Stewart headed to the New York Liberty.

Just Women’s Sports is keeping track of the most notable signings and acquisitions as free agency continues.

Feb. 18: Diana Taurasi signs on for two more years with Mercury

Diana Taurasi is returning for season 19, signing a two-year deal with the Phoenix Mercury.

A three-time WNBA champion, Taurasi reportedly signed at the supermax of $234,936. She currently is the WNBA’s all-time leader in scoring (9,693) and three-point field goals (1,297). She remains the only player to have more than 9,000 career points in the WNBA.

Feb. 17: Liberty re-sign Han Xu

The fan favorite and restricted free agent accepted the qualifying offer from the Liberty, which will keep her in New York for a third season.

The 23-year-old center had a breakout year in 2022, averaging 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds across 32 games. She is also a member of the Chinese national team.

Feb. 15: Shey Peddy stays with Mercury

The fifth-year guard will re-sign with Phoenix, reported Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports.

Peddy joined the Mercury during the 2020 season. In her first two full seasons in Phoenix, she averaged 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. She scored the 15th-most points in the WNBA in August before rupturing her Achilles tendon in the first game of the playoffs.

Still, she provided an update on her recovery via Twitter on Jan. 19, writing: “For those inquiring, YES I should be ready in time for the start of the season!! One day at a time.”

Feb. 13: Mercury sign Moriah Jefferson

The Phoenix Mercury signed guard Moriah Jefferson to a reported three-year deal.

Jefferson helped jumpstart the Minnesota Lynx’s offense in 2022 after the team picked her up as a free agent in May. Starting 30 games for the Lynx last season, she averaged 10.8 points, a career-high 4.9 assists and 2.5 rebounds. On June 28, she recorded her first career triple-double against her former team, the Dallas Wings. Prior to the WNBA, Jefferson won four NCAA championships at UConn.

Feb. 13: Sky give Rebekah Gardner a raise

The Sky re-signed guard Rebekah Gardner to a one-year deal worth $100,000, according to Richard Cohen. Instead of accepting her qualifying offer, which was at a $62,285 minimum, Gardner reportedly negotiated the higher salary.

The 32-year-old shined for the Sky in 2022 after going undrafted out of UCLA in 2012 and spending most of her professional basketball career overseas. Gardner was named to the 2022 WNBA All-Rookie Team after finishing second among rookies in steals (1.4 per game) and fifth in scoring (8.4 per game).

Feb. 13: Sun re-sign Brionna Jones to one-yer deal

Connecticut officially announced the re-signing of 2022 Sixth Player of the Year Brionna Jones. After she was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2021, Jones followed it up with another stellar season. She averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals for the Sun in 2022, earning her second All-Star appearance.

The 6-foot-3 center has spent her entire career with the Sun after she was drafted eighth overall in 2017.

Feb. 11: Diamond DeShields, Marina Mabrey dealt in four-team trade

The Dallas Wings acquired All-Star guard Diamond DeShields and the Chicago Sky picked up breakout guard Marina Mabrey in a four-team WNBA trade. As part of the deal, the Phoenix Mercury acquired 2021 Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere from the New York Liberty and the Liberty received the rights to forward Leonie Fiebich.

The Sky gave up six draft picks in the trade, including three first-round picks to Dallas. That includes Chicago’s 2023 and 2024 first-round selections and 2025 first-round swap rights. The 2024 draft class is expected to be especially deep with NCAA stars Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Cameron and Angel Reese likely entering the draft.

the 4-team WNBA trade is done, per ... all the teams

it's confusing so here is what happened: pic.twitter.com/PIYC2AHsoW

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) February 11, 2023

Feb. 9: Sun send No. 6 pick to Dream for Tiffany Hayes

The Connecticut Sun acquired the rights to veteran shooting guard Tiffany Hayes in a trade with the Atlanta Dream. In exchange, Connecticut sent the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft to Atlanta.

Hayes has spent her entire 10-year WNBA career with Atlanta. She finishes her tenure as the Dream’s franchise leader in made 3-pointers (325) and is one of only five active WNBA players with over 3,800 points, 900 rebounds, 650 assists and 300 steals in her career.

Feb. 8: Sparks re-sign Jordin Canada

The Los Angeles Sparks re-signed guard Jordin Canada to a training camp contract. The Los Angeles native signed with her hometown team on a one-year deal last February. In 2022, she averaged 9.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 32 games and 25 starts.

Drafted fifth overall by the Seattle Storm in 2018, Canada won two WNBA championships and was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team as the league’s steals leader in 2019.

Feb. 5: Aces send Amanda Zahui B. to Mystics

The Las Vegas Aces acquired the negotiating rights to Zahui B. in their trade of Dearica Hamby, then flipped those rights to the Washington Mystics. In return, the Aces receive the Mystics’ second-round draft picks in 2024 and 2025.

Zahui B. did not play in the WNBA last season after she was placed on the suspended list due to her overseas obligations. Through seven WNBA seasons, the center has averaged 6.2 points per game.

Feb. 3: Sky continue to replenish roster

Courtney Williams and Elizabeth Williams are joining the Sky as the team looks to reload after a free agency exodus. Harrison also has joined the Sky, who have just one starter in Kahleah Copper left under contract for 2023.

Courtney Williams averaged 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Connecticut Sun in 2022. Elizabeth Williams averaged 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Washington Mystics in 2022, and she is joining the Sky on a two-year deal worth $135,000 annually, Her Hoops Stats’ Richard Cohen reported.

Feb. 3: Kia Nurse to join Seattle Storm

The Storm lost Breanna Stewart to free agency and Sue Bird to retirement, but they are set to add Kia Nurse. Nurse tore her ACL during the 2021 playoffs and missed the entire 2022 season, but she did play for the Canada women’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in September.

The Storm also are expected to sign Arella Guirantes, reported Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports and Winsidr.

Feb. 3: Lynx to re-sign Lindsay Allen and Bridget Carleton

The Minnesota Lynx will re-sign both Allen and Carleton. Allen averaged 6.7 points per game in 2022, while Carleton averaged 4.3 points per game.

The Lynx also signed guard Tiffany Mitchell, who spent the first seven years of her career with the Indiana Fever. She averaged 6.5 points and 1.2 assists per game for the Fever last season.

Feb. 2: Sky lose Azurá Stevens but add Isabelle Harrison

Stevens will sign with the Los Angeles Sparks, reported Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports and Winsidr.

While the 27-year-old forward has played for the Chicago Sky since 2020, she joins the exodus from the team, along with Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley.

But not all hope was lost for Chicago, as free-agent forward Isabelle Harrison announced on social media that she is signing with the Sky.

In 18 games last season, Harrison averaged 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She averaged less than 15 minutes per game in the latter half of the season, and she was vocal about her frustrations with former Wings head coach Vickie Johnson.

The Wings signed Crystal Dangerfield to a multi-year deal after acquiring her negotiating rights from the New York Liberty via trade in January. In addition to the 2020 Rookie of the Year, Dallas also added 2019 first-round pick Kalani Brown.

Feb. 1: Sophie Cunningham re-signs with Mercury

The 26-year-old restricted free agent agreed to a two-year deal to remain with the Phoenix Mercury, reported Rachel Galligan of Just Women’s Sports and Winsidr.

The 2019 draft pick averaged a career-high 12.6 points per game in the 2022 season. She also has shot 40% or better from 3-point range in each of the last two seasons.

Feb. 1: Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike to stick with Sparks

The sisters are both expected to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks, ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported Wednesday, confirming what many already expected.

Nneka Ogwumike was drafted by the Sparks with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, and she has spent her entire WNBA career with the team. Chiney Ogwumike started her career with the Connecticut Sun in 2014 but joined her older sister in Los Angeles in 2019.

The Sparks also re-signed Lexie Brown. The 28-year-old wing is entering her sixth WNBA season and her second with Los Angeles. The team also signed forward Stephanie Talbot to a two-year deal.

Feb. 1: Erica Wheeler signs with Fever

The 31-year-old guard spent the 2022 season with the Atlanta Dream, but she signed a two-year deal to return to the Indiana Fever. She played in Indiana from 2016-19, and in her last season with the team she was named the MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game.

Feb. 1: Teaira McCowan stays with Wings

The 26-year-old center was traded to the Dallas Wings from the Indiana Fever ahead of the 2022 season, and now she has agreed to a multi-year deal to stay in Dallas.

The Texas native excelled in the final stretch of the 2022 season, posting four double-doubles and averaging 17.4 points and 11.6 rebounds in August.

Feb. 1: Kristi Toliver returns to Mystics

The 36-year-old guard spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks but won a WNBA title with the Washington Mystics in 2019.

The Mystics also re-signed guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who played for the team from 2017-19 and then returned during the 2021 season. But the team relinquished the rights to Japanese guard Rui Machida, who joined Washington for the 2022 season.

Feb. 1: Aces add Candace Parker, Alysha Clark and Cayla George

The defending WNBA champions officially inked Parker, reportedly to a one-year, $100,000 deal. The 36-year-old forward had announced her intent to sign with the Las Vegas Aces over the weekend.

The Aces also signed Alysha Clark, in line with a report from earlier in the week, as well as Cayla George, a four-time champion in Australia’s WNBL.

Feb. 1: AD Durr re-signs with Dream

Durr is re-signing with the Atlanta Dream, sources confirmed to Rachel Galligan for Just Women’s Sports.

The 25-year-old guard joined the Dream in June via trade with the New York Liberty, averaging 10.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15 appearances before missing the end of the season with a hip injury.

Atlanta also re-signed Nia Coffey. The 27-year-old forward joined the team in 2022.

Feb. 1: Breanna Stewart signs with Liberty

The 2018 WNBA MVP had narrowed her free agency options to the New York Liberty or the Seattle Storm. On the opening day of the signing period, Stewart revealed her destination.

“I decided to go to New York because I want to continue to be great,” Stewart said.

Jan. 31: Teams and players prepare for signing period

Wednesday will usher in the start of the free agency signing period, so players officially will be able to sign contracts ahead of the 2023 season.

Dozens of players are on the market, and Just Women’s Sports has the full list.

Jan. 29: Mystics to sign Brittney Sykes; Alysha Clark to Aces

Brittney Sykes reached a three-year deal with the Washington Mystics, as first reported by The Next Hoops and confirmed by the Washington Post. The 28-year-old guard joins Washington after three seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.

That move left Alysha Clark without an obvious spot in the Mystics’ lineup, but the 35-year-old wing is headed to the Las Vegas Aces, per a report from The Next Hoops. Clark had met with six different teams in free agency.

Jan. 28: Candace Parker to join Las Vegas

Parker plans to sign with the Las Vegas Aces, she announced via Instagram. The two-time WNBA MVP cited her family as the reason behind her decision.

“After evaluating the landscape together with my family, we’ve decided the Las Vegas Aces are the right organization for us at this point in our lives,” she wrote, adding that her “family’s home is on the West Coast.”

Angel City officially cut the ribbon on their new training facility on Tuesday, showing off their expanded performance center as NWSL preseason gets underway.

The nine-acre Thousand Oaks site boasts 1.5 full-sized pitches and 50,000 square feet of indoor space, making it the league's largest NWSL-specific practice ground.

The center also houses a 5,400-square-foot gym, multiple locker rooms, medical offices, an outdoor lounge, an onsite content studio, a children's playroom, and rehab, hydrotherapy, and nutrition areas.

Having practiced at Cal Lutheran University since the expansion franchise's 2022 debut, ACFC later relocated across campus to the former home of the NFL's LA Rams. They then transformed the site into their record-setting performance center after completing a multi-million dollar remodel.

"Today we get to celebrate an extraordinary milestone for Angel City. Our new performance center reflects our commitment to the future of ACFC to its sustained excellence, and to providing our players with the best possible environment to train, to recover, and to thrive," said ACFC controlling owner Willow Bay in a statement. "My husband Bob Iger and I know how important it is, and how essential it is to ensure that our players have everything they need to be successful both on and off the pitch. This state-of-the-art performance center, let's be clear — it sets the bar, but it really should be the norm."

An unmatched tool for the new NWSL recruitment era

Offering a record-setting performance center to Angel City players could have the unexpected benefit of attracting and retaining future talent for LA.

With the abolishment of NWSL college and expansion drafts and the requirement to gain player permission for all trades taking effect under the league's new CBA, clubs now face a new era of athlete recruitment.

Rather than benefitting from the previous and arguably more passive system, NWSL franchises must now take a decidedly more active approach to roster-building by wooing potential players and impressing those currently on their squads. Adding top-tier facilities is a major way to sweeten the deal, giving Angel City a potential leg up over other clubs.

"This facility, when people have been here and seen this, I don't know how you're going to want to leave," incoming Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons told reporters at yesterday's unveiling event.

"My job has just got much, much more easy with this facility," Parsons continued. "This is unlike nowhere else. I’m excited to be a part of an organization that cares that much. But I’m also excited that my skill set just got a bit easier, because everyone’s going to want to be here."

USWNT star Naomi Girma will reportedly become the first women's soccer player to garner a transfer fee of over $1 million, as the decorated young center back narrows her overseas suitors down to WSL side Chelsea FC.

The 24-year-old defender is currently under contract with the San Diego Wave until 2026, and reported to the NWSL club's first day of preseason training as expected on Tuesday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

While Girma's contract is still in negotiations, San Diego and the UK titans have agreed upon the deal's $1.1 million terms — by far the highest sum in the history of pro women's football. The previous record is held by Rachael Kundananji, for whom Bay FC shelled out $860,000 to Spain's Madrid CFF to roster the Zambian forward in February 2024.

Chelsea, who currently stands unbeaten in the WSL halfway through the league's 2024/25 season, is keen to bolster their back line after losing star Canadian center back Kadeisha Buchanan to an ACL injury last November.

France's Olympique Lyonnais also threw their hat in the the million-dollar ring for Girma, only to fall out of contention alongside Chelsea rival Arsenal.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

San Diego's Wave of roster turnovers

Assuming the transfer goes through, Girma will be one of several high-profile players exiting the 2023 NWSL Shield-winning San Diego club ahead of the 2025 season. Girma joins the NC Courage-bound attacker Jaedyn Shaw in making a SoCal departure.

In response, the Wave has been actively filling roster spots, signing 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong off of her 2024 College Cup-winning freshman season with UNC last week before adding seasoned goalkeeper and free agent Didi Haračić as well as Nigerian midfielder Favour Emmanuel on Monday. 

Inking Armstrong to a three-year deal seems particularly strategic in the wake of Girma's likely departure. It signals that the Wave are again looking to young defensive talent to replace the 2022 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick.

Ultimately, a transfer fee of this magnitude solidifies Girma's reputation as one of the world's top defenders. While still accounting for less than 1% of spending in the men's game, her historic fee is further proof that the global women's market is growing at breakneck speeds.

The NWSL released its full 2025 schedule on Wednesday morning, locking in 190 league contests across all competitions.

The 2025 Challenge Cup will set the stage on Friday, March 7th with a 2024 NWSL Championship rematch between the title-winning Orlando Pride and runners-up Washington Spirit.

One week later, the official 2025 NWSL Kickoff weekend will see all 14 teams in action as the 182-game regular season gets underway. Each club will play a total of 26 regular-season matches, split equally between home and away contests, before the league's eight top teams will battle through seven playoff games in November.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

A mid-summer break begins in late June with a CBA-mandated week-off. The pause extends one month through July to allow for international play. That's when certain national team players will compete for their countries in confederation tournaments while clubs will be free to schedule friendlies. No additional NWSL tournaments will occur during that window.

In one minor adjustment from the league's earlier calendar announcement, the 2025 regular season will be played over 26 weeks (rather than 25) to mitigate the need for midweek games.

The shift also accommodates for the return of Decision Day, which is making a comeback for the first time since 2023. In the popular format, all teams will compete simultaneously to close out the regular season on Sunday, November 2nd.

Moves up season excitement

With playoff positioning often coming down to the wire, capping the regular season with a Decision Day can dramatically up the stakes and increase excitement for the impending playoffs.

In another move to capitalize on fandom enthusiasm, the NWSL has added a dedicated rivalry weekend to its 2025 calendar. From August 8th through 10th, old feuds like the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign's Cascadia Clash will share the spotlight with newer grudges like Angel City and San Diego's SoCal Classic.

How to watch the 2025 NWSL season

Entering the second year of the league's blockbuster broadcast deal, 160 total games will air across Prime Video, ION, ESPN, and CBS platforms this season, with the remaining 30 matches streaming on NWSL+. International distribution is still in negotiations.

Starting the NWSL's 2025 action is the Challenge Cup between Orlando and Washington, which begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 7th, streaming live on Prime Video.

Two concurrent matches will kick off the 2025 regular season at 8 PM ET on Friday, March 14th: Houston will face Washington on NWSL+, while Orlando takes on the newly branded Chicago Stars FC on Prime Video.

South Carolina boss Dawn Staley became the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball history on Friday, when the three-time national champion inked a contract extension worth over $25 million to remain with the Gamecocks.

At an annual salary of $4 million — plus a $500,000 signing bonus and a yearly $250,000 escalator — the deal locks in Staley through the 2029/30 season.

A significant bump from her previous $3.2 million annual payday, the new contract sees Staley leapfrog over UConn legend Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey to top the league in compensation.

Calling her "a once-in-a-generation coach," athletic director Jeremiah Donati noted that Staley "has elevated the sport of women's basketball on the national level and here on campus, and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Locking in a South Carolina legend

Since taking the helm in 2008, Staley has led South Carolina to 630 wins, 16 SEC titles, and 12 straight NCAA tournament appearances including five Final Fours and three national championships.

After taking South Carolina to an 128-4 record since her previous contract extension in 2021, this new agreement all but squashes any rumors about the coach's departure.

Despite a clause releasing Staley from an early departure penalties should she exit for a WNBA or NBA job, the legendary college leader has no intentions to leave Columbia.

"I will never leave here to go take another college job," Staley told reporters after the No. 2 Gamecocks' Sunday win over then-No. 13 Oklahoma. "[And] I don't have a passion for the next level. I don't. I would've been gone."

As the Hall of Famer continues setting the on-court NCAA standard in her 17th season with South Carolina, Staley's record-breaking contract both reflects the sport's overall rising stock and pushes for even more investment in the game.

Pledging to prove the impact of supporting both her and the game itself, Staley committed "to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball is one that will pay off for everyone."