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WNBA Free Agency Tracker and Analysis

SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 19: Skylar Diggins-Smith #4 of the Dallas Wings handles the ball against the Seattle Storm on August 19, 2018 at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE via Getty Images)

It’s been an unbelievably hectic start to WNBA free agency. Thanks to the groundbreaking new CBA signed in January, player movement is more fluid than ever before. Increased cap space, a reduction in the number of times a team can core a player, and improved max contracts give both teams and players greater flexibility in moving contracts and picks. 

Below, we break down the biggest deals of the offseason so far:

  • Phoenix has a new Big Three: The Mercury traded all-star DeWanna Bonner to the Connecticut Sun for three first-round picks, which they then used to land Skylar Diggins-Smith in a subsequent deal with Dallas. Diggins-Smith will team up with Diana Taurasi and a recently resigned Brittney Griner to make the Mercury immediate title contenders.

  • Washington keeps two of three: the defending champions were able to resign both reigning league MVP Elena Delle Donne and reigning finals MVP Emma Meeseman, but all-star guard Kristi Toliver bolted west to return to LA, whom she played for from 2010-2016, winning a title in 2016.

  • Sparks may be the new favorites: Tolliver will join former MVPs Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike, as well as all-star Chelsea Gray in headlining a loaded Sparks squad. Throw in Brittney Sykes (acquired from Atlanta in exchange for Kalani Brown) and the most disappointing team of 2019 now looks like the team to beat heading into 2020.

  • Las Vegas rolls the dice: The Aces pulled off one of the splashiest signings of free agency when they inked two-time scoring champion Angel McCoughtry to a two-year deal. A lineup of McCoughtry, A’ja Wilson, Liz Cambage, Kelsey Plum and Kayla McBride is scary on paper, but McCoughtry’s health is a real concern: she missed the end of the 2018 season and all of the 2019 season with a torn ACL.

  • Seattle resigns Stewart: The Storm re-signed 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart, who missed all of last season after rupturing her Achilles tendon while playing abroad. Stewart returned to the court with Team USA in an exhibition game against UConn last month, where she looked eager to reclaim her title as best player in the league.

FULL 2020 FREE AGENCY TRACKER (BY TEAM):

Updated February 17th. UFA: unrestricted free agent; RFA: restricted free agent; CO: club option.

Atlanta Dream:
  • Alex Bentley, UFA

  • Kalani Brown (via trade with Sparks)

  • Alaina Coates, UFA

  • Glory Johnson (contract signed, previously with Wings)

  • Sun Mengran, UFA

  • Shekinna Stricklen (contract signed, previously with Sun)

Chicago Sky:

  • Kayla Alexander, UFA

  • Sydney Colson (contract signed, previously with Aces)

  • Kahleah Copper, UFA

  • Stefanie Dolson, UFA

  • Jamierra Faulkner, UFA

  • Allie Quigley, UFA

  • Courtney Vandersloot, UFA

Connecticut Sun:

  • Rachel Banham, RFA

  • DeWanna Bonner (via sign and trade with Mercury)

  • Natisha Hiedeman (contract signed)

  • Bria Holmes (contract signed)

  • Jonquel Jones, UFA

  • Courtney Williams, UFA

Dallas Wings:

  • Morgan Bertsch (contract signed)

  • Kaela Davis, CO

  • Allisha Gray, CO

  • Megan Gustafson (contract signed)

  • Isabelle Harrison (contract signed)

  • Moriah Jefferson (contract signed)

  • Brooke McCarty-Williams, UFA

  • Imani McGee-Stafford (contract signed)

  • Astou Ndour (via trade with Sky)

  • Karlie Samuelson (contract signed, previously with Sparks)

Indiana Fever:

  • Betnijah Laney, UFA

  • Erica McCall, CO

  • Tiffany Mitchell, UFA

Las Vegas Aces

  • Liz Cambage, UFA

  • Angel McCoughtry (contract signed, previously with Dream)

  • Danielle Robinson (contract signed, previously with Lynx)

  • Sugar Rodgers, UFA

  • Carolyn Swords, UFA

  • Tamera Young, UFA

Los Angeles Sparks

  • Alana Beard, UFA

  • Chelsea Gray, UFA

  • Marie Gulich (via trade with Dream)

  • Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (contract signed)

  • Brittney Sykes (via trade with Dream)

  • Kristi Toliver (contract signed, previously with Mystics)

Minnesota Lynx

  • Seimone Augustus, UFA

  • Temi Fagbenle, UFA

New York Liberty

  • Tina Charles, UFA

  • Layshia Clarendon (contract signed, previously with Sun)

  • Reshanda Gray, UFA

  • Marine Johannès, UFA

  • Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, RFA

  • Kiah Stokes, UFA

  • Tanisha Wright, UFA

Phoenix Mercury

  • Essence Carson, UFA

  • Skylar Diggins-Smith (via trade with Wings)

  • Brittney Griner (contract signed)

  • Bria Hartley (contract signed, previously with Liberty)

  • Yvonne Turner, UFA

u2B50uFE0F4x WNBA All-Star
u2B50uFE0F3x All-WNBA
u2B50uFE0F2014 Most Improved Player
u2B50uFE0F2013 No. 3 Overall Pick


Coming to a Madhouse near you. pic.twitter.com/496A2eKL2B

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 12, 2020

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Seattle Storm

  • Sue Bird, UFA

  • Blake Dietrick, RFA

  • Courtney Paris, UFA

  • Breanna Stewart (contract signed)

  • Morgan Tuck (via trade with Sun)

  • Shavonte Zellous, UFA

Washington Mystics

  • Elena Delle Donne (contract signed)

  • Tianna Hawkins, UFA

  • Emma Meesseman, UFA

  • Kim Mestdagh, UFA

  • Leilani Mitchell (contract signed, previously with Mercury)

  • Aerial Powers, UFA

Gotham FC Signs Record-Breaking Sponsorship Deal with Dove

Emily Sonnett shows off the new Dove sponsorship above her last name on her Gotham jersey.
Dove's partnership with Gotham is the brand's first major investment in a women's sports team. (Gotham FC)

Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.

As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.

While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.

Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports

The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.

"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."

"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."

With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.

After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.

"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."

Unrivaled to Crown First-Ever 1v1 Tournament Champion

Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier dribbles the ball during an Unrivaled game.
Napheesa Collier is one of four Unrivaled players competing for the 1v1 tournament's $200,000 prize. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball will crown its first-ever 1v1 tournament champion on Friday night, when all four semifinalists take the court with a $200,000 grand prize on the line.

Vinyl guard Arike Ogunbowale will kick off the semis against Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards, before Unrivaled co-founder and Lunar Owls forward Napheesa Collier faces Rose forward Azurá Stevens. The victors will immediately advance to the night's best-of-three final series.

Notably, Friday's set puts alma mater pride on center court. A trio of UConn alums in Collier, Stevens, and Edwards will all clock in, while Ogunbowale reps Notre Dame — one of just three teams to beat the Huskies this NCAA season.

Along with those priceless bragging rights, the semifinalists are battling for a six-figure payday, though none will leave empty-handed. Each are guaranteed at least $25,000, with $50,000 on deck for the tournament's runner-up.

The players' Unrivaled teammates will also be watching with interest, as the winner's entire 3×3 team will snag $10,000 each.

Though 1v1 can feel like a schoolyard version of basketball, with this much money involved, expect the competition to rise miles above playground tussles.

Rose BC's Angel Reese defends Mist forward Aaliyah Edwards during an Unrivaled game.
Aaliyah Edwards is one of three UConn alums in the Unrivaled 1v1 semifinals. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Endurance could decide Unrivaled 1v1 tournament champion

Friday's format is in part a test of stamina, as players stare down a grueling schedule where the eventual winner must play either three or four 1v1 games in a single night.

To that end, Collier's elite conditioning could make her the favorite, if she can outlast Stevens in the pair's semifinal.

"Her motor is unmatched," Stevens said of Collier's endurance, a key factor in her success so far. "I try to conserve some energy in between possessions, especially when the games get really tiring."

Motors aside, Friday's title will boil down to fundamentals — and which athlete best leverages their personal skillset.

"I have to use my size and stick to my strengths," said Edwards. "It’s about imposing my will and getting the job done."

How to watch the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament finals

The inaugural Unrivaled 1v1 tournament concludes on Friday. Live coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.

USC Beats UCLA as JuJu Watkins Ends Bruins’ Undefeated NCAA Season

USC's JuJu Watkins drives to the basket between UCLA's Janiah Barker and Elina Aarnisalo.
Watkins scored 38 points to hand UCLA their first loss of the season. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn Images)

The last perfect DI basketball season has officially fallen, as USC phenom JuJu Watkins put up a historic performance to lead the No. 6 Trojans to a 71-60 win over then-undefeated No. 1 UCLA on Thursday.

Watkins finished the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks, becoming the first DI player to register an overall stat-line so robust in 20 years.

"It took everything. It's been a rough couple weeks for me," Watkins said after the game, referencing uncharacteristic performances leading up to Thursday's rivalry matchup. "To be able to kind of snap back into it and get into my rhythm here at Galen versus UCLA, it's really all I could ask for."

"I'm really just like a kid out there and living out my dream."

Throughout the back-and-forth battle, Watkins's consistency made all the difference. She scored every one of USC's 14 second-quarter points, and helped lead a monster fourth quarter in which the Trojans slammed the door by outscoring the Bruins 24-8.

"I didn't teach JuJu any of that," commented USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb after the game. "[I] just try to put her in situations to be her best self, and she does most of that work. What I was so impressed with tonight, obviously, was just the mentality she came out with."

With the marquee win, USC now sits firmly atop the Big Ten. That said, UCLA will have a chance to avenge the loss in the pair's March 1st rematch, when that final regular-season game could decide the conference title.

Until then, the Trojans will be riding high on their Thursday night dominance.

"We'll never forget this night," Gottlieb said. "It's as good as anything I've ever seen."

UConn star Paige Bueckers dribbles the ball during a game.
UConn takes on South Carolina on Sunday. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

How to watch Top 10 NCAA basketball this weekend

With no undefeated teams left in DI basketball, Watkins's performance has put the field on notice to not make any assumptions about who might end up on top.

While Sunday will see USC roll against unranked Washington and UCLA try to bounce back against No. 22 Michigan State, the NCAA slate will also serve up two huge Top 10 matchups.

First, No. 7 UConn will take their final major regular-season test when they visit No. 4 South Carolina at 1 PM ET, when Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will aim to pull off a similarly impressive USC-inspired upset.

Then at 3 PM ET, No. 5 LSU heads to No. 3 Texas, where the Tigers will hunt their first win over the Longhorns in more than 22 years.

Both elite meetings are set to air live on ABC.

Pro Women’s Lacrosse League Debuts at WLL Championship Series

A promotional graphic for the WLL Championship Series.
The WLL played its first-ever pro games at this week's Lexus Championship Series. (ESPN)

The brand-new professional Women's Lacrosse League (WLL) made its official debut this week just outside of Washington, DC, where its first-ever game saw the New York Charging take down the Maryland Charm 14-13 in the WLL Championship Series.

After the inaugural Tuesday result, the action continued on Wednesday, when the California Palms opened their WLL account by getting the better of the Boston Guard in a tight 16-15 matchup.

Founded and run by the Premier Lacrosse League, the WLL fosters top-level competition as the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic return.

The four-team WLL Championship Series follows an Olympic-style "sixes" format. Unlike traditional lacrosse, which uses a larger pitch and 10 athletes per team, sixes employs a condensed field with six players per side.

In the Championship Series, teams are first competing in three round-robin games to determine semifinal seedings. The tournament will culminate with the knockout semifinal and final rounds on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Team USA lacrosse star Charlotte North gestures during a 2022 World Championship game.
Team USA star Charlotte North competes for the WLL's Boston Guard. (Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)

WLL looks to level up lacrosse ahead of 2028 Olympics

Despite the competition's quick turnaround, the WLL represents a growing professionalization movement in women's lacrosse — with all involved betting big on the sport's Olympic success in LA.

When lacrosse steps back onto the Olympic stage in 2028, it will have been 80 years since its last 1948 outing — and even then, it was merely a demonstration event. The last time the sport earned medals was in 1908.

Furthermore, the sport's entire Olympic history rests in the men's game — 2028 will see women take the Olympic lacrosse pitch for the first time ever.

"We are honored to be a part of the WLL, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this game to the fans in new ways than ever before," said Boston Guard star Charlotte North in a league statement.

"We firmly believe that this is the beginning of what will be a monumental movement in the game of professional women's lacrosse, and for female athletes around the globe.... It's our time."

Former Northwestern lacrosse star Izzy Scane shoots the ball during an NCAA game.
Izzy Scane, the NCAA DI lacrosse career scoring leader, plays for the New York Charging. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

How to watch the WLL Championship Series

The tournament's round-robin play continues with the Maryland Charm facing off against the Boston guard at 9 PM ET on Thursday, before the California Palms contend with the New York Charging at 6 PM ET on Friday.

All WLL Championship Series games will stream live on ESPN+, with Sunday's and Monday's knockout rounds airing live on ESPN2.

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