The 2026 Finals tipped off on Saturday, but plenty of WNBA fans are already looking ahead to the offseason. With dozens of player contracts expiring, some of the biggest names in the game are gearing up for free agency this winter. Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Mitchell and Jackie Young are all up for grabs, and where those WNBA free agents land could shake up the league for years to come.
So why are so many stars available at once? It comes down to timing. The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement wasn’t finalized until March, giving players — including decorated veterans — a short window to settle on a landing place. Rather than lock in long term, most signed one-year deals, betting that a second trip through the market would pay off under a salary cap that jumped from $1.5 million to $7 million.
They were right. Now fans are digging into the business side of the game to predict where their favorite stars might end up before next season’s tipoff. From the Indiana Fever, who have multiple players available, to established big names like Kelsey Plum weighing new opportunities, everyone has something to gain — and, maybe more importantly, lose — this offseason.
Here’s how we’re making sense of it, with a 2027 free agency power ranking spotlighting the league’s most in-demand players and predicting where they might be headed next.
1. Napheesa Collier (Minnesota)
2026 stats: 16.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 50.0 FG%, 44.4 3P%
Napheesa Collier bet on herself last spring, turning down a long-term contract in favor of a one-year, $1.4 million deal. Then she missed the first half of the WNBA season recovering from ankle surgery, making her debut in July. In the 16 games that followed, she shot a career-best 44.4% from 3-point range as Minnesota finished 33-11 and grabbed the No. 1 seed. However, none of that softened the blow when No. 8 New York swept the Lynx in the first round.
Now Captain Collier is free to move. Minnesota can’t core her — meaning the Lynx don’t hold exclusive rights to her contract — and every team with cap space knows it. Even though Collier maintains she “loves it” in Minnesota, she’ll weigh her options in free agency very carefully. The Lynx will likely pay big to keep her, but if Jackie Young leaves Las Vegas, the Aces could come calling.
2. Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana)
2026 stats: 24.7 PPG, 2.8 APG, 50.9 FG%, 45.0 3P%
No 2027 free agent is coming off a better year than Kelsey Mitchell. The longtime Fever guard hit career highs across the board in 2026, earning AP All-WNBA First Team honors and pushing A’ja Wilson in the MVP race. Despite the effort, No. 6 Indiana made an early playoff exit, falling to No. 3 Las Vegas for the second straight postseason.
Though Mitchell has spent her entire career in Indiana, she hinted in her exit interview that she plans to “be selfish” about what comes next. Fever GM Amber Cox has called re-signing her a top priority. However, with stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston already making max money, the math is tight. If talks stall, the guard-starved Aces would be a natural fit, though Golden State and young Washington could also put out feelers as they look to bulk up offenses.
3. Jackie Young (Las Vegas)
2026 stats: 18.9 PPG, 6.8 APG, 4.4 RPG, 48.8 FG%, 38.3 3P%
Jackie Young had the best regular season of her career — and the worst playoff exit.
She set career highs in scoring and assists, becoming one of just four players to finish in Top 10 in the WNBA in both categories. Then the Valkyries swept the Aces in the semifinals, with Young shooting 31.6% from the field. She skipped outside meetings last offseason, and her bond with A’ja Wilson makes a return to Las Vegas the likeliest outcome. But the Aces’ supporting cast is aging, and if Young wants a change, now’s the time to pull the trigger.
4. Kelsey Plum (Phoenix)
2026 stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.4 APG, 51.9 FG%, 37.7 3P%
Kelsey Plum is 2027 free agency’s toughest evaluation. She averaged a career-best 23.9 points in 12 games for LA before a lower left leg injury shut her down in June. The Sparks subsequently traded her to Phoenix, where she posted 15.8 points per game across five appearances before the same issue sidelined her again in August.
At 32, she’s still one of the league’s best shot creators — when healthy. Plum took $999,999 last spring to give the Sparks cap flexibility, so a bigger payday is overdue. Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts says the team intends to keep its new star, but a lackluster season means Phoenix must think hard about how to build around her.
5. Rae Burrell (LA)
2026 stats: 14.6 PPG, 2.5 APG, 45.5 FG%, 38.3 3P%
Rae Burrell is the most intriguing name on this list, and it’s not just her numbers. She logged career highs in minutes and scoring, with more starts than her first four seasons combined — all on a 16-28 LA team where consistent play was hard to find.
The catch is her contract status. Burrell is a restricted free agent, so LA can match any offer she receives. A Chicago or Phoenix could bet big with an offer that makes the Sparks uncomfortable, but LA holds the cards. And at 26, Burrell is a two-way wing entering her prime — something the Sparks need now more than ever.
6. Pauline Astier (New York)
2026 stats: 9.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.7 RPG, 54.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%
Rookies don’t usually play 44 games for a title-contending team, but Pauline Astier did. The 24-year-old French guard stepped into New York’s rotation on day one and shot 54.6% from the field on a 26-18 roster packed with established talent.
However, the All-Rookie Team selection is a reserved free agent, meaning she can only negotiate with New York. That limits her marketability but not her value. Locking her in before the rest of the league gets creative should sit near the top of the Liberty’s offseason to-do list.
7. Natasha Cloud (Chicago)
2026 stats: 11.1 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.4 RPG, 49.0 FG%, 35.7 3P%
A year ago, Natasha Cloud couldn’t get a team to commit in free agency. She waited until just days before tipoff before signing a one-year, $555,000 deal with Chicago. And then she spent five months proving she was worth more, shooting 49% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point range while serving as Chicago’s lynchpin.
Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca called her “one of the best passers and defenders in our league,” but this offseason will look different. Cloud is 34, so her next deal will likely be short, but she should get to choose this time. Chicago will want her back, though contenders like Indiana and Las Vegas could use her two-way skills too.
8. Awak Kuier (Dallas)
2026 stats: 6.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 50.8 FG%, 39.0 3P%
You can find rim protectors in the WNBA, and you can find shooters. Finding both in the same 6-foot-6 frame is a much tougher ask.
Awak Kuier blocked 1.8 shots per game and hit 39% from 3-point range for Dallas while shooting 50.8% from the field. And she’s still only 25. That skill and age combo makes her one of the more valuable players in the 2027 WNBA free agency pool. With DeWanna Bonenr out, Phoenix badly needs a frontcourt boost. But after Kuier’s defensive postseason showing, the Wings should move fast to keep her.
9. DiJonai Carrington (Chicago)
2026 stats: 8.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 33.0 FG%, 28.0 3P%
Everybody knows what DiJonai Carrington can do. The problem is she barely got to do it this year. A foot injury kept her out for nearly the entire 2026 season, and the rust showed when she returned in late July. Still, despite shooting just 33% from the field across 11 games, there were flashes. She scored 11.7 points per game off the bench in her first three outings and brought perimeter defense when it mattered.
The question for the Sky is fit, not talent. Carrington’s former teams like Connecticut — soon to become Houston — and Dallas could use her defense as she fights to return to form.
10. Kayla Thornton (Golden State)
2026 stats: 7.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 36.1 FG%, 34.7 3P%
Kayla Thornton earned Golden State’s first All-Star nod in the 2025 expansion team’s debut season. However, she soon tore a ligament in her right knee. She returned to play all 44 games this year, helping the Valkyries go 32-12 and reach the WNBA Finals. She’s not the scorer she once was — her average dropped from 14 points to 7.7 while her shooting fell to 36.1% — but she’s still one of the toughest players on the roster.
Since tenacity and rebounding are skills coach Natalie Nakase builds around, Golden State will do its best to keep her. Thornton signed a one-year deal in free agency last spring, and a similar option makes sense for 2027. That is, unless Phoenix comes calling with a better offer.
Kelsey Plum and A'ja Wilson will sit out of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, USA Basketball confirmed Sunday. The two withdrew for health reasons, leaving Team USA without two of its most experienced players ahead of the international tournament in Berlin.
Workload, Late-Season Injuries Sideline Kelsey Plum & A'ja Wilson
Plum, 32, is sidelined with a lower leg injury that already ended her WNBA season with playoff-eliminated Phoenix. She played just once since joining the Mercury on August 9th.
Wilson, meanwhile, shouldered a heavier workload after Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith went down with a season-ending knee injury. The 30-year-old has appeared in all but three games this season, averaging 26 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
USA Basketball Adds Mystics Stars to FIBA World Cup 2026 Roster
Still, USA Basketball moved quickly to fill the gaps.
Washington Mystics teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, both 2026 All-Stars, will join the roster for their first major global tournament.
Even without Wilson and Plum, there's plenty of talent in Team USA's FIBA World Cup lineup. Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Angel Reese headline a group chasing a fifth straight World Cup title when play opens September 4th against China.
Kiki Iriafen finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Washington Mystics beat the Phoenix Mercury 94-84 on Tuesday night. The double-double marked her 17th this season, extending her own franchise record.
The game also marked the return of recent Mercury signing Kelsey Plum, as she recovers from a calf injury that sidelined her since August 9th.
Washington Offense Dominates Mystics vs Mercury 1st Half
Washington's first half performance made the difference in the win. The Mystics shot 59% before the break to build a 51-33 cushion, and Phoenix never recovered.
Sonia Citron led all scorers with 19 points and nine assists, while Shakira Austin added 16 points. In all, five Washington players reached double figures, with Michaela Onyenwere and Lauren Betts each contributing 10.
Kelsey Plum Returns to the Court for Phoenix
On the other end, the Mercury went cold from deep, converting just three of 17 attempts from 3-point range. Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack each scored 19 in the loss, and Alyssa Thomas added 16 points with 10 assists.
Plum scored 10 points in 17 minutes of playing time in her return. Still, Phoenix's bench went scoreless until the 4:42 mark of the third quarter.
With the victory, Washington improved to 23-15, marking the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history. The Mystics and Mercury meet again Thursday in Phoenix at 10 PM ET on Prime.
The Mercury vs Mystics matchup Sunday belonged to Washington from the second quarter on, ending in a 95-75 home win. The result pushed the Mystics winning streak to seven and lifted the team to a 19-12 record. Shakira Austin and Sonia Citron each scored 19 points to pace the surging Washington offense.
Washington Winning Streak Hits 7 with Mercury vs Mystics Result
Phoenix led 21-20 after the first quarter. Then the Mystics locked in. The Mercury shot just 35.3% across the second and third quarters combined. Washington carried a 22-point cushion into the fourth and never gave it back.
Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron Lead Washington Mystics Scoring
Austin added 11 rebounds to her 19 points. Citron went 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from deep, with six assists. Michaela Onyenwere and Cotie McMahon chipped in 13 apiece. Kiki Iriafen posted 12 points and nine boards.
Kahleah Copper paced Phoenix with 15 points. Kelsey Plum, acquired from the LA Sparks earlier this month, sat the second half with a left calf injury after scoring five points in 14 minutes.
The Washington Mystics visit Las Vegas on Tuesday with a chance to tie the franchise record of eight straight wins, set in 2018. That matchup is scheduled for 10 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
Phoenix’s latest addition wasted no time, as Kelsey Plum put up 20 points in just 21 minutes to lift the No. 10 Mercury over No. 11 Chicago. She went on to sink the game-winner in Monday’s 106-101 Mercury vs Sky win.
Plum saw her first on-court action since June 21st. The recently recovered vet departed No. 9 LA in Sunday’s headline-making midseason trade.
“It’s a cocktail for success, as far as I’m concerned,” Plum said of her fresh start in Phoenix.
Last night’s late comeback spoke to Plum’s value, as the 12-19 Mercury make a last-ditch playoff push with just 13 regular-season games remaining.
“We coveted her for a long time,” Phoenix GM Nick U’Ren said of the 31-year-old. “Because of her skill, because of her toughness, because of her character, because of her work ethic.”
Plum teams up with All-Stars Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas, after Thomas notched a 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double on Monday.
The Mercury is back at it tomorrow, facing No. 6 Atlanta at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).
The Mercury vs Sky matchup Monday night turned into a showcase for Phoenix's retooled roster. Kelsey Plum, traded to the team just 48 hours earlier, scored 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting with four assists in only 21 minutes in her debut.
But Plum wasn't carrying the load alone.
Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas Power Mercury Past Chicago Sky
Kahleah Copper poured in a game-high 31 points to lead Phoenix at Wintrust Arena. Alyssa Thomas added 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists for her 27th career triple-double. And DeWanna Bonner contributed another 14 points off the bench.
The combined effort lifted Phoenix to a 106-101 win over the Chicago Sky. It also moved the Mercury to 12-19, keeping them within reach of the final playoff spot.
Yet Thomas isn't getting comfortable.
"We don't have a choice at this point in the season," Thomas said. "We gotta give it everything that we have."
Plum's arrival gives Phoenix another proven scorer alongside Copper and Thomas. Whether that's enough to fuel a late-season push will show in the next few games.
The Mercury's next test takes place against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday at 7 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
The LA Sparks traded Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, parting with their top scorer just before the WNBA deadline. In return, Los Angeles received guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick. The Kelsey Plum trade caps a turbulent stretch for a franchise now fully committed to rebuilding.
What Led to the Kelsey Plum Trade?
The move wasn't a shock. Plum signed a one-year, $999,999 contract last offseason and reportedly had no plans to re-sign. By trade day, the Sparks sat at 10-17. They hadn't won in six games, and their playoff window had all but closed.
What Kelsey Plum Brings to the Phoenix Mercury
Health, though, is the central question for Plum.
A lower left leg injury has kept the veteran guard sidelined since June 21st, though she resumed practice on July 30th. Before going down, she averaged a career-best 23.9 points across 12 games. That's the highest mark for any player traded midseason in WNBA history.
Now Plum joins a Phoenix Mercury core of DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, and Kahleah Copper.
The two-time WNBA champion brings five straight All-Star nods to her new home. Phoenix sits at 11-19, but this deal signals a win-now push. If healthy, Plum gives them a proven scorer down the stretch.
Top WNBA players might be on the move, as multiple reports indicate team front offices are starting to scramble ahead of Sunday’s trade deadline.
LA guard Kelsey Plum headlines the expiring contracts list, with sources claiming the 31-year-old doesn’t intend to re-sign — leaving the 11th-place Sparks at risk of losing their brightest star.
Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier is also up for grabs after signing a one-year supermax deal ahead of 2026 — but the No. 1 Lynx hold the leverage, with coach Cheryl Reeve calling her team “open for business” while under no pressure to move the MVP-caliber forward.
The playoff-hopeful Mystics might look to pair Plum with second-year standout Sonia Citron. Additionally, No. 14 Connecticut appears a top seller as forward Aneesah Morrow draws interest.
Tanking No. 12 Phoenix is said to be eyeing No. 4 Dallas’s Alanna Smith. Meanwhile, No. 7 New York is considering parting with longtime guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton despite a steep asking price.
“You can’t be afraid to make bold moves when you have a championship opportunity,” Wings GM Curt Miller said this week. “It’s easy to become comfortable with sustained success, but championship windows don’t stay open forever.”
Expect big news this week as the August 2nd WNBA trade deadline nears.
LA Sparks veteran Nneka Ogwumike will officially attend her 11th WNBA All-Star Game later this month. The forward heard her name called alongside 12 other standouts on Tuesday as coaches made their reserve selections following last week’s starters announcement.
Joining Ogwumike in the frontcourt are Liberty center Jonquel Jones, Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen, Seattle forward Dominique Malonga, and Atlanta’s Angel Reese.
The backcourt reserve selections include Mystics guard Sonia Citron, Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, Toronto’s Marina Mabrey, LA’s Kelsey Plum, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams, and Las Vegas’s Jackie Young.
Kelsey Plum's WNBA All-Star Status Still Up in the Air
Plum is still nursing a lower leg injury that has seen her out since late June. A potential return for July’s All-Star Game is a possibility at this point, but not a guarantee.
Should Plum not return in time, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert can announce an injury replacement as more players just left off the list are waiting in the wings.
The recently selected reserves join an announced starting lineup that includes Indiana Fever trio Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. Las Vegas Aces MVP A'ja Wilson and 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers also made the list.
The Indiana Fever is going through it, as No. 7 Indiana enters Saturday’s clash with No. 10 LA fresh off splitting two drama-fueled games with No. 12 Phoenix.
Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was issued a retroactive Flagrant 2 foul and one-game suspension yesterday. The penalty comes after her off-ball contact with Caitlin Clark’s neck went uncalled in Wednesday’s 111-109 Phoenix win.
“We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called," Fever coach Stephanie White said, slamming the officiating. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
Clark’s availability remains in question after she exited the midweek loss with back pain. Meanwhile, the Sparks strive to compensate for injured star Kelsey Plum.
LA conceded a regulation-game record 125 points to No. 9 Toronto last night. Tempo guard Marina Mabrey knocked down a historic 53 points to fuel the record-breaking win.
“That’s on us to be able to start the game better, so that we’re not digging from behind,” Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike said postgame.
Where to Watch the Indiana Fever vs LA Sparks WNBA Game
Indiana faces LA on Saturday at 8 PM ET, live on CBS.