Count on big names and bigger moves in WNBA free agency this offseason.

Former WNBA MVPs Breanna Stewart and Candace Parker are among the top players available. The addition of Stewart, Parker or another key free agent could help transform a team into a championship contender.

Teams can issue qualifying offers and designate core players from Jan. 11-20, and they can negotiate with players starting on Jan. 21. Players can sign contracts starting on Feb. 1.

Before negotiations get underway, Just Women’s Sports ranks the top five players on the market in 2023.

1. Breanna Stewart

While there may be debate over the rest of these rankings, Stewart is the consensus No. 1.

The 28-year-old has been a dominant force with the Seattle Storm since they drafted her in 2016. She led Seattle to WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020, taking home the MVP trophy in both Finals. She was named league MVP in 2018 and is in conversation for the award every season. And she is still in her prime, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 steals and nearly a block per game.

There’s not a team in the country that wouldn’t be thrilled to have Stewart on their roster, but she’s likely to be interested in a select few. The frontrunners include the Storm, with whom she has spent her whole career, and the New York Liberty, a team she met with last season before signing a one-year extension with Seattle.

Sue Bird, Stewart’s longtime point guard in Seattle, retired after the 2022 season, but the Storm still offer another dynamic scorer in Jewell Loyd. If the Storm add another pass-first point guard to their lineup – say, Courtney Vandersloot, another top free agent – then it makes sense for Stewart to stay put.

But if she’s looking for a new challenge, New York could be the better fit. The Liberty made the playoffs last season and beat the Chicago Sky in Game 1 before eventually falling 2-1 in the first-round series. They have solid pieces, including excellent passers in Sabrina Ionescu and Marine Johannes, that would complement Stewart well. And the addition of the former MVP would instantly put them in contention for the title.

👏 BREANNA 👏 STEWART 👏#TakeCover pic.twitter.com/IxhxtIBYSz

— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 28, 2022

2. Brionna Jones

This is a great time to invest in Brionna Jones, because despite two All-Star nods and the Sixth Player of the Year award in 2022, Jones has yet to reach her full potential. The ceiling is high for the 27-year-old post, and she could be a core piece for whichever team she signs with.

Last season, Jones averaged 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench for the Sun en route to a WNBA Finals appearance. Jones adds a strong presence in the paint that could anchor an offense or complement another big, especially a lankier shot-blocker. The Sun had success when they played through Jones in the paint, and the same should be true wherever she lands.

If the Sun can afford her, and if new coach Stephanie White can convince her to stick around, Connecticut would be foolish not to re-sign the Maryland product. But with players like Jonquel Jones and Alyssa Thomas already fixed as the team’s superstars and Curt Miller leaving to coach the Sparks, it could be the perfect time for Jones to join a new team and establish herself as one of its top players.

.@_bjones18 takes home the 6th Player of the Year

Jones averaged 13.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.22 SPG in 25.1 MPG off the bench pic.twitter.com/yHCxARwbYj

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 1, 2022

3. Emma Meesseman

The Sky lucked out when they signed Meesseman in 2022 after the forward spent seven seasons with the Mystics. And it might make sense for them to re-sign her, depending on where their other free agents (namely, Parker and Vandersloot) end up. But if those players move on, then Meesseman likely will too, as the Sky officially will enter a rebuild.

A skilled 6-4 forward, Meesseman was named Finals MVP in 2019 despite coming off the bench for the Mystics. She added another dimension to the Sky offense as a big who could stretch the floor and pass the ball, averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 34.2% from the 3-point line. Perhaps her best – and one of her most underrated – abilities is her passing. Meesseman showcased a high IQ for the Sky, making all the right plays, with a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Though Meesseman isn’t as skilled as the next player on this list, she has a lot of career left at just 29 years old, which gives her plenty of options. She can join a team that needs a few seasons to build or serve as a great addition to a team that’s already competing but missing the final pieces.

4. Candace Parker

Parker would be much higher on this list if not for the fact that she’s at the tail end of her career. The 36-year-old could easily play for several more seasons – her play has yet to decline – but she’s been vocal about feeling like she’s close to retirement. So the perfect team for Parker is one that can win a title in 2023.

The 2023 season will be Parker’s 16th in the WNBA, and her combination of leadership and on-court skill makes her a great veteran presence. The Tennessee grad has won two WNBA titles – one with the Sparks and one with the Sky – and was named Finals MVP during Los Angeles’ run in 2016. Last season she averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1 steal and one block per game in Chicago.

A star on both offense and defense, Parker is one of the best to ever play in the WNBA. But since this could be her last year, she has to land with the right team. Whoever picks her up must be ready to win now. One possibility? A return to the Sparks. Miller expressed interest in bringing her back during his introductory press conference, but the team would need to find the right pieces to put around her in order to compete for a championship.

What's next for Candace Parker? pic.twitter.com/np0L7egl1o

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 9, 2022

5. Teaira McCowan

In her fourth season in the league, McCowan blossomed into the player she always had the potential to be. The No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, she helped the Dallas Wings earn a spot in the playoffs after an August that saw her team go 6-2. During that stretch, McCowan averaged a double-double with 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while also shooting 55% from the field.

McCowan is a restricted free agent, so there is a good chance she will land with the Wings. But they’ll have competition now that the league knows what McCowan is capable of. There are a lot of talented posts in the WNBA, but McCowan is one of the tallest at 6-7 – and at 25, she has a long career ahead of her. If she is able to maintain what she did at the end of the 2022 season, then McCowan becomes a very attractive prospect.

Honorable mentions

Courtney Vandersloot

Vandersloot is a talented guard who can elevate a team with her passing ability. But she’s nearing the end of her career at 33 years old, and she fits onto a roster in a specific way. Vandersloot isn’t the type of guard that’s looking to go isolation. Instead, she wants to set up teammates, and to do that she needs elite scorers around her who don’t have to dominate the ball. Pay attention to where Parker and Stewart land, because Vandersloot may follow one of them.

Brittney Griner

In any other free agent market, Griner would be near the top of this list, but she’s not a true free agent this season. After a traumatic ordeal in which she was wrongfully detained in Russia for 294 days, Griner returned to the United States in December, so this certainly won’t be a normal offseason for the 32-year-old. The Mercury have saved a roster spot for her, and the 6-9 center has said she plans to play for them this season.

Nneka Ogwumike

Ogwumike has said publicly that she wants to stay in Los Angeles, and new Sparks coach Miller said in his introductory press conference that re-signing her is a priority. There’s no reason to believe she lands anywhere else.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins dives into the individuals who put together standout performances for the USWNT in the team's recent pair of friendlies, from a big update in the goalkeeping race to the squad's multi-layered midfield project.

Watkins also breaks down the missed opportunities amid the USWNT's 3-0 win over China PR and 4-0 victory against Jamaica, as the year of head coach Emma Hayes's great roster experiment crosses the six-month mark.

Diving straight into the players who impressed, Watkins first calls out US captain Lindsey Heaps, applauding her performances while also noting that she "[wishes] maybe [Heaps] was used more situationally than kind of all the time."

"Heaps has so much to give this team, but it is probably against teams like this where they're sitting back a little bit more," explains Watkins. "I don't love her against a press. I don't love her against a super athletic, physical midfield, but in these games, she really shines."

Shifting to the ongoing search to crown retired goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher's replacement, Watkins dubs Manchester United net-minder Phallon Tullis-Joyce — who started both USWNT friendlies — the overall frontrunner.

"Tullis-Joyce honestly reminds me a lot of Alyssa Naeher in her first couple years with the USWNT," says Watkins. "She's calm, she's organized, she's a good shot-stopper. She's a great communicator."

Young talent make strong cases for USWNT roster inclusion

Watkins also sings the praises of several young talents whose performances over the last week will make them hard to drop, including "obvious" choices like forward Alyssa Thompson and attacker Catarina Macario, as well as strike Ally Sentnor and teen midfielder Lily Yohannes.

Callling Yohannes "the freaking truth," Watkins notes that "you're seeing glimpses of what could become truly world-class play against the top teams in the world in a couple of years."

Making a slightly quieter, but no less impactful, case, argues Watkins, is winger Michelle Cooper.

Cooper's consistent refining and improvement have Watkins comparing her progress to star Trinity Rodman's USWNT evolution, saying that top passing is "how [Rodman] worked her way into the team before starting to take more shots. I think Cooper can follow that same game plan."

Missed opportunities leave some players scrambling

Pivoting to the missed opportunities arising from the two friendlies, Watkins calls the center-back pairings "lackluster," celebrating the return of star Naomi Girma and her rock-solid play as well as veteran Emily Sonnett's versatility while critiquing Hayes's decision to not test much depth at the position.

"It just feels like a wasted opportunity with so many other center back injuries," Watkins explains, referencing season-ending injuries to players like Tierna Davidson.

Along with what Watkins calls "rough" set pieces, she notes that less rotation and late subs were a missed opportunity to adequately test fresh faces or build chemistry with other players.

Noting that performances like forward Lynn Biyendolo's Jamaica match, in which she scored a brace off the bench, are "the gold standard," Watkins also questions Hayes's own criticism about the level of play dropping off when athletes aren't given enough minutes to find their feet and make an impact.

Citing talent like defender Emily Sams and midfielders Lo'eau LaBonta and Olivia Moultrie, Watkins posits that the sub patterns "just didn't quite have the focus that I'm sure Hayes was looking for."

"I worry that the players that kind of got dumped into games late never really had a chance, which is this happens at times when they're starting to ramp up," she says.

Overall, Hayes seems to be more obviously honing in on her starting core.

"We're starting to see players get multiple starts.... Those are the players to take seriously as the future of this program," notes Watkins.

"Hayes is being very purposeful with what she wants to see from her starters and what she wants to see from her bench. And there is an increasing gap between those two groups," says Watkins. "So the competition rises next international break."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.

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The WNBA recognized May’s top performers on Wednesday, handing out the first round of monthly awards to early-season standouts across the league.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier picked up Western Conference Player of the Month, with the forward averaging 26.8 points per game while leading Minnesota to a 6-0 May start.

Earning the same honor in the Eastern Conference was Dream standout guard Allisha Gray, who started the season with a 21.4 points-per-game average to help boost Atlanta to third in the league standings.

New York Liberty manager Sandy Brondello won Coach of the Month — a natural fit after leading the 2024 WNBA champs to their best opening record since 1997.

The most surprising nod, however, went to Rookie of the Month Kiki Iriafen, with the Mystics forward averaging a 13.9-point, 10.1-rebound double-double while shooting 47.4% from the field in her first month as a pro.

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The USC product opened the season with a bang, becoming just the second rookie in WNBA history to record four double-doubles in her first five games, joining Utah Starzz forward Natalie Williams, who did so in 1999 — three years before Iriafen was born.

The day-one Mystics starter is also the first Rookie of the Month in Washington franchise history, telling reporters, "From the day I got drafted to the Mystics, I just put my head down, like, I'm going to work… I'm just giving my best effort every single time that I'm playing, and it's nice to see the fruits of your labor come to fruition."

How to watch the winners of May's WNBA awards in action

While Collier's Lynx and Gray's Dream are off until the weekend, Brondello's Liberty will visit Iriafen and the Mystics at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, live on Prime.

Texas softball took Game 1 of the 2025 Women's College World Series (WCWS) championship series by topping in-state rivals Texas Tech 2-1 on Wednesday night, putting the Longhorns just one win away from clinching a program-first national championship.

"It's tight, especially when you're facing a good pitcher," said Texas catcher Reese Atwood, who delivered the game-winning hit. "Any momentum, any energy, we'll take it."

After a controversial obstruction call gifted Texas Tech a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, a rare misstep from Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady gave Texas the daylight they needed to pull ahead.

With two Longhorns in scoring position and Atwood — the nation's RBI leader — stepping to the plate, Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco decided to take advantage of the vacant first base by instructing Canady to intentionally walk Atwood.

Noticing that Canady's intentional balls were dangerously close to the strike zone, Atwood capitalized, launching a game-winning two-run single on a 3-0 count — her first hit of the WCWS.

"Maybe it was the wrong decision. Maybe we should've went at her," said Glasco following the loss.

With up to two games left to play, the 2025 WCWS has already been a huge hit, averaging 1.1 million viewers on ESPN before the championship series even began — the network's highest pre-finals viewership on record.

While this year's NCAA tournament chases even more viewership history, Texas Tech will be hunting a Game 2 win to keep their championship dreams alive.

How to watch Game 2 of the 2025 WCWS championship series

The Red Raiders and Longhorns will square off again at 8 PM ET in Thursday's Game 2 of the best-of-three series, airing live on ESPN.

England dropped its 2025 Euro roster on Thursday morning, with manager Sarina Wiegman's title-defending squad facing major shakeups after three longtime staples recently withdrew from consideration.

Forward Fran Kirby and goalkeeper Mary Earps officially announced their international retirements mere days before the drop, with Wiegman previously informing 31-year-old Kirby of her omission from this summer's lineup.

Defender Millie Bright followed suit, stepping back from the team in a Wednesday social media post that stated she's "not able to give 100% mentally or physically."

While these shifts don't necessarily spell defeat, England now faces an uphill climb in their hunt for a second straight European title.

The Lionesses will start their campaign in Group D, a tricky division featuring perennial powerhouses France and the Netherlands plus regional rival Wales.

To further complicate things, England is also coming off a rocky Nations League run, failing to qualify for this year's Finals after finishing second behind Group A3 winner — and 2023 World Cup champs — Spain.

Though their 2025 Euro roster is missing some homegrown talent, the England lineup does feature a handful of NWSL stars stepping into the spotlight.

Washington defender Esme Morgan will make her Euro debut after helping lead the Lionesses to the 2023 World Cup final, while Gotham defender Jess Carter and Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse return to the competition to defend their 2022 success.

All in all, with a refreshed roster and increased parity across the women's game, the Lionesses' path to 2025 Euro victory is now more uncertain than ever.

England's 2025 Euro roster

• Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)

• Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United)

• Midfielders: Ella Toone (Manchester United), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Keira Walsh (Chelsea), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Park (Manchester City)

• Forwards: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, on loan from Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Michelle Agyemang (Brighton, on loan from Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)