WNBA Free Agency Tracker and Analysis

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