WNBA Free agency begins in the coming weeks, and the fates of notable free agents such as Kelsey Plum, Kelsey Mitchell and Brittney Greiner will also be determined soon.
If you want to understand the content but don't know where to start, here are important dates and terms you should know.
January 11th to 20th: Teams can make qualifying offers and designate “core” players.
Teams can use core designations to gain exclusive negotiating rights with players, even if they are unrestricted free agents, but a player can only become core twice during his career. As such, the core ineligible free agents in the 2024 class are DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun), Tina Charles (Atlanta Dream), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), and Natasha Howard (Dallas Wings). ) and Breonna Jones (Sun). ), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm).
Core players will be offered one-year supermax contracts worth approximately $294,000. Players can sign their one-year contract with an existing team, or they can sign under the guise of a trade request (meaning the signing team will at least get something in return instead of seeing the top free agent perform). ). some star players It was done Realistically, it would be a core that includes Alyssa Thomas and Kelsey Mitchell.
Next are reserved players, players who have been in the WNBA for three years or less and whose contracts are expiring. Teams have until January 20 to extend qualifying offers to reserve players, or they will become unrestricted free agents. The WNBA has 22 reserve players, a list that includes Veronica Barton (reserve), Emily Engstler (reserve), Julie VanLue (reserve),
January 21st: Teams can begin negotiations with free agents, but cannot formally sign them.
February 1st: Players can officially sign contracts
A big wave of signatures is expected on February 1st and subsequent dates. Some players, like Brianna Stewart, who has made it clear she wants to stay in New York, will sign contracts as soon as February 1st.
Free agents for each WNBA team:
Atlanta Dream: Free agents: Cheyenne Parker Theis (unrestricted), Aerial Powers (unrestricted), Tina Charles (unrestricted), Lorella Cubai (reserve), Maya Caldwell (reserve).
Connecticut: Alyssa Thomas (unrestricted), Breonna Jones (unrestricted), Dewana Bonner (unrestricted), Tiffany Mitchell (unrestricted), Astu N'Dour Fall (unrestricted), Dijonai Carrington (unrestricted) , Caitlin Bickle (reservation)
Chicago sky: Isabelle Harrison (unrestricted), Brianna Turner (unrestricted), Diamond DeShields (unrestricted), Chenedy Carter (unrestricted), Michaela Onyenware (restricted), Dana Evans (restricted)
dallas wings: Sato Sabally (unlimited), Natasha Howard (unlimited), Jaelyn Brown (reservation), Sebugi Uzun (reservation)
Golden State Valkuri: Temi Fagbenle (restricted), Veronica Burton (reservations), Cecilia Zandarasini (reservations), Julie Vanloo (reservations), Monique Billings (unrestricted)
Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell (unlimited), Erica Wheeler (unlimited)
Los Angeles Sparks: Kia Nurse (no restrictions), Aari McDonald (restrictions), Li Yueru (reserved)
Las Vegas Aces: Kelsey Plumb (unlimited), Alisha Clark (unlimited), Tiffany Hayes (unlimited), Sydney Colson (unlimited), Queen Egbo (reservation)
Minnesota Lynx: Myisha Hines-Allen (unlimited), Natisha Hedeman (unlimited), Olivia Epoupa (reservation)
New York Liberty: Brianna Stewart (unlimited), Courtney Vandersloot (unlimited), Kennedy Burke (unlimited), Ivan Dozic (reservation), Jaylin Sherrod (reservation)
Phoenix Mercury: Diana Taurasi (unlimited), Brittney Greiner (unlimited), Mikia Herbert Harrigan (reservation), Natasha Mack (reservation), Charisma Osbourne (reservation), Celeste Taylor (reservation), Amy Atwell (reservation)
Seattle Storm: Nneka Ogwumike (unlimited), Gabby Williams (unlimited), Mercedes Russell (unlimited), Sami Whitcomb (unlimited), Joyner Holmes (unlimited), Victoria Vivians (unlimited)
Washington Mystics: Shatri Walker-Kimbrough (Unrestricted), Emily Engstler (Reserve), Sag Sutton (Reserve)
