WNBA Free Agency and Trade Frenzy: Major Moves and Surprises
Make it two trades in three days. The WNBA offseason is heating up, and fans are on the edge of their seats as teams make significant moves to reshape their rosters. On Sunday, a blockbuster three-team trade set the stage for a whirlwind of activity. By Tuesday, ESPN reported that the Phoenix Mercury are acquiring Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun.
Alyssa Thomas, a perennial MVP candidate, has been a cornerstone for the Connecticut Sun since being drafted fourth in 2014. Her move to the Phoenix Mercury marks a significant shift in the league’s landscape. Meanwhile, Brittney Griner, a longtime face of the Mercury, is headed to the Atlanta Dream in one of the biggest free agency moves in league history.
Sunday’s trade was historic, being the first WNBA trade involving multiple No. 1 draft picks. It sent Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Seattle Storm received multiple draft picks and forward Li Yueru from the Sparks.
From January 11-20, teams were allowed to extend reserved, restricted, and core qualifying offers to players. Some notable stars, including Thomas, Plum, the New York Liberty‘s Breanna Stewart, Dallas Wings‘ Satou Sabally, and Seattle Storm‘s Gabby Williams, received a core qualifying offer, often referred to as “being cored.”
Negotiations officially opened last Tuesday, and players can sign contracts starting February 1. With a new CBA featuring massive salary bumps expected to come into effect in 2026, expect to see players sign only one-year deals.
Jewell Loyd isn’t a free agent but requested a trade from the Storm. Earlier this month, Sabally announced she had played her last game for the Wings and is working to find a new home. Because she has been cored, that would have to come via trade.
Other big-name free agents to watch include DeWanna Bonner and Nneka Ogwumike. Questions still surround the future of WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, who indicated toward the end of the 2024 season that it could be her last in the league. There’s also uncertainty surrounding the future of Elena Delle Donne, who is technically an unrestricted free agent yet hasn’t appeared in the league since 2023.
Keep it here all offseason long for the latest buzz, news, and reports surrounding the WNBA. The 2025 season — the league’s 29th — will tip off May 16.
Jan. 31 updates
6:49 p.m. ET: The Phoenix Mercury are acquiring Satou Sabally from the Dallas Wings in a three-team trade, sources told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
6:34 p.m. ET: Nine-time All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike is re-signing with the Seattle Storm as an unrestricted free agent, her sister, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, reported on “SportsCenter.”
10:04 a.m. ET: Natasha Howard will sign with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, sources told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The 6-foot-2 forward and three-time WNBA champion returns to the franchise that drafted her fifth overall in 2014.
Howard is a great addition for the @IndianaFever. They are one strategic signing away from contending for a title this year. (DeWanna Bonner would be perfect there. Eager to see where she ends up.) https://t.co/VUZorHij6V
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) January 31, 2025
Jan. 30 update
2:45 p.m. ET: Brionna Jones is signing with the Atlanta Dream, her agent, Boris Lelchitski, told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
Jones, a three-time All-Star, spent her entire career with the Connecticut Sun, where she was selected No. 8 in 2017. She emerged as a critical frontcourt presence amid their run of six consecutive semifinal berths, along the way earning the 2021 Most Improved Player and 2022 Sixth Player of the Year awards.
Jan. 29 updates
4:54 p.m. ET: Free agent Courtney Vandersloot is expected to sign with the Chicago Sky on a one-year deal when contracts can be executed on Saturday, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne confirmed.
11 a.m. ET: Guard Kelsey Mitchell will return to the Indiana Fever for 2025, the team announced Wednesday. Mitchell has played all eight of her WNBA seasons in Indiana since being drafted No. 2 in 2018. She averaged a career-best 19.2 points per game and shot a season-high 46.8% from the field in 2024.
Jan. 28 updates
8:33 p.m. ET: Brittney Griner has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Dream, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou and Shams Charania reported. Griner has spent her entire 11-year WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury.
MORE: How Griner fits in Atlanta and the legacy she leaves behind in Phoenix
MORE: How trades will impact fantasy women’s basketball
Originally Written by: ESPN
