After months of negotiations, culminating in every week of marathon bargaining classes final month, the WNBA and the gamers’ affiliation verbally agreed to a brand new collective bargaining settlement on March 18. That meant the league must conduct an enlargement draft, free agency and the WNBA draft in a compressed offseason earlier than the thirtieth season ideas off May 8.
So right here we’re, with gamers formally in a position to signal contracts starting Saturday.
Check out the newest buzz, information and stories surrounding the WNBA.
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April 12
Kelsey Plum is signing a $999,999 one-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. Plum had joined the Sparks final 12 months after six seasons with the Las Vegas Aces — and a season with the San Antonio Stars earlier than that.
Sophie Cunningham is returning to the Indiana Fever on a one-year deal, sources informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Cunningham had joined the Fever final season after six seasons in Phoenix.
April 11
Alanna Smith has agreed to a three-year max contract with the Dallas Wings, her agent informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Earned co-Defensive Player of the Year honors final 12 months at Minnesota.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus is re-signing with the Las Vegas Aces on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Parker-Tyus appeared in solely two regular-season video games final season for the Aces.
Stefanie Dolson is signing with the Seattle Storm, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Most just lately performed for Washington final season, and has received WNBA titles with each Chicago and New York.
Kennedy Burke is signing a one-year cope with the Connecticut Sun, sources informed Alexa Philippou. She spent the previous two seasons with New York.
Tyasha Harris is signing with the Indiana Fever following stints in Dallas and Connecticut, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
Bridget Carleton has formally signed a three-year deal on the max with the Portland Fire, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Carleton was chosen No. 1 total by the Fire within the enlargement draft.
Veronica Burton has signed a multiyear deal to return to the Golden State Valkyries, the workforce introduced.
The Atlanta Dream have officially re-signed Rhyne Howard, the workforce introduced.
Erica Wheeler is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks, the place she performed in 2021, ESPN confirmed. She had spent final season with the Seattle Storm.
Shakira Austin has signed a three-year supply sheet with the Toronto Tempo, sources informed ESPN’s Kareem Copeland. The Washington Mystics have two days to match the supply sheet for the restricted free agent.
Jonquel Jones is re-signing with the New York Liberty on a multiyear deal, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews confirmed.
Skylar Diggins has signed with the Chicago Sky on a two-year deal, sources informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The seven-time All-Star had spent the previous two seasons with the Seattle Storm.
Satou Sabally is signing a multiyear cope with the New York Liberty, ESPN reported. Sabally spent final season with the Phoenix Mercury.
Monique Billings is signing with the Indiana Fever, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Billings spent final season with the Golden State Valkyries.
Dearica Hamby is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks on a three-year, fully guaranteed deal for near $3.5 million, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported.
The Chicago Sky have acquired guard Jacy Sheldon from the Washington Mystics, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. In trade, Washington receives Chicago’s 2028 first-round decide.
Restricted free agent Lexie Hull is returning to the Indiana Fever on a multiyear deal, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed.
The Toronto Tempo have signed Laura Juškaitė to a coaching camp contract, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. The Lithuanian just lately received a EuroCup championship with Mersin.
Azura Stevens is signing a three-year deal — with a wage of $1 million in 2026 that will increase 5% from that base every year thereafter — to return to the Chicago Sky, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. She was with Chicago from 2020 to ’22 earlier than spending the previous three seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
April 10
Two-time WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner is finalizing a seven-figure deal to hitch the Connecticut Sun, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. The workforce later introduced the deal is for one 12 months.
Jordin Canada will stick with the Atlanta Dream, re-signing for 2 years at $1.2-plus million, ESPN’s Kareem Copeland reported.
Free agent star Chelsea Gray has reached a three-year, $3 million fully guaranteed deal to return to the Las Vegas Aces, a supply informed ESPN’s Kendra Andrews on Friday.
All-defensive middle Elizabeth Williams has agreed to re-sign with the Chicago Sky for $1.2 million over two years, totally assured, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike reported.
Jessica Shepard has agreed to a multiyear cope with the Dallas Wings, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. She had spent all 5 seasons of her profession with the Minnesota Lynx, together with taking part in a key position off the bench final 12 months.
Natisha Hiedeman has agreed to a two-year cope with the Seattle Storm, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. She was a key participant off the bench for the Minnesota Lynx.
Kelsey Mitchell is finalizing a one-year agreement on the $1.4 million supermax to return to the Indiana Fever, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike reported.
Four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale is signing a seven-figure, multiyear deal to return to the Dallas Wings, sources informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. Ogunbowale was eligible for the $1.4 million supermax after being cored by the Wings, however she is taking lower than that for the workforce to have the ability to construct a high quality roster round her, sources stated.
Naz Hillmon is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, sources informed ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. Her contract is value $2.5 million-plus over three years, totally assured.
Jewell Loyd is sticking with the Las Vegas Aces and finalizing a three-year deal with the workforce, a supply informed ESPN’s Andraya Carter on Friday. ESPN’s Kareem Copeland confirmed the deal is for 3 years and $2.2-plus million.
Allisha Gray is finalizing a three-year max-plus deal with the Atlanta Dream, a supply informed Andscape’s Sean Hurd. The phrases might be $3.7 million over three years, per Hurd.
Four-time All-Star Brionna Jones is finalizing a multiyear deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, a supply informed Andscape’s Sean Hurd.
Perennial MVP contender Alyssa Thomas is finalizing a deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury, a supply informed Andscape’s Sean Hurd.
Guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes have agreed to terms to hitch the Toronto Tempo, their agent Marcus Crenshaw of The FAM Sports Agency informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. With every agreeing to two-year offers at concerning the max in Year 1, they’re the primary identified million-dollar backcourt pairing beneath the WNBA’s new collective bargaining settlement. Mabrey’s contract is for 2 years, $2.4 million whole ($1.2M in 2026 and $1.2M in 2027).
Nneka Ogwumike intends to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, her sister, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, posted on social media on Friday. Nneka Ogwumike beforehand performed 12 seasons in Los Angeles, the place she received the MVP in 2016, the identical 12 months she led the Sparks to their third WNBA championship.
It was all the time goodbye, now I’ll see you quickly… pic.twitter.com/Da2xCDv4ux
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
April 9
Nneka Ogwumike, who has performed the previous two seasons with Seattle, introduced in a social media put up that she is not going to be returning to the Storm. Ogwumike is a former MVP and 10-time All-Star.
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
The Las Vegas Aces are finalizing an agreement for Jackie Young to return, sources informed ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The deal is predicted to be a one-year contract on the common max ($1.19 million).
The Dallas Wings have traded ahead Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun in trade for middle/ahead Rayah Marshall.
April 8
Satou Sabally is not going to return to the Phoenix Mercury. “My best year yet. Thank you Phoenix,” Sabally wrote in an Instagram put up. Sabally helped lead the Mercury to the 2025 WNBA Finals.
Satou Sabally bids farewell to her time in Phoenix pic.twitter.com/y0DB4naGAa
— espnW (@espnW) April 8, 2026
April 7
Ten of 15 WNBA groups have extended core qualifying offers to gamers since free agency began Monday:
• Atlanta Dream: Allisha Gray
• Chicago Sky: Ariel Atkins
• Dallas Wings: Arike Ogunbowale
• Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell
• Los Angeles Sparks: Kelsey Plum
• Minnesota Lynx: Napheesa Collier
• New York Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu
• Portland Fire: Bridget Carleton
• Seattle Storm: Ezi Magbegor
• Toronto Tempo: Marina Mabrey
The WNBA’s core participant designation is akin to the NFL franchise tag. A workforce can “core” a participant to stop them from turning into an unrestricted free agent by retaining their unique rights.
The core designation provides a workforce unique negotiating rights to a participant and comes with a baseline contract of a totally assured one-year deal well worth the supermax ($1.4 million in 2026), although the participant can negotiate completely different phrases.
The core designation will also be a approach for a workforce to stop a participant from strolling in free agency with out getting something in return because it finally executes a sign-and-trade with the star. — Alexa Philippou
April 6
The Chicago Sky traded two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round draft picks in 2027 and ’28, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported. The Dream additionally acquired 2028 second-round swap rights.
MORE: Trade grades: Dream get Reese, Sky get picks, one gets an A
April 3
A’ja Wilson, a four-time MVP and three-time WNBA champion, stated she has no intentions of leaving the Las Vegas Aces when free agency opens.
April 1
Breanna Stewart will be re-signing with the New York Liberty in free agency, the two-time WNBA MVP and three-time league champion introduced on her podcast.
Additionally, Liberty teammate Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty’s No. 1 total draft decide in 2020, informed reporters at USA Basketball coaching camp that she additionally intends to return to New York.
