After months of uncertainty that we’d actually have a WNBA season, free agency has finally arrived. This shall be an unprecedented free agency interval, each by way of the out there free brokers and the paychecks they’ll be cashing.
The WNBA and WNBPA lastly reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement final month, set to run over the subsequent seven years. Through the brand new CBA, the WNBA wage cap will improve from $1.5 million to $7 million — which means the league’s spending in free agency will hit a brand new all-time excessive.
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The first large breaking information merchandise of WNBA free agency hit on Monday, because the Chicago Sky traded All-Star Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream. The Sky obtained the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, whereas the Dream acquired Reese and the precise to swap second-round picks with the Sky within the 2028 WNBA Draft.
As far because the gamers out there, there’s no scarcity of elite star energy in free agency — although it stays to be seen what number of of them will really take a look at the free-agent market regardless of being “available” to negotiate.
Breanna Stewart and Liberty teammate Sabrina Ionescu already introduced their intent to re-sign with New York, and Wilson intends to re-sign with the Las Vegas Aces.
The Liberty prolonged a core qualifying provide to Ionescu on Tuesday — a totally assured one-year deal definitely worth the supermax, worth a reported $1.4 million underneath the brand new CBA. The Minnesota Lynx additionally prolonged a core qualifying provide to star Napheesa Collier forward of the deadline.
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Most of the league’s vets strategically aligned their contracts to change into free brokers in 2026, which implies the pool of expertise is deep, and most staff rosters may look dramatically completely different this yr, significantly on the heels of an expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.
Check out our team-by-team have a look at the highest free brokers from every staff here.
Follow alongside with Yahoo Sports as WNBA free agency opens up following the league’s historic CBA negotiations:
Ian Casselberry
Skylar Diggins has signed with the Chicago Sky, the staff introduced on Saturday. The veteran guard has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract, according to ESPN’s Alexa Phillipou.
Read extra here.
Andy Backstrom
Former Phoenix Mercury ahead Satou Sabally is reportedly signing a multi-year deal with the New York Liberty, in accordance to multiple ESPN reports.
Sabally is a three-time All-Star and helped the Mercury attain the WNBA Finals final season.
Before final yr, she spent the 2020-24 seasons with the Dallas Wings, who drafted her No. 2 general.
The Oregon product is a New York native and is now returning to the Big Apple to play for a stacked Liberty staff.
Read extra here.
The Indiana Fever aren’t simply retaining throughout free agency. They’re reportedly including, too.
The Fever are signing former Golden State Valkyries ahead Monique Billings, according to multiple reports.
She’s coming to Indiana on a multi-year deal, per IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson. Billings averaged 7.3 factors and 4.5 rebounds per sport for Golden State final season after being chosen within the enlargement draft.
Notably, the 2018 second-round decide, who spent the primary six seasons of her WNBA profession with the Atlanta Dream, performed with Kelsey Mitchell in Unrivaled and with Caitlin Clark on the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico again in March.
Hamby, 32, joined LA in 2023 through a commerce with the Aces. She averaged a career-high 18.4 factors, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals in 44 video games final season with the Sparks.
Sheldon, the fifth general decide within the 2024 draft, is now on her fourth staff. After starting her profession with the Wings, she moved on to the Sun and Mystics final yr. Now she’ll get an opportunity to stick with the Sky.
Kari Anderson
Nine-time All-Star Brittney Griner is shifting on from the Atlanta Dream after one season, signing a seven-figure deal with the Connecticut Sun, per a number of reviews.
Griner joined Atlanta forward of final yr, signing a one-year deal with the staff. She performed a mean of 20:46 minutes per sport whereas sharing time at heart with Brionna Jones, averaging 9.8 factors, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per sport throughout the season.
Notably, Griner was born and raised in Houston — the place the Sun are set to be relocated in the 2027 season after being offered to the Fertitta household final month.
Kari Anderson
The Las Vegas Aces have secured one other key piece of their core, reportedly re-signing Chelsea Gray to a three-year, multi-million greenback deal, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Callie Fin.
Gray, who has been with the Aces since 2021, hinted on the transfer with a video on Instagram of her son, Lennox, saying “Mommy to Vegas!”
Gray has been an important a part of the Aces’ dynasty, serving to lead Las Vegas to three championships in 4 years alongside A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. Wilson has mentioned that she does not plan to test free agency, leaving the Aces open to signal her to a supermax deal within the coming days. Young, in the meantime, has finalized a one-year max deal to keep with Las Vegas.
The Dallas Wings are reportedly signing ahead Jessica Shepard to a multi-year deal, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Shepard joins Dallas after 5 seasons as a key bench participant with the Lynx.
Guard Natisha Hiedeman — one half of the Lynx’s infamous “Stud Budz” duo — is joining the Seattle Storm on a two-year deal, per a number of reviews.
The Indiana Fever’s Big Three is sticking round, with veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell reportedly signing a one-year, $1.4 million supermax deal to keep with the staff, per ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike.
Mitchell, the Fever’s main scorer over the previous 5 seasons, is now again underneath contract alongside Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, who’re each nonetheless on their rookie offers.
Ogunbowale, has spent her complete seven-year WNBA profession in Dallas. The four-time All-Star and 2020 All-WNBA First Team member of scoring champion will reportedly signal a “multi-year” deal and take decrease than the $1.4 million supermax she is eligible for so as to assist with different free agent signings.
Not solely are the Atlanta Dream reportedly bringing back Allisha Gray, however they’re additionally re-signing Naz Hillmon to a three-year deal, in accordance to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
Hillmon is the reigning WNBA Sixth Player of the Year. She averaged 8.6 factors, 6.2 rebounds and a pair of.4 assists per sport in 2025 for an Atlanta squad that gained a franchise-record 30 video games earlier than bowing out to the Indiana Fever within the postseason.
Ian Casselberry
Alisha Gray reportedly agreed to phrases with the Atlanta Dream on a three-year contract, according to Andscape’s Sean Hurd. The deal is a “max-plus” settlement, Hurd reviews.
Gray averaged 18.4 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in an MVP-contending marketing campaign for the Dream final season. She spent the final three seasons taking part in for Atlanta after spending her first six seasons with the Dallas Wings.
The nine-year veteran has been an All-Star the final three seasons, and final yr she was first staff All WNBA. She additionally gained the 3-point shootout and the talents problem throughout WNBA All-Star weekend in 2024.
Gray shall be joining Angel Reese, whom the staff recently acquired in a trade with the Chicago Sky.
Sean Leahy
The Toronto Tempo is making large strikes in free agency. According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, one of many WNBA’s two enlargement groups for 2026 opened up the pockets for guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes.
Mabrey and Sykes have agreed to two-year max contracts to type what doubtlessly may very well be the primary million-dollar backcourt with each offers price a minimum of $1 million yearly.
The 33-year-old was traded to Phoenix in Feb. 2025 and performed 39 video games for the Sun final season. She averaged 15.4 factors, 9.2 assists and eight.8 rebounds per sport and was an All-Star for the sixth time and named to her third straight All-WNBA First-team
The 30-year-old spent final season in Atlanta averaging 12.8 factors, 7.3 rebounds and a pair of.2 assists in 44 video games.
Before touchdown with the Dream, Jones spent the primary eight seasons of her WNBA profession with the Connecticut Sun after being the No. 8 general draft decide in 2017.
After two seasons away, Nneka Ogwunmike is returning to her authentic franchise. Ogwunmike is predicted to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks, per her sister, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike.
Ogwunmike was drafted by the Sparks in 2012 and spent her first 12 WNBA seasons with the franchise.
Ogwunmike, 35, continued her wonderful play in Seattle, the place she averaged 18.3 factors final season and obtained down-ballot MVP votes.
