The WNBA season is right around the corner, and free agency is finally here. The free agency negotiation period starts on Wednesday, April 8th, and teams can begin signing free agents to new contracts on Saturday, April 11.
Before this, qualifying offers and core player designations were sent out on April 6th and 7th.
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Reserved players are players who are out of contract with three years of service or fewer. If they receive a Reserved qualifying offer, those players are subject to that team’s exclusive negotiating rights. If the club declines to offer the player a contract, they become unrestricted free agents.
Restricted free agents are players with at least four years of service whose contract has expired, and who receive a qualifying offer from their previous team. Those players can negotiate with other teams, but their original team can match any offer.
A Core Designation is the WNBA’s version of a franchise tag. An organization can have one veteran free agent whom they have cored on their roster — and thus offered a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth the supermax. If a player receives a Core Designation, they can only sign or negotiate a contract with that team during the free agency period.
April 11: More official signings
Azurá Stevens has agreed to a three-year deal to return to the Chicago Sky, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
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Laura Juškaitė has signed a training camp contract with the Toronto Tempo
Lexie Hull is re-signing with the Indiana Fever
The Chicago Sky have acquired guard Jacy Sheldon from the Washington Mystics. In exchange, the Mystics receive Chicago’s 2028 first-round pick.
Dearica Hamby is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks on a three-year, nearly $3.5 million deal, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
Monique Billings is signing with the Indiana Fever, per Tony East
Satou Sabally has signed with the New York Liberty, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
Skylar Diggins has signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Sky, the team announced
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Jonquel Jones is re-signing with the New York Liberty, per the NY Posts’s Madeline Kenney
Veronica Burton has signed a multi-year deal with the Golden State Valkyries, the team announced
Bridge Carleton has signed a three-year max deal with the Portland Fire, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
Ty Harris has signed with the Indiana Fever, per Chloe Peterson of Indy Star Sports
April 10: Free Agency transactions are beginning
Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes have each agreed to max contracts with the Toronto Tempo, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
Nneka Ogwumike agrees to sign with the Los Angeles Sparks, per her sister, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike
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Brionna Jones agrees to finalize a deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, per ESPN’s Sean Hurd.
Alyssa Thomas agrees to finalize a deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury, per ESPN’s Sean Hurd
Allisha Gray is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, per ESPN’s Sean Hurd
Jewell Loyd is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Las Vegas Aces, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou
Naz Hillmon is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews
Arike Ogunbowale is finalizing a seven-figure, multi-year deal to return to the Dallas Wings, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou
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Kelsey Mitchell is finalizing a one-year supermax deal to return to the Indiana Fever, per ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike
Jessica Shepard is finalizing a multi-year deal to join the Dallas Wings, per ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou
Elizabeth Williams is finalizing a two-year deal with the Chicago Sky worth $1.2 million, per ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike
Natisha Hiedeman is signing with the Seattle Storm, per Khristina Williams
Chelsea Gray has agreed to a contract worth more than $3 million over three years, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews
Awak Kuier will re-signing with Dallas Wings, per Khristina Williams
Brittney Griner has signed a seven-figure deal to join the Connecticut Sun, per Terrika Foster-Brasby
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Jordin Canada has signed a two-year, $1.2 million+ deal with the Atlanta Dream, per ESPN’s Kareem Copeland
April 9: Free Agency negotiations continue
Mamignan Toure signed with the Connecticut Sun
Kierstan Bell signed with the Las Vegas Aces
The Connecticut Sun traded Rayah Marshal to the Dallas Wings for Diamond Miller
Jackie Young reportedly agrees to sign a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Aces at the regular max ($1.19 million), per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou
April 8: Negotiations begin
Maya Caldwell signed with the Portland Fire
Sika Kone signed with the Atlanta Dream
Jaylyn Sherrod signed with the Minnesota Lynx
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Grace Berger signed with the Dallas Wings
Li Yueru signed with the Dallas Wings
April 7: Angel Reese traded, teams extend qualifying offers
The Chicago Sky traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. As part of the trade, Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Maria Kliundikova.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Julie Allemand.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Nikolina Milić.
The Atlanta Dream extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Sika Koné.
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The Atlanta Dream extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Lorela Cubaj.
The Portland Fire extended a Core qualifying offer to Bridget Carleton
The Connecticut Sun extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Olivia Nelson-Ododa.
The Connecticut Sun extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Mamignan Touré.
The Las Vegas Aces extended a Restricted qualifying offer to NaLyssa Smith.
The Las Vegas Aces extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Kierstan Bell.
The New York Liberty extended a Core qualifying offer to Sabrina Ionescu.
The Seattle Storm extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Mackenzie Holmes.
The Golden State Valkyries extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Veronica Burton.
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The Portland Fire extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Emily Engstler.
The Golden State Valkyries extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Kaitlyn Chen.
The Portland Fire extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Chloe Bibby.
The Dallas Wings extended a Core qualifying offer to Arike Ogunbowale.
The Golden State Valkyries extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Iliana Rupert.
The Seattle Storm extended a Core qualifying offer to Ezi Magbegor.
The Washington Mystics extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Shakira Austin
The Washington Mystics extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Madison Scott.
The Atlanta Dream extended a Core qualifying offer to Allisha Gray.
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The Washington Mystics extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Bernadett Határ.
April 6: Qualifying offers
The Portland Fire extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Haley Jones.
The Portland Fire extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Maya Caldwell.
The Golden State Valkyries extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Janelle Salaün.
The Golden State Valkyries extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Cecilia Zandalasini.
The Phoenix Mercury extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Natasha Mack.
The Phoenix Mercury extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Monique Akoa Makani.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Core qualifying offer to Marina Mabrey.
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The Phoenix Mercury extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Kathryn Westbeld.
The Phoenix Mercury extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Kiana Williams.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Kitija Laksa.
The Portland Fire extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Sug Sutton.
The Toronto Tempo extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Lexi Held.
The Atlanta Dream extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Rhyne Howard.
The Atlanta Dream extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Naz Hillmon.
The Dallas Wings extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Grace Berger.
The Dallas Wings extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Li Yueru.
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The Portland Fire extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Luisa Geiselsöder.
The Los Angeles Sparks extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Alissa Pili.
The Los Angeles Sparks extended a Core qualifying offer to Kelsey Plum.
The Los Angeles Sparks extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Julie Vanloo.
The Los Angeles Sparks extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Rae Burrell.
The Minnesota Lynx extended a Reserved qualifying offer to Jaylyn Sherrod.
The Minnesota Lynx extended a Core qualifying offer to Napheesa Collier.
