A truly unparalleled era for the WNBA is now at hand. Over the coming weeks, the league will finally conduct free agency for more than 100 athletes. Indeed, you apprehended that correctly: over 100. Free agency had been postponed while the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association engaged in discussions for a fresh collective bargaining agreement, which was subsequently approved by both parties in March.
Cognizant that a substantial compensation could materialize in 2026, all but two of the league’s seasoned athletes consented to deals concluding after the 2025 season – signifying that over 80% of the league’s roster presently lacks team affiliation.
Nevertheless, two prominent athletes are already committed: New York Liberty luminary Breanna Stewart declared on her podcast this week that she’ll be returning to Brooklyn, and her colleague Sabrina Ionescu informed journalists Wednesday at the USA Basketball camp in Phoenix that she’ll also be re-signing with New York.
The official timeline for free agency has yet to be revealed or shared with teams, sources informed ESPN, as the comprehensive version of the CBA is being finalized. A late February memorandum disseminated to front offices suggested that free agency could commence April 7, with official contract signings beginning April 12, provided a deal was concluded by March 10. However, the terms of the new CBA were verbally agreed upon March 18, rendering those dates potentially flexible.
Another element in play is Friday’s two-team expansion draft (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. Each of the league’s existing teams can safeguard only five players, and Toronto and Portland are each permitted to select only one player designated to become an unrestricted free agent. This could encompass an athlete no longer core eligible, though the sole advantage the expansion team would gain by selecting such a player would be the ability to offer them a supermax salary.
With training camp still projected to commence on schedule April 19, this will represent the most concentrated free agency period the league has ever witnessed – and with a $7 million salary cap in 2026, also the most financially rewarding.
ESPN categorized the top 55 free agents into distinct groups and elaborated on the influences that could factor into their choices this month. The athletes mentioned below are unrestricted free agents unless specified otherwise.
Elite-tier Candidates
Napheesa Collier
Alyssa Thomas
A’ja Wilson
It is nearly unprecedented to witness the league’s perpetual MVP contenders all entering free agency simultaneously. However, the probability of these luminaries actually seeking new domiciles appears minimal. Apart from Stewart’s announcement, the Las Vegas Review Journal has indicated that Wilson intends to re-sign with the Las Vegas Aces at the new $1.4 million supermax for 2026 as soon as feasible. Collier and Thomas, meanwhile, seem content with the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury, respectively.
What will merit observation are the stipulations of their eventual agreements: Will they ultimately secure long-term commitments, and will they align with Wilson in accepting the supermax? The supermax comprises 20% of the salary cap (an increase from 16.5% in the previous CBA), but historically, some prominent players have been inclined to accept less than that sum in an effort to secure deals that facilitate their teams in signing additional talent around them.
All-WNBA Caliber
Kahleah Copper
Allisha Gray
Chelsea Gray
Jonquel Jones
Kelsey Mitchell
Nneka Ogwumike
Kelsey Plum
Jackie Young
This collective comprises players who could be prime candidates for being “cored” by their respective teams, which functions as the WNBA’s equivalent of the NFL’s franchise tag. The core regulations remain unchanged in the new CBA until 2027; the most recent stipulations mandated that players who have completed two seasons under the core designation cannot be cored again, meaning, among the aforementioned players, Copper, Jones, Ogwumike, and Stewart are all ineligible for this classification.
Ionescu conveyed that New York’s central group – which also includes Jones – will persist without alteration. All attention will be on whether Las Vegas can also maintain its formidable trio of Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Young. Young would be an obvious target for teams to entice away from Las Vegas if she wishes to emulate Plum and emerge as a team’s primary figurehead.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever, concurrently, have explicitly stated since the conclusion of the season that their foremost objective is to re-sign Mitchell. When Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks last offseason, both entities envisioned it as an enduring collaboration, not merely a temporary arrangement, so her return there seems probable. Elsewhere, will Ogwumike rejoin the Seattle Storm after coach Noelle Quinn was dismissed?
It is conceivable that some of these athletes will ultimately secure the $1.4 million supermax in 2026. If not, the standard max is not significantly lower ($1.19 million in 2026).
All-Star Level Talent
Veronica Burton (RFA)
Skylar Diggins
Brittney Griner
Dearica Hamby
Rhyne Howard (RFA)
Brionna Jones
Jewell Loyd
Ezi Magbegor
Kayla McBride
Arike Ogunbowale
Satou Sabally
Brittney Sykes
Kayla Thornton
Gabby Williams
With such a compressed free agency period, some industry experts anticipate less player movement than initially expected, suggesting that athletes might opt for one-year contracts to observe how the new competitive environment evolves. So, which players might potentially be relocating?
Griner’s impact on the court diminished by the conclusion of her inaugural season with the Atlanta Dream – does that arrangement continue to be advantageous for both parties? Ogunbowale’s future will also be of primary concern, following a dip in her productivity last season and then-rookie Paige Bueckers emerging as the unequivocal foundational player for the Dallas Wings. Loyd excelled for the Aces once she began coming off the bench, contributing to their third title victory. Is that the most suitable role for her moving forward?
Magbegor is also entering free agency at an intriguing moment following the arrival of Dominique Malonga in Seattle. Must the Storm decide between these two promising tall players? Free agency will shed more light on the strategic direction for the team under new coach Sonia Raman (and GM Talisa Rhea).
Seattle finds itself in a situation akin to Minnesota, contending but not yet achieving a championship with its present configuration. A major narrative of free agency will be whether the Storm preserve the majority of their roster from the previous year or lean towards significant alterations.
Of particular note: Players from this cohort who are no longer eligible for core designation include Diggins, Jones, Griner, and Loyd.
Prominent Core Players
Ariel Atkins
Shakira Austin (RFA)
DeWanna Bonner
Jordin Canada
Tina Charles
Natasha Cloud
Tiffany Hayes
Naz Hillmon (RFA)
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (suspended, contract expired)
Marina Mabrey
Emma Meesseman
Alanna Smith
Azura Stevens
Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Williams
This cohort presents a collection of athletes confronting an intriguing array of circumstances. Will the Liberty choose to reunite the Cloud-Ionescu guard duo, or will they opt for an alternative path? What prospects await Laney-Hamilton as she anticipates her comeback to the WNBA, following a year’s absence due to a knee ailment? Meesseman remains an uncertain factor due to her international obligations. Will she rejoin the WNBA in 2026, and would New York desire to re-engage with her?
Vandersloot and Atkins appear set to feature in the Chicago Sky’s plans; however, the former also presents an unpredictable element as she recovers from an ACL injury. Might a player like Stevens be enticed away from Los Angeles, seeking a more prominent position or greater compensation at another location? Seasoned players like Bonner and Charles, comparable to Vandersloot, have more of their careers in the past than in the future, yet they are still capable of contributing significantly to squads.
From this contingent, Bonner, Canada, and Charles no longer meet the core eligibility criteria.
Mabrey’s circumstances are also complex: The Connecticut Sun are clearly undergoing a restructuring with emerging abilities, but they are also transitioning to Houston in 2027. Comets and Sun front office staff are already collaborating, commencing this season. The consequences of the organization’s move on its player acquisition strategies remain undetermined.
Essential Rotation Athletes
Bridget Carleton
DiJonai Carrington
Alysha Clark
Sophie Cunningham
Temi Fagbenle
Tyasha Harris
Natisha Hiedeman
Natasha Howard
Lexie Hull (RFA)
Marine Johannes (reserve)
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
Jessica Shepard
NaLyssa Smith (RFA)
Erica Wheeler
Sami Whitcomb
These athletes present the broadest range of possibilities for their potential functions, contingent on their squads’ composition and direction. An athlete like Carrington (transferred from Dallas to Minnesota) holds an ambiguous standing as a mid-season procurement who demonstrated her worth. However, many uncertainties persist regarding the course of action the Lynx will adopt. Smith flourished in Las Vegas subsequent to a mid-season exchange, assisting the Aces to a championship, and she might have potentially discovered a new home there. The Fever face fewer ambiguities than others, as they have Clark and Aliyah Boston, both all-WNBA players, secured under agreements. Nevertheless, they must determine whether they will seek to re-sign that pair’s supporting ensemble, comprising Howard (who no longer meets core eligibility requirements), Hull, and Cunningham.