Predicting landing spots for the top 15 WNBA free agents: Will any stars actually change teams?
Almost every player not on a rookie contract will hit free agency this offseason
The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament came to a close Sunday when UCLA crushed South Carolina to win its first national championship in the NCAA era. Now, it's time for the women's basketball world to turn its full attention to the WNBA.
Free agency officially got underway on Monday, when teams were allowed to begin the designation period. Through Tuesday, teams are able to hand out qualifying offers and core designations to their own free agents. Then, from Wednesday through Friday, teams will be allowed to start negotiating with outside free agents. And on Saturday, signings can be made official.
Normally, the free agency process would take well over a month, but due to the extended labor negotiations between the league and the players union, the entire offseason has been condensed. Teams and players will have to make quick decisions, especially with the 2026 WNBA Draft rapidly approaching on April 13 and training camps opening up on April 19.
The shortened timeframe is not the only reason this will be an unusually busy free agency period. Every single player not on a rookie scale contract, aside from Kalani Brown and Lexie Brown, maneuvered to become a free agent this offseason in conjunction with the new CBA, which will provide massive pay raises.
There are more than 100 free agents, including dozens of unrestricted free agents, and if the Angel Reese blockbuster deal is any indication, the league is going to look much different in a few weeks.
Let's take a swing at predicting where the top free agents will land.
1. A'ja Wilson
- Prior team: Las Vegas Aces
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Las Vegas
Wilson is a UFA, but she has made it clear that she wants to stay in Las Vegas, which is where she's spent her entire career.
"I know I love Vegas. I'm not leaving Vegas, so I'm not looking anywhere," Wilson said during a USA Basketball training camp last week. "I'm looking to win another one. I'm looking to defend the championship that we have in Las Vegas. I'm looking to get better as a leader, as a player. So everything else just kind of falls in line."
The Aces will almost certainly offer their four-time MVP and three-time champion a supermax deal later this week.
2. Napheesa Collier
- Prior team: Minnesota Lynx
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Minnesota
Collier, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, has spent her entire career with the Lynx and, though she hasn't made any statements about her plans, it's difficult to see her going anywhere. She's spent plenty of time in Minnesota this offseason, and the Lynx have been one of the best teams in the league in recent seasons. While the Lynx should once again be a contender, they'll have to begin the season without Collier (again, assuming she re-signs), who underwent surgery on both ankles during the offseason and was still in a cast as recently as late March.
3. Breanna Stewart
- Prior team: New York Liberty
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with New York
Stewart recently announced on her podcast that she will re-sign with the Liberty once free agency opens.
"I'm gonna just set the record straight here: I will be staying in New York," Stewart said. "I'm not planning on taking any free agency meetings even though I am an unrestricted free agent. My family is set up here, we're solid here. I'm gonna be back in New York and that's all there is to it. So good luck to everybody else in free agency, but I'm not a part of that."
Stewart will return to a Liberty team that hired Chris DeMarco as its new coach and is looking to bounce back after an injury-riddled season that ended with a disappointing first-round playoff exit.
4. Alyssa Thomas
- Prior team: Phoenix Mercury
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Phoenix
We haven't heard much from Thomas this offseason, but it's pretty safe to assume she'll be back in Phoenix. She arrived there just over a year ago in a sign-and-trade deal that she had to OK, and helped the Mercury reach the Finals in her first season with the franchise. Plus, she was spotted conversing with Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts during Unrivaled. All signs point to Thomas re-signing with the Mercury and making another playoff run.
5. Jackie Young
- Prior team: Las Vegas Aces
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Las Vegas
Young has spent her entire career with the Aces, who selected her No. 1 overall in 2019, and has helped the franchise win three titles since then. As she's grown into one of the best and most versatile guards in the league, Young has formed an extremely close friendship with Wilson. The Aces may have some tough decisions to make this winter, but re-signing Young should not be one of them. It's difficult to see Young walking away from the Aces, especially after they won a championship last season.
6. Sabrina Ionescu
- Prior team: New York Liberty
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with New York
Ionescu, like Stewart, has made it clear that she wants to continue her career with the Liberty, who selected her No. 1 overall in 2020.
"I'm where I'm supposed to be," Ionescu told reporters at USA Basketball training camp last week. "Never thought anything different. And so, excited to kind of be able to sign and get started. It's coming up really quickly. So kind of excited to get all this, you know, behind us and just be able to start our season and get going in New York."
Ionescu is coming off her fourth consecutive All-WNBA Second Team appearance, but had a rough showing in the Liberty's first-round playoff defeat, which should give her plenty of motivation coming into the season.
7. Jonquel Jones
- Prior team: New York Liberty
- Position: Center
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with New York
We have not heard publicly from Jones on her future, but The IX Sports reported Sunday that Jones plans to re-sign with the Liberty. There were some questions about Jones' future heading into free agency, given her status as the third member of the Liberty's Big Three. Does she want to remain in New York? What sort of contract would the Liberty be able to offer her? Would she be swayed by a potential supermax offer from another club? While it remains to be seen how much Jones will make, it appears her first priority was remaining in the Big Apple with Stewart and Ionescu. That trio has already won a title together and the Liberty will be one of the favorites heading into 2026 -- though they'll need more from Jones in the playoffs than she gave them last season.
8. Allisha Gray
- Prior team: Atlanta Dream
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Atlanta
When the Dream pulled off a stunning trade to acquire Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky on Monday, Gray was commenting on Reese's Instagram posts about the move. "You wasted no time," Gray posted in the captions of a photo of Reese wearing a Dream sweatshirt. "WE LITTTTTT!!!! GO DREAMMMMM" Seems like as good an indication as you can get that Gray will be back with the Dream. She's coming off a First Team All-WNBA season and finished fourth in MVP voting after leading the Dream to a franchise-record 30 wins, and with Reese in town, the future is bright in Atlanta.
9. Nneka Ogwumike
- Prior team: Seattle Storm
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Leaves Seattle, signs with Toronto
Of the top 10 free agents, Ogwumike seems to be the most likely to change teams. The Storm were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round again last season, then fired coach Noelle Quinn. Oh, and they have a crowded frontcourt too. If Seattle wants to start a rebuild around last year's No. 2 pick, Dominique Malonga and whomever they select at No. 3 this season, Ogwumike could move on. After playing a leading role in negotiating the historic new CBA, it's hard to see Ogwumike taking a pay cut to sign with a contender. What if she signs with Toronto, one of the new expansion clubs? The Tempo took a Valkyries-esque approach to the expansion draft and seem to want to compete right away, and Masai Ujiri, who recently became a principal owner of the team, was at Nneka's sister Chiney's wedding.
10. Kelsey Mitchell
- Prior team: Indiana Fever
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Indiana
Mitchell put the Fever on her back last season while Caitlin Clark was injured, finishing fifth in MVP voting and earning her first First Team All-WNBA nod. Both Fever general manager Amber Cox and Clark have said that re-signing Mitchell is the team's priority during free agency, but we haven't heard anything from Mitchell since her exit interview, when she told reporters that she would have to think about her decision. Mitchell, who has spent her entire career with the Fever, did praise the organization and the city of Indianapolis, though. "I have so much love and so much aspiration for this place," Mitchell said in October. "When the time is right, the great conversations will be had, but Indy is like my second family. Everything I've been through the last eight years, I don't think there was any other place that was greater for me."
11. Kelsey Plum
- Prior team: Los Angeles Sparks
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Prediction: Re-signs with Los Angeles
After spending the first eight years of her career with the Aces organization, Plum decided to go elsewhere last offseason and was dealt to the Sparks in a three-team sign-and-trade deal. She became the No. 1 option in Los Angeles, and though there've been no statements from her, it's extremely unlikely that she's going to leave the City of Angels a year after forcing her way there. Keeping Plum, who made her fourth consecutive All-Star appearance last season, will be a key goal for the Sparks, who are hoping to end the longest playoff drought in the league. They haven't been to the postseason since 2020.
12. Satou Sabally
- Prior team: Phoenix Mercury
- Position: Forward
- Type: Unrestricted
- Status: Re-signs with Phoenix
Sabally spent her first five seasons with the Wings, but made it clear last offseason that she was done in Dallas. Eventually, she was dealt to the Mercury in a sign-and-trade deal. Prior to that move, Sabally said she wanted her new team to have "great organization infrastructure," high-level facilities and an invested owner. The Mercury check all those boxes, and are coming off a Finals run. It's hard to see Sabally walking away from all of that after one season, though she may have to sacrifice some money to stay. Phoenix, like New York and Las Vegas, is facing a salary cap crunch to keep its Big 3 together with Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas.
13. Rhyne Howard
- Prior team: Atlanta Dream
- Position: Guard
- Type: Restricted
- Status: Re-signs with Atlanta
Howard is the first player on this list who is a restricted free agent, which means the Dream have the right to match any offer she receives in free agency. It doesn't seem as though the Dream will even have to worry about that. Howard, whom the team selected No. 1 overall in 2022, was reposting and commenting on Angel Reese's social media posts about being traded to the Dream, and seems thrilled about teaming up with the two-time All-Star. Howard, for her part, is coming off her third All-Star appearance and also made the All-Defensive Second Team last season while helping the Dream win 30 games.
14. Kahleah Copper
- Prior team: Phoenix Mercury
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Status: Re-signs with Phoenix
Copper had to sacrifice a significant amount of touches and playing time last season to help accommodate the arrival of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally. Now, if she wants to remain in Phoenix alongside her fellow stars, she may have to sacrifice some money. Both the supermax and regular max take up a higher percentage of the salary cap in the new CBA, which will make it more difficult to keep three max players together -- as many teams, including Phoenix, have done in the past. Could Copper be swayed by more money elsewhere? Perhaps, but that seems unlikely after a run to the Finals.
15. Skylar Diggins
- Prior team: Seattle Storm
- Position: Guard
- Type: Unrestricted
- Status: Leaves Seattle, signs with Washington
Diggins, like Ogwumike, is a real candidate to move in free agency. She signed with the Storm two years ago in the hopes of contending for a title, but that plan never came to fruition, and there was plenty of drama along the way. Now, after another first-round exit and a coaching change, it's easy to see Diggins moving on. She's been willing to change teams throughout her career and will turn 36 later this summer, so this might be her last chance to secure a max contract. If she does leave Seattle, the Washington Mystics could be an option. They'll have money to spend, need a veteran point guard and just fired general manager Jamila Wideman over "serious strategic differences." And, per ESPN, the Mystics are "looking to surround their young players with higher-level, proven talent."
