The 2024 WNBA free agency period is now underway, which means the long offseason is just heating up. As of Feb. 1, teams can officially sign players to new contracts, and there’s been plenty of action across the league. Most recently, the Seattle Storm continued their impressive offseason by adding former MVP Nneka Ogwumike.
For much of the league’s history, free agency didn’t matter all that much. Key players rarely became free agents due to the length of contracts and the number of times a franchise could use the core designation. That all changed with the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020. Now, free agency is a key aspect of the calendar, just like any other league.
Already some major deals have been struck. Former MVP Jonquel Jones has agreed to re-sign with the New York Liberty, while reigning Most Improved Player Satou Sabally will be back with the Dallas Wings. Skylar Diggins-Smith decided to leave her previous team, the Phoenix Mercury, to sign a reported two-year deal with the Storm. In one of the most surprising moves, former MVP Tina Charles signed with the Atlanta Dream after sitting out of the 2023 season.
We’re still awaiting decisions from four other former MVPs: Breanna Stewart (2018, 2023), Elena Delle Donne (2015, 2019) and Candace Parker (2008, 2013). That’s in addition to seeing what the likes of Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner will do.
One way or another, the league is going to shift this winter. Ahead of all the action and intrigue, here’s everything you need to know:
When does free agency start?
Teams can start talking to free agents on Jan. 21, but nothing can officially be signed until Feb. 1. Those rules will always be skirted to some extent, but teams caught breaking them will be punished under the league’s tampering rules. The Seattle Storm were fined in 2022 for jumping the gun on Sue Bird’s re-signing.
How does WNBA free agency work?
WNBA free agency largely operates just like the NBA. There is a moratorium period where teams can speak to players but not offically sign anything, and free agents are grouped into different classifications that dictate how both they and teams can operate. The two main groups are unrestricted free agents, who can speak to and sign with any team they want, and restricted free agents, who can speak to and sign with any team they want, but can have that offer matched by their prior team.
The WNBA also has a reserved category, which is for players who hit free agency with fewer than three years of service. Often, these are veterans who entered the league later in their career, but they can also be younger players who, for whatever reason, were not on a typical rookie-scale contract. The prior team has exclusive negotiating rights with said players.
Furthermore, in rare instances players’ contracts can expire while they are suspended. When this happens, players are technically found to be “withholding service,” according to the CBA, and are listed as “suspended — contract expired.” In practice, these players are treated much like reserved players, though the prior team does not have to extend a qualifying offer.
Finally, there is the core designation, which is most analogous to the NFL’s franchise tag. If a team uses the core designation on a player, they gain exclusive negotiating rights with them, even if that player was set to be an unrestricted free agent. Teams must use this machination wisely, however, as each player is only allowed to be “cored” two times in their career as of 2024.
2024 WNBA free agents
Cored
Jordin Canada
Los Angeles Sparks
Atlanta Dream
G
Signed-and-traded
Elena Delle Donne
Washington Mystics
F
Cored
Brionna Jones
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
C
Signed
Breanna Stewart
New York Liberty
F
Cored
Unrestricted
Natalie Achonwa
Minnesota Lynx
C
Unsigned
Lindsay Allen
Minnesota Lynx
Chicago Sky
G
Signed
Rebecca Allen
Connecticut Sun
Phoenix Mercury
F
Signed-and-traded
Kristine Anigwe
Connecticut Sun
F/C
Unsigned
Rachel Banham
Minnesota Lynx
Connecticut Sun
G
Signed
Monique Billings
Atlanta Dream
Los Angeles Sparks
F
Signed
DeWanna Bonner
Connecticut Sun
F
Unsigned
Kalani Brown
Dallas Wings
Dallas Wings
C
Signed
Rae Burrell
Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
G/F
Signed
Emma Cannon
Indiana Fever
F
Unsigned
Bridget Carleton
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
F
Signed
Chennedy Carter
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Unsigned
Kaila Charles
Seattle Storm
G/F
Unsigned
Tina Charles
N/A
Atlanta Dream
F/C
Signed
Layshia Clarendon
Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Signed
Natasha Cloud
Washington Mystics
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed
Alaina Coates
Las Vegas Aces
C
Unsigned
Nia Coffey
Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
F
Signed
Sydney Colson
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas Aces
G
Signed
Lauren Cox
Connecticut Sun
C
Unsigned
Lorela Cubaj
Atlanta Dream
F/C
Unsigned
Damiris Dantas
Minnesota Lynx
Indiana Fever
G/F
Signed
Diamond DeShields
Phoenix Mercury
G/F
Unsigned
Jasmine Dickey
Dallas Wings
G
Unsigned
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm
G
Signed
Liz Dixon
Phoenix Mercury
F
Unsigned
Ivana Dojkic
Seattle Storm
New York Liberty
G
Signed training camp contract
Stefanie Dolson
New York Liberty
F/C
Unsigned
Emily Engstler
Minnesota Lynx
Washington Mystics
F
Signed training camp contract
Cyesha Goree
Washington Mystics
F
Unsigned
Brittney Griner
Phoenix Mercury
C
Unsigned
Arella Guirantes
Seattle Storm
G
Unsigned
Megan Gustafson
Phoenix Mercury
Las Vegas Aces
F/C
Signed
Linnae Harper
Washington Mystics
G
Unsigned
Tiana Hawkins
Washington Mystics
C
Unsigned
Tiffany Hayes
Connecticut Sun
N/A
G
Retired
Destanni Henderson
Phoenix Mercury
G
Unsigned
Khaalia Hillsman
Chicago Sky
C
Unsigned
Ashley Joens
Phoenix Mercury
F
Unsigned
Jonquel Jones
New York Liberty
New York Liberty
F/C
Reportedly agreed to two-year deal
Jantel Lavender
Seattle Storm
F/C
Unsigned
Rui Machida
Washington Mystics
G
Unsigned
Abby Meyers
Washington Mystics
G
Unsigned
Taylor Mikesell
Atlanta Dream
G
Unsigned
Chiney Ogwumike
Los Angeles Sparks
F/C
Unsigned
Nneka Ogwumike
Los Angeles Sparks
Seattle Storm
F
Signed
Candace Parker
Las Vegas Aces
F
Unsigned
Shey Peddy
Phoenix Mercury
G
Unsigned
Theresa Plaisance
Seattle Storm
C
Unsigned
Aerial Powers
Minnesota Lynx
Atlanta Dream
G/F
Signed
Epiphanny Prince
New York Liberty
G
Unsigned
Danielle Robinson
Atlanta Dream
G
Unsigned
Karlie Samuelson
Los Angeles Sparks
Washington Mystics
G
Signed
Katie Lou Samuelson
Los Angeles Sparks
Indiana Fever
F
Reportedly agreed to deal
Jennie Simms
Phoenix Mercury
G
Unsigned
Odyssey Sims
Dallas Wings
G
Unsigned
Alanna Smith
Chicago Sky
Minnesota Lynx
F
Signed
Taylor Soule
Chicago Sky
F
Unsigned
Kiah Stokes
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas Aces
C
Signed
Jasmine Thomas
Los Angeles Sparks
N/A
G
Retired
Sam Thomas
Phoenix Mercury
G/F
Unsigned
Kristi Toliver
Washington Mystics
N/A
G
Retired
Kayana Traylor
Minnesota Lynx
G
Unsigned
Evina Westbrook
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Unsigned
Christyn Williams
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed training camp contract
Courtney Williams
Chicago Sky
Minnesota Lynx
G
Signed
Gabby Williams
Seattle Storm
F
Unsigned
Madi Williams
Seattle Storm
G/F
Unsigned
Riquna Williams
Las Vegas Aces
G
Unsigned
Amanda Zahui B.
Los Angeles Sparks
C
Unsigned
Restricted
AD Durr
Atlanta Dream
G
Qualifying offer extended
Cayla George
Las Vegas Aces
C
Unsigned
Ruthy Hebard
Chicago Sky
F/C
Unsigned
Joyner Holmes
Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
C
Signed training camp contract
Satou Sabally
Dallas Wings
Dallas Wings
F
Agreed to one-year deal
Yvonne Turner
Seattle Storm
G
Unsigned
Jocelyn Willoughby
New York Liberty
G/F
Unsigned
Reserved
Morgan Bertsch
Chicago Sky
F
Qualifying offer extended
Maya Caldwell
Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
G
Signed training camp contract
Temi Fagbenle
Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
C
Signed training camp contract
Rebekah Gardner
Chicago Sky
G
Qualifying offer extended
Bernadett Hatar
Connecticut Sun
C
Qualifying offer extended
Marine Johannes
New York Liberty
G
Qualifying offer extended
Li Meng
Washington Mystics
G
Qualifying offer extended
Nikolina Milic
Minnesota Lynx
F
Qualifying offer extended
Robyn Parks
Chicago Sky
F
Qualifying offer extended
Kianna Smith
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Qualifying offer extended
Sug Sutton
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed training camp contract
Suspended — Contract Expired
Julie Allemand
Chicago Sky
G
Unsigned
Han Xu
New York Liberty
C
Unsigned
Astou Ndour-Fall
Chicago Sky
Connecticut Sun
F/C
Signed
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