WNBA Free Agency Heats Up: Griner, Plum Among Stars in the Mix

The WNBA has entered the second phase of free agency. 

On Tuesday, teams were allowed to begin negotiating with free agents even though official deals can only be signed starting Feb. 1. Some of the most significant unrestricted free agents include Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner as well as Connecticut Sun stars Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner.

Other players who could be on the move are those who received the core designation, which is akin to the NFL’s franchise tag, during the first phase of free agency that started Jan. 11. Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum, Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell—who was Caitlin Clark’s backcourt running mate last season—are some of the players who were given the designation.

Here are some notable updates on the free-agency market.

• Brittney Griner: The nine-time All-Star will test free agency for the first time since joining the Mercury in 2013, her agent announced Tuesday in Miami. 
• Erica Wheeler: The Fever’s veteran backup guard hinted on social media earlier this week that she may explore options outside Indiana, but tweeted Tuesday that she was being a “troll.” 
• Jewell Loyd: The six-time All-Star requested a trade from the Seattle Storm in December. The Illinois native has been linked to the Chicago Sky. 
• Satou Sabally: The Wings forward announced earlier this month that she’s working with Dallas to find her next destination.
• Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart: The two former MVPs are both technically on the market this season—the former as an unrestricted free agent and the latter given the core designation by the New York Liberty. But both are expected to stay with their respective teams on one-year deals before hitting the free-agency market next season.

The Role of Unrivaled

This year’s WNBA free agency has a transitory feel, given it follows one of the league’s most successful seasons—but it’s also a year before a $2.2 billion media-rights deal and new collective bargaining agreement is expected to significantly increase player contracts. But it’s also the first year of Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 basketball league based in Miami, where 36 WNBA stars have congregated.

Sabally announced to reporters in Florida earlier this month that she would not return to Dallas, and has said Unrivaled has turned into a recruiting ground.

“You’re able to talk to other players directly and you can figure out what do they have, what type of resources, how important is their team to the owners? If you have an owner of a team that doesn’t prioritize the women’s team, they’re going to talk about it. And that’s a place where I would less likely like to go,” Sabally said.

Griner’s agent announced her client’s interest to test the market while in Miami, even though her fellow Mercury starters Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud are also in Florida and have been actively recruiting free agents.