WNBA Free Agency Is Nigh, but CBA Uncertainty Raises Huge Questions

WNBA free agency officially opened Saturday with teams allowed to make qualifying offers or hand out “core” player designations—one-year, maximum contracts similar to the NFL’s franchise tag. This period runs until Jan. 20. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents Jan. 21, though players can officially sign deals starting Feb. 1.

The biggest names expected to be on the move this offseason are Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally. Plum was given the core designation—worth nearly $250,000—on Saturday, while according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, Sabally is expected to receive the same tag Monday.

These designations do not mean the teams plan to keep the All-Stars. They still could be dealt elsewhere, but their former teams can recoup some assets.

“I’m working with [the Wings] and finding a next home for me,” Sabally told reporters Thursday during a media availability for Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league launching Friday. “I’ve already played my last game in Dallas.”

Calm Before the Storm

The top free-agent names according to ESPN’s list are two-time MVP and Unrivaled cofounder Breanna Stewart and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike. Both are expected to return to the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm, respectively. However, Stewart will likely be given the core designation, while Ogwumike, who is no longer eligible for the designation, may also receive a one-year deal for max money.

Most players, particularly those who aren’t fighting for roster spots, are maneuvering to be free agents next season. The Women’s National Basketball Players Association opted out of the league’s collective bargaining agreement in October, and a new deal should take effect by next offseason when the league’s historic $2.2 billion media-rights deal kicks in that could trigger exponential increases to player salaries. However, there is no assurance that players under contract beyond 2026 will receive salary increases equivalent to whatever cap spike comes next offseason.

“I am under a one-year, and I’m going to sign another one-year,” Stewart said in October, noting the new TV deal offers a lot of uncertainty. 

Stewart’s All-Star teammates Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu will also be unrestricted free agents in 2026. So will three-time Finals MVP A’ja Wilson. As for viewership magnet Caitlin Clark, she is entering just the second year of a four-year rookie deal, so the CBA will have to factor in existing contracts for her to see a noticeable bump in 2026.