WNBA commissioner Engelbert details ‘win-win’ with new CBA (2:36)WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joins the “Pat McAfee Show” to discuss the benefits for both the players and owners with the new CBA. (2:36)
Alexa PhilippouApr 2, 2026, 07:30 AM ETCloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on XMultiple Authors
An unprecedented time in the WNBA is upon us. Over the next few weeks, the league will finally hold free agency for 100-plus players. Yes, you read that right: 100-plus. Free agency was put on hold while the league and Women’s National Basketball Players Association negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified by both sides in March.
Knowing that a huge payday could be on its way in 2026, all but two of the league’s veteran players agreed to contracts that would expire following the 2025 season — which means more than 80% of the league currently is not signed to a team.
That said, two major players are already off the board: New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart announced on her podcast this week that she’ll be returning to Brooklyn, and teammate Sabrina Ionescu told reporters Wednesday at USA Basketball camp in Phoenix that she’ll also be re-signing with New York.
Another factor at 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 preexisting teams can protect only five players, and Toronto and Portland can each pick only one player who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. That can include a player who is no longer core eligible, but the only benefit the expansion team would have in picking such a player would be that it can offer them a supermax salary.
With training camp still expected to begin on time April 19, this will be the most consolidated free agency period the league has ever seen — and with a $7 million salary cap in 2026, the most lucrative, as well.
ESPN ranked the top 55 free agents into tiers and broke down what factors could be at play as they make decisions this month. The players listed below are unrestricted free agents unless otherwise noted.
Kahleah Copper Allisha Gray Chelsea Gray Jonquel Jones Kelsey Mitchell Nneka Ogwumike Kelsey Plum Jackie Young
This group consists of players who could be prime candidates to be cored by their teams, which is the WNBA’s version of the NFL’s franchise tag. The core rules don’t change in the new CBA until 2027; the most recent rules stipulated that players who have played two seasons while under the core designation cannot be cored again, meaning, of the aforementioned players, Copper, Jones, Ogwumike and Stewart are all ineligible for the designation.
Ionescu indicated that New York’s nucleus — which also features Jones — will remain intact. All eyes will be on whether Las Vegas can also retain its big three of Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Young. Young would be a no-brainer for teams to poach from Las Vegas if she wants to follow in the example of Plum and become a team’s centerpiece.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever, meanwhile, have made it abundantly clear since the season ended that priority No. 1 is to re-sign Mitchell. When Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks last offseason, both sides envisioned it being a long-term partnership, not just a one-off, so it seems likely she will be back there. Elsewhere, does Ogwumike return to the Seattle Storm after coach Noelle Quinn was let go?
It’s possible some of these players end up with the $1.4 million supermax in 2026. If not, the regular max isn’t too much lower ($1.19 million in 2026).
With such a condensed free agency, some industry insiders predict there will be less movement than initially expected and that players will sign one-year deals to wait to see how the new landscape sorts itself out. So which players could potentially be on the move?
Seattle is in a position similar to Minnesota of contending but not yet breaking through to win a title with its current iteration. One of the major storylines of free agency will be whether the Storm maintain most of their roster from last year or lean toward heavy changes.
Of note: Players from this group who are no longer core eligible are Diggins, Jones, Griner and Loyd.
There’s an assortment of players facing an interesting set of circumstances in this group. Will the Liberty run back the Cloud-Ionescu backcourt pairing, or go a different route? What does Laney-Hamilton’s future hold as she looks to return to the WNBA after missing a year because of a knee injury? Meesseman is always an unknown given her overseas commitments; does she return to the WNBA in 2026, and would New York want to give it another go with her?
Vandersloot and Atkins seem poised to be in the Chicago Sky’s plans, with the former also a bit of a wild card as she returns from an ACL injury. Could a player such as Stevens be lured away from Los Angeles for a larger role or more money elsewhere? Veterans such as Bonner and Charles, similarly to Vandersloot, have more years behind them than ahead of them but can still make a difference for teams.
The situation for Mabrey is also tricky: The Connecticut Sun are clearly in a rebuild with young talent but are also relocating to Houston in 2027, with Comets and Sun front office personnel already working in tandem beginning this season. The impact of the franchise’s relocation on its free agency plans remains to be seen.
Griner’s presence on the floor was diminished by the end of her first season with the Atlanta Dream — does that fit still make sense for both parties? Ogunbowale’s future will be of primary interest, too, after her productivity dipped last season and then-rookie Paige Bueckers emerged as the clear franchise cornerstone for the Dallas Wings. Loyd shined for the Aces once she started coming off the bench, helping them win their third title. Is that the role that makes most sense for her moving forward?
WNBA commissioner Engelbert details ‘win-win’ with new CBA (2:36)WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joins the “Pat McAfee Show” to discuss the benefits for both the players and owners with the new CBA. (2:36)
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joins the “Pat McAfee Show” to discuss the benefits for both the players and owners with the new CBA. (2:36)
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
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
Players from this group who are no longer core eligible are: Bonner, Canada and Charles.
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
Alexa PhilippouApr 2, 2026, 07:30 AM ETCloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on XMultiple Authors
CloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on X