The 2024 WNBA free agency period is starting to slow down now that most of the significant business is complete. All we're waiting on now are official decisions from reigning MVP Breanna Stewart and nine-time All-Star Brittney Griner, but they are widely expected to re-sign with the New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury, respectively.
Over the past two weeks, there have been a number of league-altering moves. The Seattle Storm won the winter by agreeing to deals with Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike, two of the best players available this offseason, while Elena Delle Donne shocked the basketball world by reportedly deciding to step away from the game. In another stunner, former MVP Tina Charles announced her return by signing with the Atlanta Dream after sitting out of the 2023 season in what appeared to be a prelude to retirement.
Elsewhere, Jonquel Jones is back with the Liberty, two-time MVP Candace Parker re-signed with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, reigning Most Improved Player Satou Sabally returned to the Dallas Wings and veteran frontcourt stars DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones re-upped with the Connecticut Sun.
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. The past month has been just another reminder.
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 officially 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 careers, 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
| Player | Prior team | New team | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jordin Canada | Los Angeles Sparks | Atlanta Dream | G | |
Elena Delle Donne | Washington Mystics | N/A | F | Stepping away from basketball |
Brionna Jones | Connecticut Sun | Connecticut Sun | C | Signed |
Breanna Stewart | New York Liberty | F | Cored |
Unrestricted
| Player | Prior Team | New Team | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | Connecticut Sun | F | Signed |
Kalani Brown | Dallas Wings | Dallas Wings | C | Signed |
Rae Burrell | Los Angeles Sparks | Los Angeles Sparks | G/F | Signed |
Emma Cannon | Indiana Fever | Dallas Wings | F | Signed training camp contract |
Bridget Carleton | Minnesota Lynx | Minnesota Lynx | F | Signed |
Chennedy Carter | Los Angeles Sparks | Chicago Sky | G | Signed training camp contract |
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 | Chicago Sky | G/F | Signed |
Jasmine Dickey | Dallas Wings | G | Unsigned | |
Skylar Diggins-Smith | Phoenix Mercury | Seattle Storm | G | |
Liz Dixon | Phoenix Mercury | F | Unsigned | |
Ivana Dojkic | Seattle Storm | New York Liberty | G | Signed training camp contract |
Stefanie Dolson | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics | F/C | Signed |
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 | |
Bria Hartley | N/A | Las Vegas Aces | G | Signed |
Tiana Hawkins | Washington Mystics | C | Unsigned | |
Tiffany Hayes | Connecticut Sun | N/A | G | |
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 | Signed |
Jantel Lavender | Seattle Storm | F/C | Unsigned | |
Rui Machida | Washington Mystics | G | Unsigned | |
Abby Meyers | Washington Mystics | G | Unsigned | |
Taylor Mikesell | Atlanta Dream | Los Angeles Sparks | G | Signed training camp contract |
Chiney Ogwumike | Los Angeles Sparks | F/C | Unsigned | |
Nneka Ogwumike | Los Angeles Sparks | Seattle Storm | F | Signed |
Candace Parker | Las Vegas Aces | Las Vegas Aces | F | |
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 | |
Jennie Simms | Phoenix Mercury | G | Unsigned | |
Odyssey Sims | Dallas Wings | G | Unsigned | |
Alanna Smith | Chicago Sky | Minnesota Lynx | F | Signed |
Taylor Soule | Chicago Sky | Minnesota Lynx | F | Signed training camp contract |
Kiah Stokes | Las Vegas Aces | Las Vegas Aces | C | Signed |
Jasmine Thomas | Los Angeles Sparks | N/A | G | |
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
| Player | Prior Team | Current Team | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
Yvonne Turner | Seattle Storm | G | Unsigned | |
Jocelyn Willoughby | New York Liberty | G/F | Unsigned |
Reserved
| Player | Prior Team | Current Team | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Morgan Bertsch | Chicago Sky | Phoenix Mercury | F | Signed and traded |
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
| Player | Prior Team | Current Team | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Julie Allemand | Chicago Sky | G | Unsigned | |
Han Xu | New York Liberty | C | Unsigned | |
Astou Ndour-Fall | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | F/C | Signed |
