Mabrey could go anywhere. She may go back to LA where it sounds like Nneka (if she herself returns) really respected her when she was a rookie there – and of course they’ll have tons of cap space to pay her.
Good to see you here, pumatty. We often disagree, but in a way that invites discussion rather than insults. (Of course, I'm right more often, but that's another story ...)
I can agree with that
Hi all. Thanks for the kind words. They are very much appreciated.
The "quirky" part not mentioned is that if a player is contract, but doesn't come back in time and gets suspended, they are a Suspended CE player meaning they can only negotiate with the team they were contracted with when they do come back. For example, Zahui B. got suspended this year for not reporting to camp and now she can only negotiate with the Sparks if she wants to play in the W next year. Most the players (like Stewart, JJones and Vandersloot) are UFA and signed on year deals so not a problem for them.
The fact that 2024 is an Olympic year -- and thus a busy and intense one -- may prompt Stewart to take the summer off. Presumably she has enough money to do so, and resting in 2023 might extend her career a year later on, so it's possible there wouldn't even be a net financial loss.
Breaking down WNBA free agency: Will Seattle keep Breanna Stewart? Can Chicago keep Candace Parker? Chantel Jennings Sep 22, 2022
The most recent WNBA collective bargaining agreement has brought huge changes to the league — higher salaries, parental leave, bigger opportunities. It has also made free agency a much more exciting time. Two years ago, Candace Parker got things kicked off when she announced she was leaving Los Angeles after more than a decade to return to Chicagoland while fellow Sparks player Chelsea Gray made a move to Las Vegas. Last year, Tina Charles — in search of her first WNBA title — left Washington to go to Phoenix … and then departed Phoenix mid-season for Seattle.
This year, it’s fair to expect a lot of action and, potentially, even more chaos. With unrestricted free agents like Parker, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Diana Taurasi and Bri Jones — just to name a few — the WNBA’s offseason certainly will be far from “off.”
To prep you for the madness, we’ve done a team-by-team breakdown of each franchise’s free agency situation: How much money it has committed to its 2023 team, how much is left in its salary cap and what options may remain when it comes to pursuing players. Every team’s reality is different, and some teams are in more dire situations than others. But, with the 2022 season officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start looking toward 2023 and free agency is the first step.
First, a quick free agency vocabulary rundown:
• Protected contracts: Teams are able to have up to six protected contracts on their rosters. A protected contract ensures players get paid even if they’re cut because of injury or illness.
• Unprotected contracts: Contracts that have no guaranteed money attached. If players on unprotected contracts are cut, they’re only owed a prorated part of their salary. However, after the mid-point of the WNBA season, all unprotected contracts become fully guaranteed.
• Restricted free agents (RFA): These players can sign offer sheets with any WNBA team, but if that player’s previous team can match the external deal, then the player stays with the previous team.
• Unrestricted free agents: Players who can negotiate with any WNBA team.
• Cored players/coring: In early January, teams can extend “core qualifying offers” to free agents (in WNBA vernacular, “coring” them). The offer is a one-season supermax deal and once that offer is extended, the player can’t sign elsewhere but the terms of the contract can be negotiated. Teams can have only one cored player per season. Currently, five WNBA teams have already designated their core player for the 2023 season. Teams are able to trade away cored players.
• Prioritization: Starting with the 2023 season, players with at least three years of WNBA experience will be fined for missing parts of the season. Players will be fined for every day of training camp they miss, and they will be suspended without pay for the full season if they aren’t in market for the first game. Starting in 2024, players will be suspended without pay for the full season if they aren’t in market for the first day of training camp. This was an agreement in the most recent CBA that was pushed for hard by team owners who wanted to ensure prioritization as they upped their financial commitment to players.
• Salary cap space: For the sake of this piece, the “salary cap space” section will refer to the total 2023 salary cap ($1,420,500) minus guaranteed salaries and any buyouts.
Financial terms for the league entering 2023:
• Supermax: $234,936
• Max: $202,154
• Minimum (3+ years of WNBA experience): $74,305
• Minimum (0-2 years of WNBA experience): $62,285
All of the figures used in this story are gathered from our good friends at HerHoopStats. They do great work, and we’re happy to support them. Atlanta Dream
Atlanta has a lot of options in free agency, and with a full year under their belts together, the ownership, GM Dan Padover and coach Tanisha Wright will look to take some big swings this offseason. With Howard, McDonald, Hillmon and Wallace on rookie-scale contracts (in addition to a 2023 lottery pick), there’s a lot of money to go around for the rest of the roster. And it’s not just the money. With only Parker on a protected contract, the Dream should be able to attract some vets with guaranteed money — or the appeal of a core designation — to balance out that young talent comprising the other half the roster.
Something to watch: After spending a good portion of the season injured and rehabbing, Hayes opted out of the end of the 2022 season for overseas opportunities (the details of this are a bit murky as the accounts from Hayes’ agent and Wright differ). Her contract was suspended, which means she can only negotiate with the Dream. Hayes has spent the entirety of her 10-year career in Atlanta, so assuming that she’s not used as a bargaining chip in a trade deal (though, plenty of teams might be looking for a 16-points-per-game player who’s coming off the best shooting season of her career), she’ll be back in a Dream uniform next season. Chicago Sky
• Protected contracts (3): Kahleah Copper (cored), Ruthy Hebard, Julie Allemand • Unprotected contracts: Dana Evans, Li Yueru • Free agents: Candace Parker (UFA), Courtney Vandersloot (UFA), Emma Meesseman (UFA), Azurá Stevens (UFA), Allie Quigley (UFA) • Reserved players: Rebekah Gardner • Guaranteed salaries: $357,964 • Salary cap space: $1,062,536
What can the Sky do?
GM/coach James Wade, the reigning WNBA Executive of the Year, is going to have another busy offseason with four of his starters becoming unrestricted free agents. There’s a good amount of space under the salary cap as well as three protected contract spots available, so Chicago has bargaining power. But after the way the season ended, the question is, what will Wade’s current players decide …
It’s hard to imagine Parker — after coming “home” to Chicago two seasons ago — making another move before her career ends, but perhaps the pull of Los Angeles (where her daughter Lailaa still attends school) and new leadership for the Sparks could convince her otherwise? Vandersloot and Quigley will be a package deal (if Quigley doesn’t retire, which isn’t out of the question), and there are only so many rosters that can carry that Vanderquig $340,000-plus salary cap hit. Like Parker, it’s also hard to imagine Vandersloot, who has played her entire career in the Windy City, going anywhere else, but there are plenty of teams that will be in desperate need of veteran point guard play that could also have room to take Quigley. (And one of those teams happens to be in Vandersloot’s home state of Washington). Meesseman is a free agent and will have a potentially tough decision to make regarding the balance of her overseas career, WNBA career and time with family. (Allemand, while in a similar position, won’t be under the prioritization rule because she has only two seasons of WNBA experience). Connecticut Sun
• Protected contracts (4): DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones (cored), Jasmine Thomas • Unprotected contracts: Nia Clouden, DiJonai Carrington • Free agents: Brionna Jones (UFA), Courtney Williams (UFA), Natisha Hiedeman (RFA), Bria Hartley (UFA) • Reserved: Joyner Holmes • Guaranteed salaries: $847,500 • Salary cap space: $573,000
What can the Sun do?
Without trading any players on protected contracts, the Sun would have far fewer options and much less flexibility than most other WNBA teams. With just less than $600,000 in the salary cap to fill out seven roster spots, GM/coach Curt Miller will need to balance the books around $82,000 per player. That means that if Sixth Woman of the Year Brionna Jones garners the kind of attention (and offers) expected, he won’t be able to keep her on the 2023 roster. The 2023 roster will, barring significant trades, again be top-heavy with Bonner, Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas and Jasmine Thomas making close to the max while the rest of the roster will be players on minimum or rookie-scale contracts. There’s room for maybe one or two others making around $100,000. It would come as a big surprise if Charli Collier is back with the Wings next season. (Tim Heitman / NBAE via Getty Images) Dallas Wings
Last season, the Wings really didn’t make any moves in the offseason free agency period, choosing instead to ride with the young players they had drafted. But decisions will need to be made — by both the front office and players — and there could be quite a bit more movement in Texas.
There is space in the salary cap to keep one or two of the current free agents, but not all three (and given how vocal/public Harrison was about some of her frustrations this season, it’d be surprising to see her land back in Dallas). Because Mabrey and McCowan are restricted free agents, the Wings will have a chance to match any offers they get, but there should be teams coming after them. Mabrey had some huge performances for the Wings, especially down the stretch, averaging 21 points on 48 percent shooting over the final seven games of the season. McCowan showed in a few performances that she could be the league’s next true back-to-the-basket center (and there might be one team in particular who’s looking for one of those players after their own retired this past season). Burton and Kuier should be on the 2023 roster, though it would be a massive surprise if former No. 1 Collier makes this team again next season. Indiana Fever
Even before the Fever get to free agency, there are few more pressing questions: Who is going to be the head coach? Is Lin Dunn going to keep calling the shots as interim GM? Or will a permanent replacement be put in place? Once those questions are answered, Indiana’s free agency picture should become a bit less murky. But even without that knowledge, here’s what we do know …
• The Fever are still paying Jantel Lavender’s buyout ($119,000) in 2023, so that hits the salary cap (and it’s included in the guaranteed monies).
• Smith, Engstler, Egbo and Henderson (to an extent) all contributed above what they were paid and would be beneficial to the team in 2023 because their rookie-scale contracts and outsized production allow Indiana to dedicate more money to some larger free agents.
• The Fever go into the WNBA lottery with the best odds to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. If Aliyah Boston leaves South Carolina, she would be the pick. However, Boston has a COVID-19 bonus year she can use, which complicates matters. In theory, she wouldn’t have to declare anything until 48 hours after the Gamecocks’ final game (so potentially, just days before the draft). Las Vegas Aces
Like their counterpart in the WNBA Finals, the Aces do not have a ton of salary cap room to make huge offseason moves. With five players on protected contracts making up roughly two-thirds of the salary cap, GM Natalie Williams will need to figure out how to spread the nearly half-million dollars through six other contracts.
Here’s where it gets tricky for the Aces: Both Williams and Stokes came up big at times this past season, but Las Vegas can’t keep both. And even keeping one means that the remaining five players on the roster will be on rookie-scale contracts or minimum contracts (and even on minimum contracts, it would have to be most players with less than three years of experience). Of the players currently on unprotected deals, the most experienced player — Rupert — will have decisions to make regarding prioritization, so she’s not a sure thing for the Aces’ 2023 roster either.
Simply put, we’re going to see the Aces either trade away one of their biggest names OR we’re going to see this franchise work out some math magic to balance its roster while saying goodbye to players that helped it win the WNBA championship. Los Angeles Sparks
After a season with mid-season departures from coach/GM Derek Fisher and the Sparks’ biggest offseason signing in Liz Cambage, they now enter free agency with several questions to answer before they can even get to the roster. Who will be the new GM? Who will be the new head coach? And, most importantly, how does this franchise move past the mediocrity of recent years?
Once the Sparks answer those questions, they can deal with a roster that’s essentially all free agents — something that will either allow for a major rebuild, a fresh start or a decision to keep pieces from the recent era while fitting in new faces. What we know: Both Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike have stated they’d like to remain in Los Angeles (with Chiney needing to be there for her work with ESPN), and Toliver has also said she’d like to be back with the Sparks next season. But a new front office will have decisions to make, too. Los Angeles, especially with new leadership, could be an ideal landing spot for some free agents. Will this free agency cycle be the re-birth of this franchise in its return to the top? Minnesota Lynx
*: Collier signed a maximum, three-year deal with the Lynx last May, but it was left unprotected because the franchise was already at six protected deals. The deal will stay as an unprotected one through its entirety, but for the sake of discussing numbers, it’s as good as guaranteed. So, if we’re dealing with the most-likely real-world scenario, the Lynx actually have $761,222 in guaranteed salaries and $659,278 in salary cap space.
What can the Lynx do?
Worth noting: Coach/GM Cheryl Reeve is also out of contract and we’ve yet to hear whether her contract will be re-upped. Assuming she returns — which feels like a good/smart assumption — Minnesota has key decisions to make.
Two years ago, the Lynx went big in free agency, signing McBride, Powers, Achonwa and Dantas. Those signing have brought about mixed results. Powers and McBride had big moments at times this season, but Achonwa’s production and usage has been lower in Minnesota during the last two seasons than almost every other season of her WNBA career. But in terms of free agents, the Lynx have two major targets: A point guard and an interior presence. The last two seasons featured a revolving door at point guard, eventually finding success in 2021 with Layshia Clarendon and in 2022 with Jefferson. Both of those players are now out of contract. Replacing Fowles isn’t going to be a plug-and-play situation but there are free agent bigs who the Lynx can target. Financially, there will be some strain, though. Assuming Minnesota keeps Shepard after her strong 2022 season, that leaves Minnesota with about $90,000 per roster spot (if the Lynx go with 11 players) and the top point guards and centers are going to garner well above that during this free agency cycle. New York Liberty
There has been much conjecture about unrestricted free agent Breanna Stewart potentially coming to her home state of New York and joining the Liberty. In order to do so, New York would need to trade away at least one player currently on a protected deal to make room for Stewart, who should earn a supermax deal ($234,936). If the Liberty go that way, the most obvious mathematical move would be the player on the lowest protected deal (Willoughby), but that would mean the remaining five players on New York’s 2023 roster would need to be on minimum or near-minimum contracts. That might be worth it, but GM Jonathan Kolb also will need to think about player/unit fit.
Another area to watch: Prioritization could greatly impact the Liberty. Johannès made huge contributions this season after she arrived in June, and the Liberty (and Liberty fans) will want her back. But her offseason play in France (and the potential length of that season) means there’s a chance that one of this past season’s most exciting players might not be playing in the WNBA. Will the Mercury keep unrestricted free agent Diana Taurasi? (Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports) Phoenix Mercury
It’s still unknown why Diggins-Smith didn’t or couldn’t close out the season with the Mercury. Whether that impacts her future with the franchise is unknown. However, The IX reported earlier in the season that the Mercury were exploring a trade involving the nine-year veteran, though it doesn’t appear that’s related to Diggins-Smith’s absence from the team.
Re-signing Taurasi would be the first chip that falls for the Mercury, and from there, second-year coach Vanessa Nygaard can start to put her stamp on the team. Where she goes with it? It’s hard to say. But if both Taurasi and Diggins-Smith are back, that would leave the Mercury with two protected contracts and about $650,000 under the salary cap to fill out the final seven roster spots. That’s a stronger position, negotiating-wise and options-wise, than they have had the last few seasons, so they could still look to take a swing at one or two big-name free agents while continuing to fill out the roster with players like Peddy (if she’s healthy) and Cunningham, who don’t require as large of a check. Seattle Storm
• Protected contracts (2): Jewell Loyd (cored), Mercedes Russell • Unprotected contracts: None • Free agents: Breanna Stewart (UFA), Gabby Williams (RFA), Epiphanny Prince (UFA), Jantel Lavender (UFA), Stephanie Talbot (UFA), Tina Charles (UFA) • Reserved: Ezi Magbegor • Guaranteed salaries: $394,936 • Salary cap space: $1,025,564
What can the Storm do?
GM Talisa Rhea has a big test and opportunity ahead of her as she puts together this roster. Stewart’s situation is up in the air, but the fact that she only signed a one-year deal with the Storm last year as a free agent does seem to signal a change is at least a possibility. Williams, who was a big part of Seattle’s defense and energy, really enjoyed her season with the Storm, but because she plays overseas basketball in France, she’s not sure if prioritization will restrict her from coming back in 2023.
But building around Loyd, (a healthy) Russell and Magbegor isn’t a bad place to start. Stewart is the Storm’s first free agency domino, and from there, decisions can be made. If Stewart stays in Seattle, the Storm still have ample money (around three-quarters of a million dollars) and three more protected contracts to lure some players to the Pacific Northwest. If she’s not on the roster, that means there’s more money and a fourth protected contract available to try and find a player who even partially fills Stewart’s shoes. From there, Rhea will need to recruit a point guard to replace Sue Bird, and luckily for her there’s a Washington native who is also an unrestricted free agent (Vandersloot). Jordin Canada, who played the first four years of her career before signing a one-year deal with Los Angeles last season, is an unrestricted free agent again. Might she be willing to return to Seattle? Washington Mystics
• Protected contracts (4): Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen, Ariel Atkins • Unprotected contracts: Shakira Austin • Free agents: Alysha Clark (UFA), Elizabeth Williams (UFA), Tiana Hawkins (UFA), Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (UFA) • Reserved: Rui Machida, Evina Westbrook, Jazmine Jones • Guaranteed salaries: $774,450 • Salary cap space: $646,050
What can the Mystics do?
GM/coach Mike Thibault is in a really good position. With Delle Donne, Cloud, Hines-Allen and Atkins under contract, he has the core of the team inked. On top of that, he has Austin — who put together one of the best rookie seasons one could’ve hoped for from the first-year center — on a rookie-scale deal, providing depth, production and flexibility for the salary cap. From there, he could fill out the final six players on an 11-player roster at an average of $95,000 per player (one of the best financial free agency situations of any WNBA team). It really is the best of both worlds for the Mystics: The core is already signed and now they can be choosy about the players they go after, knowing there’s enough money in the cap to take one or two more big swings.
“To be honest, I just don’t know,” [Stewart] said of how she plans to approach this year’s offseason. “I know that I’m going to go to Australia [for the World Cup]; I’m going to play for [Fenerbahçe in Turkey] in January. And we’ll see what happens with the prioritization, which is a whole ’nother ball game.”
With Sue Bird having now officially retired, the Storm will already look differently next season, no matter what Stewart decides. In her exit interview, Stewart acknowledged that seeing how Bird has been received by the city could play a role in her thinking.
I guess if Turkey is allegedly making their upcoming schedule WNBA 2023 season-friendly, Stewart probably won’t be sitting out next year, at least.
One has to wonder though whether or not Team USA will let a “regular” player sitting out the 2024 WNBA season (when the Prioritization rules start becoming even more strict) compete in the Olympics that year. To me, it shouldn’t; But as some of us have come to realize, politics seem to be involved when it comes time for Team USA to select at least its Olympics team in wbb.
Last Edit: Sept 29, 2022 11:41:58 GMT -5 by Deleted
Seattle appears to be Diggins-Smith's best landing spot despite them not having much to trade for her. If Stewart returns to Seattle, I have to imagine a hard push from SDS to get to Seattle. And probably for Tina Charles to return. Sad to think Ezi is involved in a trade so SDS can likely play a single season in Seattle.
I do think Angel will get at least a training camp contract, and she might be an asset for whatever team she goes to. It's just a question of whether she has fully recovered and has anything left in the tank. I hope she does. I think she would be the best fit for a contender with need for a backup wing. Perhaps the Mystics, Sky (assuming they get Sloot and Parker back) or the Storm (with Stewart and some other good pickups). Aces would certainly use some help off the bench.