After months of negotiations, culminating in a week of marathon bargaining sessions last month, the WNBA and the players’ association verbally agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement on March 18. That meant the league would have to conduct an expansion draft, free agency and the WNBA draft in a compressed offseason before the 30th season tips off May 8.
So here we are, with the negotiating period of free agency underway through Friday after teams sent out qualifying offers and core designations Monday and Tuesday. Players can officially sign contracts beginning Saturday.
Stay here all week for the latest buzz, news and reports surrounding the WNBA.
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April 11
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus is re-signing with the Las Vegas Aces on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Parker-Tyus appeared in only two regular-season games last season, returning in September after giving birth to her second child. Her career year came in 2023 when she averaged 15.0 points and earned an All-Star bid with the Atlanta Dream.
Stefanie Dolson is signing with the Seattle Storm, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. The two-time All-Star and 2021 WNBA champion arrives in Seattle as the Storm’s top five scorers from last season depart, having most recently played for the Washington Mystics.
Kennedy Burke is signing a one-year deal with the Connecticut Sun, sources told Alexa Philippou. Burke is coming off a career year with the New York Liberty in 2025 (8.1 PPG in 21.6 MPG).
Tyasha Harris is signing with the Indiana Fever following stints in Dallas and Connecticut, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
Bridget Carleton has officially signed a three-year deal at the max with the Portland Fire, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Carleton was selected No. 1 overall by the Fire in the expansion draft.
Veronica Burton has signed a multiyear deal to return to the Golden State Valkyries, the team announced.
The Atlanta Dream have officially re-signed Rhyne Howard, the team announced.
Erica Wheeler is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks, where she played in 2021, ESPN confirmed. She had spent last season with the Seattle Storm.
Shakira Austin has signed a three-year offer sheet with the Toronto Tempo, sources told ESPN’s Kareem Copeland. The Washington Mystics have two days to match the offer sheet for the restricted free agent.
Jonquel Jones is re-signing with the New York Liberty on a multiyear deal, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews confirmed.
Skylar Diggins has signed with the Chicago Sky on a two-year deal, sources told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The seven-time All-Star had spent the past two seasons with the Seattle Storm.
Satou Sabally is signing a multiyear deal with the New York Liberty, ESPN reported. Sabally spent last season with the Phoenix Mercury.
Monique Billings is signing with the Indiana Fever, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed. Billings spent last season with the Golden State Valkyries.
Dearica Hamby is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks on a three-year, fully guaranteed deal for close to $3.5 million, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported.
The Chicago Sky have acquired guard Jacy Sheldon from the Washington Mystics, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. In exchange, Washington receives Chicago’s 2028 first-round pick.
Restricted free agent Lexie Hull is returning to the Indiana Fever on a multiyear deal, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou confirmed.
The Toronto Tempo have signed Laura Juškaitė to a training camp contract, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. The Lithuanian recently won a EuroCup championship with Mersin.
Azura Stevens is signing a three-year deal — with a salary of $1 million in 2026 that increases 5% from that base each year thereafter — to return to the Chicago Sky, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. She was with Chicago from 2020 to ’22 before spending the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
April 10
Two-time WNBA scoring champion Brittney Griner is finalizing a seven-figure deal to join the Connecticut Sun, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. The team later announced the deal is for one year.
Jordin Canada will stay with the Atlanta Dream, re-signing for two years at $1.2-plus million, ESPN’s Kareem Copeland reported.
Free agent star Chelsea Gray has reached a three-year, $3 million fully guaranteed deal to return to the Las Vegas Aces, a source told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews on Friday.
All-defensive center Elizabeth Williams has agreed to re-sign with the Chicago Sky for $1.2 million over two years, fully guaranteed, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike reported.
Jessica Shepard has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Dallas Wings, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported. She had spent all five seasons of her career with the Minnesota Lynx, including playing a key role off the bench last year.
Natisha Hiedeman has agreed to a two-year deal with the Seattle Storm, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. She was a key player off the bench for the Minnesota Lynx.
Kelsey Mitchell is finalizing a one-year agreement at the $1.4 million supermax to return to the Indiana Fever, ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike reported.
Four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale is signing a seven-figure, multiyear deal to return to the Dallas Wings, sources told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. Ogunbowale was eligible for the $1.4 million supermax after being cored by the Wings, but she is taking less than that for the team to be able to build a quality roster around her, sources said.
Naz Hillmon is finalizing a three-year deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, sources told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. Her contract is worth $2.5 million-plus over three years, fully guaranteed.
Jewell Loyd is sticking with the Las Vegas Aces and finalizing a three-year deal with the team, a source told ESPN’s Andraya Carter on Friday. ESPN’s Kareem Copeland confirmed the deal is for three years and $2.2-plus million.
Allisha Gray is finalizing a three-year max-plus deal with the Atlanta Dream, a source told Andscape’s Sean Hurd. The terms will be $3.7 million over three years, per Hurd.
Four-time All-Star Brionna Jones is finalizing a multiyear deal to return to the Atlanta Dream, a source told Andscape’s Sean Hurd.
Perennial MVP contender Alyssa Thomas is finalizing a deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury, a source told Andscape’s Sean Hurd.
Guards Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes have agreed to terms to join the Toronto Tempo, their agent Marcus Crenshaw of The FAM Sports Agency told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on Friday. With each agreeing to two-year deals at about the max in Year 1, they are the first known million-dollar backcourt pairing under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. Mabrey’s contract is for two years, $2.4 million total ($1.2M in 2026 and $1.2M in 2027).
Nneka Ogwumike intends to return to the Los Angeles Sparks, her sister, ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, posted on social media on Friday. Nneka Ogwumike previously played 12 seasons in Los Angeles, where she won the MVP in 2016, the same year she led the Sparks to their third WNBA championship.
It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon… pic.twitter.com/Da2xCDv4ux
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
April 9
Nneka Ogwumike, who has played the past two seasons with Seattle, announced in a social media post that she will not be returning to the Storm. Ogwumike is a former MVP and 10-time All-Star.
💚🫶🏾💛 pic.twitter.com/gIRYM9d6qK
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
The Las Vegas Aces are finalizing an agreement for Jackie Young to return, sources told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The deal is expected to be a one-year contract at the regular max ($1.19 million).
The Dallas Wings have traded forward Diamond Miller to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for center/forward Rayah Marshall.
April 8
Satou Sabally will not return to the Phoenix Mercury. “My best year yet. Thank you Phoenix,” Sabally wrote in an Instagram post. Sabally helped lead the Mercury to the 2025 WNBA Finals.
Satou Sabally bids farewell to her time in Phoenix 🏀 pic.twitter.com/y0DB4naGAa
— espnW (@espnW) April 8, 2026
April 7
Ten of 15 WNBA teams have extended core qualifying offers to players since free agency started Monday:
• Atlanta Dream: Allisha Gray
• Chicago Sky: Ariel Atkins
• Dallas Wings: Arike Ogunbowale
• Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell
• Los Angeles Sparks: Kelsey Plum
• Minnesota Lynx: Napheesa Collier
• New York Liberty: Sabrina Ionescu
• Portland Fire: Bridget Carleton
• Seattle Storm: Ezi Magbegor
• Toronto Tempo: Marina Mabrey
The WNBA’s core player designation is akin to the NFL franchise tag. A team can “core” a player to prevent them from becoming an unrestricted free agent by retaining their exclusive rights.
The core designation gives a team exclusive negotiating rights to a player and comes with a baseline contract of a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth the supermax ($1.4 million in 2026), though the player can negotiate different terms.
The core designation can also be a way for a team to prevent a player from walking in free agency without getting anything in return as it ultimately executes a sign-and-trade with the star. — Alexa Philippou
April 6
The Chicago Sky traded two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round draft picks in 2027 and ’28, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported. The Dream also received 2028 second-round swap rights.
MORE: Trade grades: Dream get Reese, Sky get picks, one gets an A
April 3
A’ja Wilson, a four-time MVP and three-time WNBA champion, said she has no intentions of leaving the Las Vegas Aces when free agency opens.
April 1
Breanna Stewart will be re-signing with the New York Liberty in free agency, the two-time WNBA MVP and three-time league champion announced on her podcast.
Additionally, Liberty teammate Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020, told reporters at USA Basketball training camp that she also intends to return to New York.
