The 2020 WNBA free agency period is off to a hot start as multiple all-stars are already on the move mere hours after the league’s 10-day moratorium was lifted. This isn’t normal for the W. The league doesn’t typically see high-profile movement in the offseason. But the newly signed collective bargaining agreement has breathed some life into the WNBA’s long and typically uneventful downtime.
The free agency period in 2020 is unique to all involved. It’s a learning experience for players, agents and teams now that the league is offering a maximum salary that’s nearly $100,000 more than it was a year ago for top players, and raised salary floors for rookies and low-end vets. The salary cap also spiked more than 30 percent. With no precedent for how much a player in any scenario is worth, all parties are studying one another to gauge a player’s value.
Two days in, the league got to work, though. Here’s who came out on top.
Winners
Connecticut Sun
The Sun made one of the biggest moves of free agency by trading three first-round picks (No. 7 and No. 10 in this year’s draft, and their 2021 pick) for the Phoenix Mercury’s all-star DeWanna Bonner. They also re-signed Jonquel Jones, one of the best players in the world, to a two-year deal, per Winsidr.
Connecticut let Layshia Clarendon walk, traded bench forward Morgan Tuck, and might lose starting forward Shekinna Stricklen in unrestricted free agency. They also paid a steep price to land Bonner (though it’ll keep her under contract for another year than if they signed her as an unrestricted free agent.) But if the team re-signs restricted free agent Courtney Williams, they might be the squad to beat in the W.
The Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury lost All-Star DeWanna Bonner in free agency, but with some CBA luck, were able to recoup assets. Phoenix signed-and-traded Bonner to the Sun for three first-round picks, which were then used to land Skylar Diggins-Smith in a subsequent deal.
With a big three of Diggins-Smith, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, the Mercury could join the ranks of contention depending on how they fill the rest of their depth chart. According to Howard Megdal of High Post Hoops, the team is trying to acquire Liberty All-Star Tina Charles.
Los Angeles Sparks
Another of free agency’s biggest winners is the LA Sparks, who signed all-star guard Kristi Toliver and dished one of their best prospects, Kalani Brown, for a complementary win-now player, Brittney Sykes, from the Atlanta Dream. The team also acquired Marie Gulich in the deal, and re-signed Tierra Ruffin-Pratt.
In a span of a few hours, LA addressed its two biggest problems that made them one of 2019’s biggest disappointments: ball-handling behind Chelsea Gray and floor-spacing. Toliver is a 36 percent three-point shooter, and Sykes is a slashing off-ball guard. The Sparks are in championship contention based on its Day 1 moves alone.
Kalani Brown
Brown was traded to the Atlanta Dream, and she should be thrilled. The No. 7 pick in last year’s draft only averaged 14 minutes per game in 2019 (five points, four rebounds and one block), buried behind a swarm of Sparks bigs. A new home should suit her well. The 6’7 big has natural talent around the rim, and could double her time on the floor in Atlanta’s rebuild.
Las Vegas Aces (maybe)
The Aces pulled off one of the day’s biggest signings when they landed Angel McCoughtry, a five-time all-star and two-time scoring champion, on a two-year deal worth her maximum salary, per Winsidr. McCoughtry is a lethal scorer who could make an already scary Vegas team that includes Liz Cambage, A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Kayla McBride, much scarier.
The key word there is could, though. McCoughtry missed the end of the 2018 season and all of the 2019 season with a torn ACL, though she’s returned to play with Team USA during its exhibition tour, and played overseas for Russian club Dynamo Kursk. McCoughtry’s health is far from a guarantee.
Her fit, on paper, is curious, too. McCoughtry’s known as a slashing wing who works the mid-range. She’s merely a career 29 percent three-point shooter. Vegas has already had problems spacing its two bigs, Wilson and Cambage, down low. The McCoughtry signing should give reason for Aces fans to be excited, but there’s doubt this unit can work together.
Sabrina Ionescu
The New York Liberty are expected to take Oregon’s all-time great point guard Ionescu with the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. New York is loaded with talent at the guard spot including all-star Kia Nurse and last year’s No. 2 pick, Asia Durr. But the inexperienced group is all 23 years old or younger.
That’s likely why the Liberty signed 28-year-old vet and 2017 all-star Layshia Clarendon on Monday. Clarendon missed most of last season to an ankle injury, but the experienced backup should play key minutes off the bench and mentor one of the league’s quickly rebuilding franchises.
WNBA
The opening few hours of the WNBA offseason were entertaining as hell. McCoughtry was added to an already loaded (and somewhat despised) Aces team, Diggins-Smith was moved to the Mercury, Bonner was traded to the Sun, and Toliver will help one of the league’s biggest markets. Fans are having fun in February, and that’s so important in driving interest to the W. There’s a long drought between season’s end in October and tip-off in April.
Losers
The Washington Mystics
Losing Toliver is going to sting badly for the reigning champion Washington Mystics. Toliver averaged 13 points per game on 36 percent three-point shooting as the most senior guard in the team’s deep backcourt. D.C. played without her last season, winning 12 of 14 games, but that also came in the stretch of Elena Delle Donne playing one of the best seasons in WNBA history. It’ll be tough for her to replicate those numbers.
Head coach Mike Thibault said he does believe the team will re-sign free agent Emma Meesseman, according to The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace, which is big news. And D.C. still has time to add to its roster. They already re-upped Delle Donne’s deal. But without Toliver, the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, and Connecticut Sun are closing the gap between one of the league’s best-ever teams and the rest of the field.
The Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota’s been trying to fill the void left by Lindsay Whalen’s retirement, and Maya Moore taking time off from the game with no luck. Now they’ve watched as six teams have loaded up with star players, and they’ve yet to make a move. The Lynx reportedly attempted to land Diggins-Smith, but couldn’t match the Mercury’s three first-round pick offer.
The Lynx will be fine. They still have Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier and perennial All-Star Sylvia Fowles. But heading into the season, they should be considered a bottom-two playoff seed hopeful.
The Chicago Sky
The Sky were the other team to walk away from two days of All-Star player movement without a new piece. The team expects to bring Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley back in free agency, but they haven’t added another piece to bring them into contention. They instead shipped out Astou Ndour, a promising forward, for a 2021 first-round pick.
The Sky should be playoff-level good, but how far they roll will be dependent on Diamond DeShields’ growth.