Top-25 WNBA Free Agents 2023
Now that it is January 21st and teams can meet with players, WNBA free agency is officially upon us! While they can’t sign/come to terms with agreements until February 1st, there are still several players to keep an eye on during this free agency. This year has been highly touted as an amazing class for the second year in a row, and while it might not be quite as top-heavy as last year’s class was (though it’s up there), I think it is deeper. There are 7 players who were All-Stars last season, 5 I would consider current superstars, several others who were previously All-Stars or have All-Star potential, and a large number who could play a major role on a winning team. While there hasn’t been much movement of stars in the last few seasons outside of a few notable players, this year could be drastically different, as there are only 3 players in the top-7 who I find extremely likely to resign with their prior team. This year could also have major implications for teams who made the playoffs this year, as teams like Chicago, Seattle, and Phoenix are hanging on by a thread and New York has cap space for a max free agent slot.
All stats are per Basketball-Reference.
1 – Breanna Stewart, SEA, F, 28
It is indisputable that Stewart is one of the best players in
the WNBA; the big debate is whether she is number one (there’s a serious
case). She is one of the best scorers in
the league, as she is an awesome finisher (51.8 2P%) and shooter (37.9 3P%) to
have an eFG% of 53.4% on high efficiency and average 21.8 PPG. She is also a solid playmaker (2.9 APG),
rarely turns the ball over (1.3 TOV, 6.4 TOV%), thrives with the ball in her
hands (28.9 USG%), is a great rebounder (her 7.6 RPG was a career low), and is
an elite defender. She is expected to meet
with 4 teams: Seattle, New York,
Washington, and Minnesota (sorry fellow Connecticut Sun fans); I’d keep a serious
eye on New York.
2 – Courtney Vandersloot, CHI, G, 33
For the second year in a row, Vandersloot is one of the top
free agents in this class and the top point guard. She is one of the best playmakers in the league
(6.5 APG vs. 2.7 TOV, 37.6 AST% on 22.1 USG%), but she can also operate off the
ball due to her smooth jumper (36.7 3P%) and smart positioning. She is also a good defender and rebounder for
a guard. She was also one of the best
players in the clutch last season, which allowed Chicago to be elite in the
clutch. Keep an eye out for who her
wife, Allie Quigley (ranked 11th), signs with as well since they
seemed to love playing with each other in Chicago.
3 – Nneka Ogwumike, LAS, F, 32
There is a case to be made that Ogwumike is one of the most
complete offensive players in this class.
The 2016 MVP is a great shooter (36.8 3P%), finisher (56.9 2P%), and free
throw shooter (82.6%) while rarely turning the ball over (1.8 TOV, 10.9
TOV%). She is also a talented defender
with quick hands who picks up a lot of steals (1.6 SPG). While she is such a good scorer, she is also
a solid passer (2.0 APG). She can thrive
as a top-2 player on most teams. It is worth
pointing out that she has expressed interest in resigning with L.A.
4 – Candace Parker, CHI, F, 36
It’s insane that Parker has been a star player for 15 years
and is still an All-WNBA level player.
She is an exceptional defender who is also incredibly skilled
offensively. She is one of the best playmaking
bigs in the league (4.5 APG and 25.4 AST% on 23.0 USG%, which is absurd for a forward/center). While her jumper has been a bit streaky the
last couple years (31.7% in 2 seasons in Chicago), she has still shot 33.3% for
her career 81.6% from the line last year.
She is also an amazing finisher (55.2 2P%). She can still be a top-2 player on a
competitive team.
5 – Brittney Griner, PHX, C, 32
In normal situations, Griner would be second on this list
since she is one of the most dominant players in the game. She is an elite finisher (57.8 2P% in 2021)
who has slowly experimented with shooting further from the rim and gotten more
aggressive offensively. She is one of
the best shot blockers and rim protectors I have ever seen (1.9 BPG 2021, 2.8
BPG career), and is improving her basketball IQ regarding when to not try for a
block. She is also an elite rebounder
(9.5 RPG) and improving as a passer (2.7 APG vs. 2.2 TOV). The reason she is 5th is because
the truth is that I can’t begin to imagine what being detained in Russia could
do to a person in general, let alone athletically; there might be a bit of rust
early in the season at minimum. She has
expressed a desire to return to Phoenix.
6 – Emma Meesseman, CHI, F, 29
Meesseman is the type of player that can fit with just about
any team in the league. On offense, she
is a big who can shoot (34.2 3P% last season, 37.1% for her career) and finish at
a high rate (59.9 2P%). She is also a great
playmaker for a big (3.8 APG vs. 1.4 TOV, 21.5 AST%). She also played her best defense yet last
season, which I think shows how good of a team defender she is. She also played more off the ball last year
(18.3 USG%) and thrived. If she is a
team’s third best player, that team is contending.
7 – Brionna Jones, CON, C, 27
After winning 6th Woman of the Year last season,
Jones appears to receive a big payday and reenter a starting lineup next
season. She is an awesome finisher (58.1
2P%) and is really creative and crafty with her footwork inside. She is also really good at positioning, and I
think has potential to be a good shooter (she shot 84.4% from the line last season). She is a good defender, and while she was previously
named to an All-Defensive team, I think she’s a better team defender than
individual defender. After trading
Jonquel Jones, it’s expected Connecticut will make Jones a priority (also watch
out for L.A. though).
8 – Diana Taurasi, PHX, G, 40
Taurasi might be 20 years into her career, but the WNBA’s
all-time leading scorer is still a potent weapon on offense. She averaged 16.7 PPG and shot 33.7% from
deep (both of which are below her career averages of 19.3 and 36.3% respectively),
and still appears confident. She can
still do some playmaking (3.8 APG), though her focus is more on scoring. She still operates at a fairly high usage
rate (26.2 USG%); I wonder what she would look like in an off-ball
catch-and-shoot role.
9 – Azura Stevens, CHI, F/C, 26
It might seem weird that Stevens is so high despite being a
role player off the bench, but she is so talented and has a lot to offer. She is a switchable big who can shoot (36.2
3P%), finish (53.5 2P%), and defend at an incredibly high rate. She is also athletic enough to keep up with
wing players in a pinch, something that is super valuable. While she was in a reserve role to help
contend for a title in Chicago, I am adamant that she can do more if she joins
a team that isn’t as good. Even if she
joins another contender, she is a valuable player.
10 – Ezi Magbegor, SEA, C, 23 (RFA)
When Seattle signed Tina Charles during the season, I was
utterly confused by it since Magbegor is an amazing big who was thriving in the
role. She is one of the best defensive
centers in the league who is also really smart defensively for her age and
experience. She is also a good finisher
(57.7% from 2) and has potential as a shooter, though she doesn’t take many at
this time. I expect Seattle will want to
sign her long-term given her age, though she makes sense for a rebuilding team
or a competitive team.
11 – Allie Quigley, CHI, G, 36
After 15 seasons, Quigley is still one of the best shooters
in the WNBA. She had a rougher season
shooting for her yet was still a good shooter (35.5 3P% last year, 39.4% for
her career). She is also one of the best
free throw shooters in the league (95.0% last year, 89.3% career). While she can handle the ball some (2.9 APG
vs. 1.3 TOV), I like her more as a secondary ball handler. She is an okay defender, though better when
surrounded by great defenders. Keep an
eye out for what her wife, Courtney Vandersloot (ranked 2nd), does
in free agency since they seemed to enjoy playing together in Chicago.
12 – Marina Mabrey, DAL, G, 26 (RFA)
Mabrey continued her trend of receiving a bigger role
offensively and the results looked pretty good.
She is a good shooter (35.1% from deep) and had 13.6 PPG. With the ball in her hands more, she also is
improving as a playmaker (3.7 APG, 23.8 AST%).
She is still a bit inconsistent on defense and at finishing inside the
arch (especially on midrange shots), but her skill both on and off the ball make
her potential promising. I think she will
continue to improve as a playmaker as well.
13 – Courtney Williams, CON, G, 28
It was strange that Williams was on a prove it deal after
being an All-Star in 2021, but after a controversy in Atlanta, Williams proved
it in Connecticut. She is an aggressive scorer
who isn’t the most efficient but has a smooth jumper (33.8 3P% last year, 35.4%
for her career). While she is a solid
playmaker (3.3 APG) and rebounder (4.6 RPG) for a guard of her size and was a very
good defender last season. She won’t be
a good team’s best player, but she is a valuable contributor for a team.
14 – Marine Johannes, NYL, G, 28
Johannes has only played 2 seasons in the WNBA but is definitively
one of the best shooters in the league.
Last year, she shot 43.7% from 3 and 87.0% from the line (albeit on just
1 attempt per game) while also shooting 52.8% from 2. She is also a solid playmaker with potential
on that end (3.4 APG vs. 1.8 TOV), though she is such a good shooter that I’d prefer
she shoot instead. She isn’t a good
defender, but her shooting is so good that she can find an important role on
any team.
15 – Sophie Cunningham, PHX, G, 26 (RFA)
As Phoenix struggled the entirety of last season, Cunningham
was likely the player who most benefitted from increased playing time. She is an incredibly efficient scorer who is
an elite shooter (40.0% on 6.3 attempts from 3 a game) and finisher (54.3 2P%). She is improving as a defender, something I
think she can improve at given her size for a guard (6’1). She is probably best suited off the ball given
how she has operated thus far (17.6 USG%).
I could see her being a really nice role player for a solid team.
16 – Tina Charles, SEA, C, 34
Just last year I had Charles as a top-10 free agent. While it is worth noting that this year’s
class is loaded, she probably isn’t the superstar she has been throughout her
career; that said, she has a lot of value.
After joining Seattle prior to her contract divorce in Phoenix, she turned
into more of a role player than a star, but she still shot well (34.1% from
deep) and finished more efficiently (51.6% from 2) while rebounding well (7.4
RPG). She has lost a step defensively
but is still a very good offensive player.
17 – Alysha Clark, WAS, F, 35
Despite being a bit undersized as a forward, Clark is an
amazing player to contribute to any competitive team. She is an elite defender who can switch onto
a variety of players and has a nice jumper (only 30.3% from 3 last year, but
38.4% for her career). While undersized,
she can also finish (62.9 2P%) and score at the line if needed (91.3%, though
in 0.8 attempts last year). She has some
passing ability (2.0 APG vs. 1.3 TOV), though she is most comfortable off the
ball (14.7 USG%).
18 – Tiffany Hayes, ATL, G, 33
Despite dealing with multiple injuries over the past few
seasons and her contract being suspended at the tail end of last season, Hayes
is an impressive scorer and worth a shot (no pun intended). She has developed into an efficient scorer
over the last couple years, especially last year as a finisher (60.8 2P%) and shooter
(42.9% from 3) while averaging 16.2 PPG.
Her defense has taken a step back and she is more of a scorer, but she
can be an efficient primary or secondary scoring option.
19 – Britney Sykes, LAS, G, 28
I am probably higher on Sykes than a lot of others are, but
I feel like it is a reasonable level of excitement given the potential that is
there to contribute to a winning team. She
is a competitive defender with quick hands who is awesome at guarding on-ball,
especially on the perimeter. It is worth
noting that she takes several risky plays, but the impact can be lessened on a stronger
defensive team. While not an efficient
shooter, she is a solid playmaker (3.7 APG), though she does turn the ball over
a bunch (2.6).
20 – Moriah Jefferson, MIN, G, 28
After being abruptly released by Dallas, Jefferson showed
just what she could do in Minnesota. She
is an amazing shooter (44.3% from deep) who I wish would shoot more (2.5 attempts
a game) but is also really good at operating off the ball. She is also an amazing playmaker (4.9 APG vs.
2.2 TOV) despite playing off the ball a lot for a point guard (19.7 USG%). Her defense is what it is (not that good),
but her offensive flexibility as a combo guard makes sense for a lot of teams.
21 – Gabby Williams, SEA, F, 26 (RFA)
After being traded to Seattle, Williams instantly proved to
be an incredibly valuable role player for them.
She is one of the best defensive forwards in the league who has quick
hands and can switch onto a variety of players, especially quick guards. While a poor shooter, she has found a knack
as a finisher at the rim (74.7% within 3 feet) and is a good free throw shooter
(77.8%). While operating more off the ball
(15.6 USG%), she is also a good playmaker when needed (3.1 APG vs. 1.4 TOV).
22 – Amanda Zahui B., LAS, C, 29
Zahui B.’s contract was suspended in what would have been
her second season in L.A. after an interesting offseason (her number was
changed after she declined to have it changed when asked prior to the contract
being suspended related to overseas commitments), but she is still an
interesting player. She is an awesome
finisher (54.3 2P% in 2021) and elite defender who has shown glimpses of a jumper. Her size and athleticism also give her the
ability to switch onto forwards.
23 – Natisha Hiedeman, CON, G, 25
After losing starting point guard Jasmine Thomas with
injuries, Hiedeman was flung into a starting role for Connecticut and had a
breakout year. She is the perfect
3-and-D guard for a competitive team.
She is an elite shooter (41.1% from deep) and is a good perimeter
defender on guards. While she can also
be a playmaker (3.3 APG vs. 1.3 TOV), she is probably best suited off the ball
(16.2 USG%). She isn’t someone who
requires many touches, though she will drill shots if the defense isn’t
watching her.
24 – Teaira McCowan, DAL, C, 26 (RFA)
While more of a backup center after being traded to Dallas
last season, McCowan is still a productive traditional big. She averaged 11.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG and has improved
a little bit defensively to the point where she is close to average on that
end. She is an awesome finisher (60.2
2P%) and offensive rebounder (3.0 ORB, 18.3 ORB%). She is limited outside the paint on offense,
but she still has a boatload of value with her offense, especially in an
extended bench role.
25 – Sami Whitcomb, NYL, G, 34
Whitcomb is more of an off-ball shooter, but she is so good
at it that she is worth going after. She
shot 35.1% from deep, which was a down year for her (her career clip is 36.8%
and 2021 clip was 42.5%). While she
doesn’t get to the line much, she shot 87.0% last year and 88.8% for her
career. She isn’t that amazing of an
individual defender, but she has shown that she is okay team defender around
the perimeter when surrounded by the right defenders. She can help a winning team with a solid
defense.
Which free agent signings are you keeping an eye out for
this year? Let me know in the comments!
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