Top-25 2024 WNBA Free Agents

A few days ago, free agency began in the WNBA, and for the second year in a row, there are some massive names involved!  There are 11 players who were named All-Stars within the last 3 seasons, 5 of the last 6 active MVPs (4 of which are still playing at elite levels), and several other valuable role players.  While there are several players who I don’t expect will be leaving their current team, two notable players to watch include Nneka Ogwumike, who announced she will be leaving L.A., and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who is a free agent after a tumultuous tenure in Phoenix.  With all this potential excitement, I am thrilled to bring back the top-25 WNBA free agents list.

There are 4 types of free agents that are mentioned in this post, which are cored, restricted, reserved, and unrestricted (while there are also suspended contracts, nobody in my top-25 was in that category).  Cored free agents receive a 1-year maximum contract as a baseline, but the teams have exclusive rights to negotiate with them.  Restricted free agents are players who just finished out their rookie contracts; teams have the right to match any contract offer signed.  Reserved free agents are very similar to restricted free agents, but the biggest difference is that they haven’t played 4 years, which is the length of a typical rookie contract (usually international players who came over later fall in this category).

 

1:  Breanna Stewart, NYL, F (Cored)

There’s no other way of putting this:  Stewart is the best player in the league at this point since there isn’t anything she can’t do at a high level.  She is one of the best scorers in the league and is an excellent shooter, defender, and rebounder while also having a nice handle and great playmaking ability.  She has no weaknesses, rarely turns the ball over, and has such a high basketball IQ.  Even if she wasn’t cored, it would be a lock for New York to do whatever they could to resign her.  While Stewart could go anywhere she wants, it should be noted that one element of free agency that was ease of transporting to her wife in Spain.

 

2:  Brittney Griner, PHO, C

While there was some questions regarding how Griner’s season would go after being detained in Russia, I don’t think it can be overstated how much of a success it was for Griner to come back and play at the level she did, especially since she often struggled at the end of games due to exhaustion.  Ranking her here is doing so while expecting that she can take it up to another level after getting a full season back under her belt.  She is my favorite current WNBA player since she is an awesome defender, great finisher, can stretch the floor, and has some passing touch.  She does have her inconsistencies at points and has shown resistance to shoot outside the paint at times, but she is an amazing talent

 

3:  Nneka Ogwumike, LAS, F

While this might come as a surprise to some since she’s not a household name, I think that it’s safe to say that Ogwumike is an all-time great at this point (she was on the W25, along with four others on this list, including the other members of the top-4), and she is still in her prime.  I’m higher than most likely are due to her versatility as a scorer and defender.  While she isn’t going to shoot a ton of 3’s, she still can let them fly from anywhere on the court.  At this point, I think the biggest criticisms are that she isn’t the best passer (though she is improving) and she might not be good enough to be the best player on a championship team (I don’t think that’s necessarily true, especially since a lot went wrong for L.A. over the last few years).  Ogwumike has announced that she will be leaving the Sparks this year; there are multiple teams with cap space who she would fit well with.

 

4:  Elena Delle Donne, WAS, F (Cored)

I am adamant that Delle Donne is one of the best scorers (if not the best) in WNBA history and is one of the best scorers and shooters in the league right now; she also has awesome size and is a good defender as a result.  The biggest thing preventing her from being 2^nd on this list is health; the last time she even played 30 games in the regular season was back in 2019, and her various issues appear to be limiting her minutes.  Even while she’s slowed down a tiny bit from that, she is still one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league and is one of the most entertaining players to watch, especially on offense.  Since she is cored, Washington has an advantage with negotiating; that said, I expect Washington will throw everything at her to try to keep her.  Even if she can’t play every game, she should be a hot commodity for teams.

 

5:  Jonquel Jones, NYK, F

It may be insane to have the 2021 MVP so low, but it really was a clunky fit in New York until the end of the season and playoffs (it reached the point that I called her a role player entering the playoffs, though she was New York’s 2^nd best player during them).  While she struggled with what to do off the ball for a while last season, she is still so smart, physical, and strong on both ends, which has made her an amazing finisher and defender; she also is a good shooter and has a nice handle, though her assist-to-turnover ratio is poor because she doesn’t pick up many assists (even in her MVP year in Connecticut without Alyssa Thomas, she didn’t top 3 APG despite always having the ball in her hands).  I’m genuinely not sure what is going to happen with her this year; she proved her fit in New York in the playoffs and will likely carry that over to one of her best seasons, but it won’t be easy to fit everybody in the cap, especially if Breanna Stewart doesn’t take less than the max again.

 

6:  Satou Sabally, DAL, F (Restricted)

It might be a surprise to have her so high, but Sabally really came into her own in a strong way last season, as she set career highs across the board in her breakout year.  She was more efficient than ever (especially from 3), improved her playmaking, was great defensively, and, most importantly, was healthy for an entire season for the first time in her career.  As skilled as she is, the biggest question with her is health; while she played 38 games last season, she only played 44 games across 3 seasons in her career prior.   At this point, I do think her health has to be taken into consideration, though she is on the young end of this list, as she is only 26.  Her skillset and youth is why I have her higher than I expect others would, though she is the highest risk on this list; that said, a healthy Sabally has the potential to be in the top-5 on this list.  Since she is a restricted free agent, Dallas can match contract offers; as such, I would expect her to remain in Dallas unless a team offers a massive contract and Dallas balks.

 

7:  Skylar Diggins-Smith, PHO, G

Diggins-Smith is one of the more versatile and talented offensive guards in the league, as she puts up strong numbers in scoring, assists, and rebounds while also putting up a respectable number of steals and blocks.  She is a dream for Fantasy basketball (she was my MVP in the 2022 season), but she isn’t the best defender, is an inefficient scorer at times, and has a very streaky jumper.  While there’s the case to be made that she could improve her shooting numbers with a good team (which happened a bit in Phoenix), she still was inconsistent due to her shot selection.  It’s also worth noting that she is coming back from missing last season due to giving birth; while I think she is the type of player who could come back from having a baby and be successful, it is something to keep in mind.  After a difficult tenure in Phoenix that ended with her accusing the team of not allowing her to work out there, I don’t expect she’ll resign there; I would keep an eye out for Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, L.A., and Connecticut (especially if they opt not to resign Brionna Jones, though that might not be as likely).

 

8:  DeWanna Bonner, CON, F

Despite recently turning 36, Bonner is still one of the premier two-way forwards.  She is a talented defender and skilled all-around player who is coming off her highest scoring season since her first year in Connecticut.  The biggest issue with her is her efficiency; for someone with a nickname of “Big Shot Bonner”, she is a bit too trigger happy and is not an efficient finisher, especially from 3.  While there is a case to be made that her inefficient season from 2 last year was due in part to the departure of Jonquel Jones and injury of Brionna Jones, she has never been as good a 3-point shooter as her reputation may lead fans to believe.  That said, I think she is one of the most underrated defenders in the league and is also a versatile offensive player who is still a great second or third option on a team.  While I wouldn’t be surprised to see multiple teams try to target her, one advantage Connecticut has is that her fiancé, MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas, is currently under contract with the team.

 

9:  Brionna Jones, CON, C (Cored)

Jones was having a career year prior to suffering a season-ending injury.  She is a great finisher in the paint and been named to an All-Defensive team, though she is often limited outside the paint on both ends.  While she is talented, she often struggles defensively against more talented bigs and has struggled in the playoffs on both ends.  I think it’s worth noting that I thought Connecticut played a more open style of basketball without her, which paired very well with their star Alyssa Thomas’ playing style as a big point guard.  She is a skilled player on both ends of the court and will likely be higher on most projections, especially ones heavily reliant on analytics, though it is worth noting that bigs who get a lot of steals tend to project as better defenders than they actually are (think of Nikola Jokic when he was just shy of an average defender).  While I’m slightly surprised that Connecticut cored her, DeWanna Bonner is ineligible to be cored due to previously being cored 3 times, so it makes sense to give it a shot with Jones.

 

10:  Candace Parker, LVA, F

Parker is turning 38 this season, but is still one of the better all-around players in the game.  Her scoring has dropped, but she is still an offensive threat due to her shooting touch (though it can be streaky at times) and her ability to pass; I would consider her one of the best passing bigs in the game.  She is also still a talented defender who has an incredibly high basketball IQ.  It’s possible that she drops a bit in these rankings by the end of the season due to her age and reduced offensive role, but she is still a valuable player.  I expect that she will try to sign with a contending team if she doesn’t return to Vegas.

 

11:  Jordin Canada, LAS, G (Cored)

While Canada has always been an excellent defender and steady point guard, she had a breakout year last year as she shot better than she ever has from deep, resulting in her being a Most Improved player candidate.  While she is smaller for guards, she is elite at picking up steals and always seems to know where both the dribble and passes are going.  That said, she has never been an efficient scorer, especially from inside the arc; while she improved from 3 last season, she has never been a good shooter, so I don’t buy it (even if her free throw percentage has always been high).  Even if the shooting is a fluke she is still a solid role player who should start on most teams; that said, she wouldn’t be the 11^th best free agent in that case.  The big surprise is that L.A. cored her, which makes them able to give her a max deal for 1 year.  I don’t get that decision; even if the shooting wasn’t a fluke, she isn’t a star player, and feels like L.A. is being mismanaged, something they didn’t help their case with over the last few seasons.

 

12:  Courtney Williams, CHI, G

Williams’ past few years have been absolutely fascinating, as she had an All-Star year in Atlanta, was involved in an off-court incident that tanked her market, appeared to rebuild her value after a season in Connecticut, and then went to Chicago, where she was okay.  That said, she is still a great shooter and a solid defender who can be more aggressive than her size might indicate; she also was an excellent playmaker last year after being more of a score-first guard prior.  While she is going to have her limitations due to her size, her biggest weakness is her shot selection and inefficiencies inside the 3-point line.  She has shown that she can be a nice third or fourth option on a competitive team and appears to be more than happy playing the role; I think she has also shown that she can be a good playmaker when needed as well, which could open up more opportunities for her.

 

13:  Natasha Cloud, WAS, G

Cloud has created a lane for herself as an excellent playmaker and one of the best defensive guards in the league.  While she is incredibly aggressive defending around the arc, she also has such a high basketball IQ and is smart enough with positioning to occasionally play up in switches, despite not being particularly tall.  The biggest issue is that she isn’t as good a shooter as she thinks she is; in fact, she is incredibly inefficient from anywhere on the court, but still takes a lot of shots.   While she is turning 32 this year, it continues to be worth noting that she is an excellent free throw shooter (not that I think it’ll translate to shooting potential from deep at this point).  Even with her offensive limitations, she remains a talented guard who could start on most teams.

 

14:  Kiah Stokes, LVA, C

While Stokes has been treated as an afterthought of Las Vegas’ back-to-back championship runs, she has been an important player for the team.  She is an excellent defender who is also versatile enough to switch onto forwards and some wings in a pinch; while she arguably benefitted from defensive success of the team previously, she was an absolutely incredible individual defender last season.  That said, she is pretty much a zero on offense; I have written on multiple occasions that the best defense against the team was to either put the worst defender on her or to leave her open unless she appeared to cut to the rim.  That said, she is good enough to be a starting center on most teams.

 

15:  Tianna Hawkins, WAS, C

I feel like I’ve been a bigger fan of Hawkins than most people has, but I feel like I’m justified given her skillset.  She is a great defender who is versatile, can switch onto most players, and has amazing size; she is also an efficient scorer inside the arc.  That said, her jumper is streaky (at best) and she is limited on the ball.  That said, she is a quality role player who knows her role and can thrive on a contending team.  I think that any team with cap space could make a serious case to sign her and have her play a major role.

 

16:  Alanna Smith, CHI, F

After struggling to find a role throughout her career, Smith had a breakout year in Chicago last season.  She carved a role for herself by being a great finisher at the rim and a good defender.  That said, she is a poor shooter and continues to take 3’s despite never giving any indication she can make them.  I also think that it’s worth noting that she has never played quite this good on either end throughout her career, so it is worth wondering how much of a fluke last season was.  That said, she is absolutely worth a chance for any team depending on the contract, even if last season ends up being her best.

 

17:  Layshia Clarendon, LAS, G

After not playing for a team in 2022, Clarendon came back in full force in 2023 for one of her best seasons (if not her best).  She is a steady guard who has also developed into an efficient shooter at this point in her career, which wasn’t the case previously; she also is smart off the ball.  She doesn’t make a ton of passes and is smaller for an off-ball guard, which is a little bit awkward at times; she also isn’t the best defender, though she tries hard on that end.  While she isn’t a star, she is still a solid player who is a good contributor either as a starting guard or off the bench as a sixth woman.

 

18:  Rebecca Allen, CON, F

Allen is an interesting player since I feel like her reputation might be greater than her output on the court, but it actually helps out a team in that regard.  She has a streaky jumper, but has a reputation of being somebody you can’t leave open, so she can even take away a defender from the paint even when she can’t hit shots.  She also is a good defender with great size; she really showcased her team defensive ability in Connecticut.  She doesn’t pass much or do anything on the ball, is a poor 2-point shooter and finisher, and isn’t as consistent of a shooter as people seem to think she is.  That said, her reputation helps out a team’s offense, which makes her worth a look.

 

19:  Nia Coffey, ATL, F

Coffey has had her inconsistencies, but she is still a skilled player.  She is a talented defender and off-ball offensive player whose shot can look good.  While there are concerns that she is limited offensively (especially on the ball and as a finisher, where she is very poor), she also has been a tiny bit streaky as a shooter at points, which should be a red flag if it’s a season she can’t hit anything from deep.  Even while she has her limitations, I think she is still a good player who can help out a team, especially as a versatile defender.

 

20:  Karlie Samuelson, LAS, G

Samuelson is an interesting free agent, since she had a breakout year after struggling to find consistent minutes previously.  She found a role in L.A. as an off-ball sharpshooter as they struggled to find consistency and healthy bodies, becoming one of the few consistent pieces they had all season; she also showed glimpses of making the right pass as needed, though she isn’t an on-ball player.  That said, she isn’t a good defender, doesn’t do much other than shoot, and has never been able to find a role other than last year.  It all depends on what is real for the to-be 29-year-old:  was it last season, or the seasons prior where she couldn’t find a role despite great shooting due to her other deficiencies?

 

21:  Riquna Williams, LVA, G

Williams is a talented player, but legal issues could make it a tough sell for a team to sign her.  She is a great shooter, which has allowed her to carve a role despite injuries limiting her upside earlier in her career; she also never turns the ball over (while she’s often off the ball now, she rarely did even when she had the ball in her hands early in her career).  On the court, some of her weaknesses include defense, playmaking (she’s more of a score first guard), and finishing at the rim.  However, she missed all of last season after being arrested for domestic violence and strangulation; to make matters worse, she was previously arrested and suspended for assaulting an ex-girlfriend.  With these legal issues, I think it’s entirely possible that she doesn’t play in the WNBA this year or ever again, despite her talent.

 

22:  Gabby Williams, SEA, F

Williams has proven to be a solid role player throughout her career, though injuries and international commitments have limited her upside.  She has proven to be a very good defender and solid playmaker as well, which makes her an interesting role player for many teams.  That said, she is not a good shooter, an inconsistent finisher, is coming off an injury, and already missed a season due to international commitments (though that sounded more like a bad miscommunication than anything).  If nothing else, she can at least contribute to teams, though her lack of shooting might not be the best fit with contending teams.

 

23:  Marine Johannes, NYK, G (Reserved)

Johannes has one skill that she is elite at, and it is one that should get her interested in free agency:  shooting.  She is a great shooter off the ball who has also had some success when off the dribble as well; realistically, she always needs to be contested when she’s on the court.  While she also has some passing touch, it isn’t something to expect out of her a ton.  She isn’t a particularly good defender. doesn’t have the best handle, and really doesn’t take many shots within the 3-point line, but ultimately, she doesn’t need to in the role she’s in.  As a reserved free agent, New York can negotiate with her exclusively.

 

24:  Diamond DeShields, DAL, G/F

DeShields is a high-volume scorer who is incredibly inefficient, inconsistent, and didn’t play last season.  I hate inefficient high-volume scorers since I think they don’t help with winning, so why do I have her even in my top-25?  DeShields is a good defender who has great size, so she can be versatile on that end of the court.  While returning from injuries could slow her down initially (knee injuries could cause trouble), she is athletic enough to still be a solid defender at the minimum.  While most teams have treated her like a high level starter, I think she would be a good 6^th woman as a high energy defender who could come into the game immediately; teams might be willing to try that if she is healthy enough to play immediately.

 

25:  Chiney Ogwumike, LAS, F/C

Ogwumike is a talented big whose career has unfortunately been hampered by injuries.  While she might not be the same 2-time All-Star that she was in Connecticut, she is still a solid backup big who can play bigger minutes if needed.  While injuries have limited some of her ability (especially around the paint and on defense), the bigger question is how much she is able to play.  If healthy, she is a nice role player to have, though it’s worth wondering how many games you’d get out of her.  One thing that is worth noting is that she has resigned with L.A. in the past in part because she is also working for ESPN in the city.

 

Other notable free agents (by alphabetical order by last name):

Lindsay Allen (MIN, G), Ivana Dojkic (SEA, G), Rebekah Gardner (G), Danielle Robinson (ATL, G), Katie Lou Samuelson (LAS, F), Sug Sutton (PHO, G).

 

What do you think of this list?  Any you disagree with?  Who are your favorite players in this free agency class?  Let me know in the comments!