WNBA Free Agency 2024: Top Rumors on Contracts, Trades Before Official Start Date

WNBA free agents can begin to officially sign contracts Thursday, yet plenty of questions remain about where some of the top players on the board will land.

This offseason was bound to feel tame in comparison to 2023. Last winter, Jonquel Jones requested and received a trade to the New York Liberty, who also signed Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot. The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces added Candace Parker as part of their repeat bid.

Still, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike headline the list of decorated vets expected to change teams. The futures of Parker, Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne are the subject of some uncertainty as well.

Here are some of the biggest storylines to emerge so far.

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Liberty Run it Back

With Stewart and Jones both eligible for free agency, there was at least the possibility of the Liberty's superteam imploding after just one year.

Alas, New York officially applied the core designation to Stewart, which functions similarly to the franchise tag in the NFL. The two-time MVP will be guaranteed to receive the supermax salary for 2024 if she doesn't negotiate a multiyear deal with the Liberty, who have her exclusive rights.

Jones, meanwhile, has agreed to a two-year contract with New York, according to The Next's Jackie Powell. Her agent previously confirmed at the very least the four-time All-Star was sticking around.

Losing to the short-handed Aces in the 2023 WNBA Finals exposed some flaws the Liberty need to address, but it was way too early to think they'd be in danger of losing their best players.

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Ogwumike, Diggins-Smith Keeping Options Open

Ogwumike announced Jan. 24 that she's leaving the Los Angeles Sparks after 12 seasons.

In the case of Diggins-Smith, no such announcement was required because the writing was on the wall long ago regarding a potential return to the Phoenix Mercury

Neither player has agreed to a deal just yet, and fans have reached the stage where they're assuming anything posted to social media offers a clue to their next destination.

Both 33, Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith performed at high levels the last time we saw them on a WNBA court. Ogwumike averaged 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor this past season. Diggins-Smith, who sat out 2023 on maternity leave, put up 19.7 points and 5.5 assists per game in 2022.

Either could individually make a big difference on a franchise with playoff aspirations, and signing the pair together would help a team take a big leap forward.

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Sabally Staying in Dallas

Satou Sabally told ESPN's Alexa Philippou Tuesday she's re-signing with the Dallas Wings.

"Just engaging in those basketball conversations really made us realize that we want to work together and we want to bring a championship to Dallas," she said. "It could really be termed as unfinished business."

Sabally was a restricted free agent, so there was little doubt regarding Dallas' intent to retain a player who averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 2023. This was the breakout many had envisioned for the 25-year-old since she was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft.

Somewhat interestingly, though, Sabally is only signing for one year and $195,000, per Philippou.

The current collective bargaining agreement incentivizes players to take short-term deals. The CBA runs through the 2027 season but includes an opt-out clause that can go into effect once the 2025 campaign concludes. Combine that with a new media rights deal to be finalized at some point, and player salaries are poised to significantly climb whenever the next CBA is signed.

For Sabally, only going a year at a time makes obvious sense. But now the Wings will find themselves having to sell her on their long-term vision all over again in 2025.