WNBA Free Agency 2022: Analyzing Jonquel Jones, Biggest Contracts from Day 1
The news has come thick and fast on the first day WNBA free agents are eligible to sign contracts.
The 2022 free-agency class wasn't lacking for star power with Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Jewell Loyd and Kahleah Copper all hitting the market.
With the WNBA's most recent collective bargaining agreement opening the door for more player movement, the landscape of the league might look a lot different when the season tips off May 6.
MVPs Staying Put
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Those hoping for total anarchy will be disappointed.
The Connecticut Sun announced Jones signed her core qualifying offer, with Gabe Ibrahim of Her Hoop Stats reporting she'll earn $205,000 and $211,150 in 2023.
The Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces have yet to confirm deals for Stewart and Wilson, respectively, but they're expected to stay with their current teams as well. Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported Stewart will sign a one-year supermax contract, while Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports TV reported Wilson and the Aces were nearing an agreement.
If any one of Jones, Stewart or Wilson had changed teams, it would've sent massive ripple effects across the league.
On Jan. 21, Haynes reported Stewart met with representatives from the New York Liberty. Her departure would've been a significant blow to the Storm's title hopes in 2022 while affirming the Liberty as a force to be reckoned with.
Instead, the WNBA Finals race will maintain its status quo.
Storm Run It Back
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Heading into free agency, no team generated more intrigue than the Storm. The four-time champions had a boatload of salary-cap space ($986,236), but re-signing everybody was impossible with only five players under contract for 2022.
Seattle prematurely announced the return of Sue Bird, who has at least confirmed she will play a 19th year in the league. Nobody expects the 41-year-old to suit up for anybody other than the Storm at this point in her legendary career.
The organization has, however, locked up new contracts with Loyd and Mercedes Russell. In addition, Williams reported Seattle is expected to sign veteran guard Briann January, who will presumably replace restricted free agent Jordin Canada.
The fact that Stewart is only signing a one-year deal isn't ideal for the Storm. If the Liberty thrive under first-year head coach Sandy Brondello, a move back home for the Syracuse, New York, native will be very tempting.
But general manager Talisa Rhea ensured Seattle can make at least one more run at a title with its current core and potentially write the perfect ending for Bird.
Lynx Retain a Franchise Legend
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The Minnesota Lynx have been stuck in a state of limbo ever since Maya Moore announced she was stepping away from the WNBA ahead of the 2019 season.
As the key players responsible for winning four titles in seven years were steadily phased out, Minnesota has steered clear of a total rebuild. However, that has left the Lynx struggling to assemble another championship-caliber squad.
They lost in the first round of the 2019 playoffs and got swept by the Storm in the 2020 semifinals. Twenty-two wins and a third-place finish netted only a second-round exit at the hands of the Chicago Sky.
Looking ahead, Napheesa Collier's status is unknown because of her pregnancy. If Collier is out for the year, then securing another top-four finish could be an uphill climb.
No matter how things play out, this will be a year for the fans to savor, though, because it will be Sylvia Fowles' last in the league. The Lynx announced they re-signed the 2017 MVP, and she intends to retire once the season concludes.
Despite being in her age-35 season, Fowles continued to play near her peak in 2021, averaging 16.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 64.0 percent from the field. Perhaps the 6'6" center can carry Minnesota to playoff glory one more time.
New-Look Dream Front Office Makes Its Opening Moves
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The Atlanta Dream executed a bit of a coup when they poached two-time Executive of the Year Dan Padover from the Aces.
Padover was left to pick up the pieces from a disastrous 2021 season.
Last July, Atlanta suspended Chennedy Carter indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team, and she didn't make another appearance. Then in October, Courtney Williams shared a video of a physical altercation involving some Dream players from last May.
Padover's arrival hasn't yet resulted in a transformative offseason. The Dream announced their first pieces of business Tuesday: re-signing Tiffany Hayes and additions of Nia Coffey and Kia Vaughn.
Padover commented on the moves:
"From the first day Tanisha, Darius and I got together, there were two things that we prioritized for this upcoming season: bring in talented professionals who are going to compete for us every single day, and surround this franchise with high-character individuals. We feel very confident that we have done that with our transactions thus far. We have a strategy in place to build this franchise back into a perennial contender and we believe we are starting to take the initial steps necessary."
The Dream have won 23 combined games over the last three years, so signing multiple stars is probably out of the question this winter. Laying the foundation to make the franchise an attractive destination in 2023 and beyond is a bigger priority for the front office right now.
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