This WNBA offseason promised to be exciting and feature a lot of player movement. So far, it has not disappointed. Three blockbuster trades have already gone down, involving some of the biggest stars in the league—Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally are headed to Phoenix, Kelsey Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, and Jewell Loyd landed with the Las Vegas Aces.
On top of that, several free agents decided to sign with new teams. Brittney Griner left Phoenix after eleven seasons with the Mercury, Courtney Vandersloot decided to return to Chicago, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones left Connecticut, and Natasha Howard departed from Dallas.
A lot has happened already, and the offseason is far from over, but, after the first wave of moves, some clear winners and losers have already emerged.
Winner: Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury entered the offseason with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team. Brittney Griner announced she wanted to explore free agency for the first time in her career, and Diana Taurasi is considering retirement. Griner already made her decision, signing with the Atlanta Dream instead of returning to Phoenix.
Seeing Griner leave in free agency was a big loss, but the Mercury bounced back quickly, landing two of the most coveted players available this offseason. Alyssa Thomas has been in the MVP conversation for several seasons now, and Satou Sabally is an All-Star when healthy. Even if Taurasi retires, the Mercury now still have plenty of star power next to Kahleah Copper and could compete with some of the top teams in the league.
Securing two stars in the same offseason also speaks to how attractive Phoenix is as a destination in the WNBA. Thomas, in particular, has been vocal about the Sun’s lack of practice facilities. The Mercury, on the other hand, have some of the most modern facilities in the WNBA. That appeals to players, especially those currently playing in Unrivaled and experiencing the luxury in Miami.
Loser: Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun lost their entire starting five already. Alyssa Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Mercury, and two other deals sent DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris to the Dallas Wings. Brionna Jones signed with the Atlanta Dream in free agency, and DeWanna Bonner decided to join the Indiana Fever.
Seven players averaged at least 15 minutes per game for the Sun in the playoffs, but of those seven players only Marina Mabrey remains with the team. Everyone else was either traded or left in free agency and Veronica Burton was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft.
Making several deep playoff runs, the Sun were a title contender for years now, even though they never quite managed to get over the hump. That is not the case anymore. The Sun have to rebuild and the highest first-round pick they have this year is at number eight.
Winner: Indiana Fever
After just one season of seeing Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston playing together, the Fever are ready to make some noise in the playoffs. It has been a great offseason for them. They re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, added DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard in free agency, and landed Sophie Cunningham as part of the trade that sent Satou Sabally to the Phoenix Mercury.
With only a few moves, the Fever traded NaLyssa Smith, who was not a great fit around Clark and Boston, for a versatile 3-and-D player and added great two-way veterans with championship experience. On top of that, they already lured Stephanie White away from the Connecticut Sun after the end of the 2024 season.
The Fever are ready to win and give teams like the Liberty, Lynx, and Aces some trouble.