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WNBA coring decisions: team-by-team breakdown of what we learned

By Howard Megdal

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 3: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during game against the Indiana Fever on July 3, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 3: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during game against the Indiana Fever on July 3, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 21: Chelsea Gray #12 of the Los Angeles Sparks calling out a play to her team mates against the Minnesota Lynx in Round One of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs at Staples Center on August 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 21: Chelsea Gray #12 of the Los Angeles Sparks calling out a play to her team mates against the Minnesota Lynx in Round One of the 2018 WNBA Playoffs at Staples Center on August 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

Last but not least, we can learn from the six teams who didn’t core anyone: Seattle, Indiana, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington and Las Vegas.

In the case of the Dream, mainstays like Tiffany Hayes and Angel McCoughtry, last year’s core player, have already signed for 2019.

Indiana did not core Candice Dupree (now signed through 2020), as they did last season, ahead of a 2019 free agency which includes a decision on Natalie Achonwa.

Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart are all already signed in 2019, while it is easy to imagine the Storm might give Mercedes Russell, who impressed as a rookie, more of Crystal Langhorne’s minutes, rather than retain Langhorne, their 2017 core player.

The Sparks face a salary cap crunch already, with Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker and Jantel Lavender all signed at six-figure salaries through 2020, so coring, instead of hoping to add at some more team-friendly prices, wasn’t a great option for players like Alana Beard and Essence Carson. Still, it means Chelsea Gray is going to hit restricted free agency, and someone probably ought to make Los Angeles pay dearly for the privilege of keeping her.

In Washington, Kristi Toliver and Elena Delle Donne are already signed through 2019, as is returning Emma Meesseman, so Mike Thibault needs to figure out how to sort through decisions on Natasha Cloud, Mo Currie, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, LaToya Sanders and Krystal Thomas. But remember, it’s Mike Thibault, so he’ll figure it out. He always does.

And in Las Vegas, almost every key player is already signed for 2019, though someone in need of versatile frontcourt help could take a run at Dearica Hamby, a restricted free agent who saw her Player Efficiency Rating rise from 13.7 in 2017 to 19.8 in 2018.

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