This WNBA offseason promises a lot of player movement, but Brittney Griner was not one of the players expected to be on the move. Griner played all eleven seasons of her career with the Mercury, always re-signing and seemingly happy in Phoenix. Now, for the first time in her career, Griner has stated that she will explore free agency.
This does not mean that Griner will definitely leave Phoenix—she is just seeing what other options are out there. Still, the Mercury should prepare for the scenario that Griner wants to sign with another team.
Losing Griner would be a big blow for the Mercury, especially if Diana Taurasi decides to retire. They would be losing two of their three top scorers in one offseason and would have to retool around Kahleah Copper.
Again, Griner might still return to Phoenix, but some teams could tempt her to leave.
4. Golden State Valkyries
The Golden State Valkyries have the means—mainly money and modern facilities—to attract a big free agent this offseason. If Griner wants a change of pace, Golden State may be able to convince her to leave Phoenix.
The Valkyries could still use a traditional big and a veteran with championship experience. For Griner, going to Golden State would be an opportunity to help kickstart the league’s newest franchise and make sure that the expansion is successful.
However, if Griner wants to compete, Golden State may not be the best place to sign unless they can land other stars, like Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Loyd, or Kelsey Plum.
3. Connecticut Sun
This offseason could be pivotal for the Connecticut Sun. They already lost Stephanie White to the Indiana Fever, and Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner are unrestricted free agents. On top of that, rumors that Alyssa Thomas may want out have been swirling around the Sun.
The Sun may lose at least some of their power in the frontcourt. In that case, chasing Brittney Griner could be an easy short-term fix. Depending on which of their free agents return, the Sun would still be competitive that way and could offer Griner a chance to play for a winning team.
2. Atlanta Dream
One thing the Atlanta Dream need is size. Their most productive big last season was Tina Charles, who came out of retirement at the age of 36. Tanisha Wright, whom Charles is close with, is not coaching the Dream anymore. She was replaced by Karl Smesko. So, the question is whether Charles will even want to come back to Atlanta for another season.
Griner could give the Dream some much-needed size as well as a star-level big to pair with Rhyne Howard. Roster-wise, it would make sense for the Dream to at least consider chasing Griner, but the question is how attractive Atlanta is to the veteran. The Dream only racked up 15 wins in the 2024 season and are a small market team.
1. Seattle Storm
The Storm faced some internal turmoil this past WNBA season, and Jewell Loyd already requested a trade. Nneka Ogwumike, the Storm’s second-leading scorer in the 2024 season, is an unrestricted free agent. While Ogwumike has given no indication yet that she plans to leave Seattle in free agency, it is still an option.
If Ogwumike leaves, the only high-level big under contract with the Storm would be Ezi Magbegor. Griner could add some much-needed size and center depth to the mix.
However, if Ogwumike decides to re-sign with the Storm, there is little need for the organization to go after Griner. Given Ogwumike’s past comments on Sue Bird’s podcast, A Touch More, about how Seattle has everything she is looking for in free agency, the Storm may be less likely to steal Griner away from the Mercury than some of these other teams.