The ongoing CBA negotiations have been one of the hottest topics of the season. It even dominated the All-Star weekend. Players have been unapologetic with their demands, and even a potential lockout hasn’t been put completely out of the question. The fact that a new CBA will be signed could also have a major effect on this year’s trade deadline.
Pretty much every veteran in the league will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. That means almost every move teams can make before the trade deadline is a gamble. Players who get moved before the deadline may only be rentals. After all, there is no guarantee that they will want to re-sign with whatever team they land with.
Only a few players won’t be free agents after the 2025 season
Only a handful of players currently under contract with a WNBA team won’t be unrestricted free agents after this season. All players still on their rookie contracts fall in that category. So do veterans Kalani Brown, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, and the Seattle Storm’s Lexie Brown. They are the only veterans who won’t enter free agency soon.
The list of soon-to-be free agents even includes big-time stars like Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, and A’ja Wilson. However, the simple fact that these players are unrestricted free agents does not mean that they want to leave. They are simple free agents to take advantage of the new CBA and land bigger contracts than they could under the old agreement.
Still, trading for a player who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season is a gamble. In the worst-case scenario, it would mean giving up valuable assets for a player who will only play a few games before deciding to leave in the offseason.
Since that applies to most players in the league, teams will have to decide if they are willing to take that risk. Several teams could use a boost to increase their chances in the playoffs.
In-season trades are rare in the WNBA
In the WNBA, in-season trades aren’t super common, especially in recent years, due to a combination of different factors, such as a hard salary cap and limited roster spots.
Last season, the Minnesota Lynx traded Olivia Epoupa, Sika Kone, and a 2026 first-round pick for Myisha Hines-Allen to boost their playoff rotation. In a less impactful move, the Mercury shipped Sug Sutton and a 2025 third-round pick to the Mystics for the rights to Klara Lundquist. The rest of the league was quiet.