Awak Kuier should be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. She is 6’6” and an excellent shot-blocker, but she also shot 39% on two 3-point attempts per game this past season and logged minutes at the three. You don’t often find a player with that length, who averaged 1.8 blocks in just 18.6 minutes per game and can space the floor on the other end.
Kuier will be a restricted free agent, so the Dallas Wings can match any offer sheet she signs with another team. If Kuier is open to joining a new team, the Wings might have to deal with many such offers because pretty much any team in the W could use her.
The Washington Mystics, for example, could build an absolutely terrifying defensive unit if they can lure Kuier away in free agency by throwing a chunk of their ample cap space at the 25-year-old. They have eleven players under contract for the 2027 season, but only one of those deals is guaranteed—Shakira Austin’s max contract—and nine of them are cheap rookie contracts. If they wanted to overpay someone like Kuier, they could.
Awak Kuier would boost the Mystics’ already strong defense
The Mystics finished the regular season second in defensive rating. Shakira Austin, who averaged 1.2 blocks per game, and Sonia Citron, who took on the most difficult perimeter assignments, both earned All-Defensive honors. Kiki Iriafen is also an underrated defender, Michaela Onyenwere can more than hold her own, and Lauren Betts and Cotie McMahon offer size and physicality off the bench.
On top of that, the Mystics have a lottery pick, thanks to Jeff Pagliocca and a worthwhile trade with the Chicago Sky. They could very well land Hannah Hidalgo with that pick. Hidalgo has never averaged fewer than 3.7 steals in a college season. She would give the Mystics another disruptive defender.
Whether they can draft Hidalgo or not, just imagine a defensive lineup of Citron, Onyenwere, Kuier, Iriafen, and Austin. Because Kuier shot the three so well this season and Iriafen and Austin are expanding their range, the three could very well play together. Between Kuier and Austin, getting a good look at the rim would be almost impossible.
Bringing in a lengthy, versatile defender like Kuier would also allow the Mystics to sign an offensive-minded player, like Kelsey Mitchell, Kelsey Plum, or Cecilia Zandalasini, without missing a beat defensively.
The Mystics are already a team no one wants to play because they are so big and strong, and they could double down on that identity this offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google