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I'll be honest with you, this was supposed to be another version of the regular "Deals I liked and deals I hated" article I've written in multiple previous years. However, partly because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement which is likely coming after the 2025 season, meaning few new contracts are being signed for more than two years, there weren't too many atrocious deals this offseason. If you give someone too much money, especially too much guaranteed money, at least the mistake can be mitigated if it's relatively short-term. So instead we're going to go team by team, and take a look at their moves so far in free agency. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's going to be a slightly more holistic approach this year.

Everything Atlanta did this offseason made sense on some level. All the moves were defensible. They turned Aari McDonald and a small drop in draft position into Jordin Canada, one of the hottest point guard commodities on the market after she discovered a 3-point shot in Los Angeles last year. They gave Nia Coffey two years of decent guaranteed money to stick around, and took somewhat calculated gambles on Aerial Powers and Tina Charles. There's a solid chance that this is the next step in turning a good young team into something closer to a genuine contender. I'm just a little concerned.

I like the Canada move. After three years McDonald was still an unfinished work in progress and Canada's much closer to the finished article. As long as last year's shooting was real - and it certainly appeared to be - she'll fit well alongside Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, even if she has to play off the ball more than she did in LA. Coffey's an overpay for a player who's had injury issues in her past and is probably a high-end backup when you're trying to take the next step, but not by too much. Powers and Charles, even on one-year deals, are a little risky. Powers was essentially a disaster in Minnesota after setting herself up for that big Lynx contract with basically one good year in Washington. Charles, for all her accolades and production in the past - she's Tina freaking Charles, she's probably heading for the Hall of Fame some day - just hasn't made teams better for quite some time. She's also left a bunch of franchises behind her who didn't seem to enjoy the Charles experience (and wasn't in the WNBA at all last year, for whatever reason). If she was willing to come in and play a supporting role to all the talent already on the Dream, great. But we're yet to see Charles be willing to do that. She's on a non-guaranteed deal, so if things aren't working out then either side might walk away, but it's just generally adding to what will be a much more complicated coaching job for Tanisha Wright this year.

On a minor additional note, the Dream also took up their fourth-year options on Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon. May 15 is the deadline for teams to exercise those options, so Atlanta jumped early for no obvious reason. Not a big deal, especially with Howard where it's an easy choice even if she got hurt between now and the deadline, but unnecessary.

Well this has been something of a wild ride, albeit due to thoroughly predictable issues. After heading into free agency with high hopes, those were quickly dashed when major targets decided they had better options. The new braintrust in Chicago pivoted, cashed in their best player, and started trying to restock the cupboards that were left pretty bare by James Wade before he ran for the border.

The return for Kahleah Copper was pretty decent, with the No. 3 pick from this year a likely centerpiece of the Sky rebuild. They turned the rights to Julie Allemand and Li Yueru into the No. 8 pick as well, which could result in someone useful. Then there were worthwhile gambles on players like Chennedy Carter and Kysre Gondrezick, exactly the kind of low-risk second-draft shots worth taking when you're trying to climb off the mat. Low-end deals for Diamond DeShields and Lindsay Allen make sense as well as veterans who can help the build.

It was obviously a disappointing offseason for a team that was trying to remain a contender barely a year earlier, and gave up their star attraction in Copper. But they got some picks back and have some youth incoming, and there's still some breakout possibilities on the roster (Dana Evans, Sika Koné, Michaela Onyenwere). It wasn't all doom and gloom.

That said, rescinding their rights to Astou Ndour, allowing her to sign with Connecticut a day later as a free agent, made no sense whatsoever. Some kind of compensation could surely have been negotiated with the Sun. That one was baffling.

Connecticut have emerged from free agency looking probably a little deeper than last year, but I'm not convinced they're actually better. Some of the losses were unavoidable. Tiffany Hayes retired from the WNBA, and Rebecca Allen was an unrestricted free agent (even though for some reason the Sun and Mercury contrived a sign-and-trade to move her). They've been replaced with Moriah Jefferson (taking on the two years of her contract that Phoenix clearly didn't want anymore), Tiffany Mitchell, Astou Ndour, Rachel Banham and very reasonable training camp fliers on players like Shey Peddy and Jocelyn Willoughby.

None of the contracts they added are horrible, although some aren't great. Jefferson is fine, as long as she's healthy, which is always a gamble. Guaranteeing Banham’s cash for two years was odd, but at least it's low-end money. Mitchell for Hiedeman was a pretty fair swap, and Mitchell can go back to playing on the wing where she's much more comfortable. All of these players are reasonable supporting options, and you can hardly blame Connecticut for trying to run it back with their core considering how good they've been in recent years.

Unfortunately, none of the additions are as good as Hayes and Allen, so it'll take a group effort to be as good again. They eventually managed to bring back DeWanna Bonner, despite rumors linking her to at least half the other teams in the league. Bonner signing for $200,000 and Brionna Jones agreeing for the second year in a row to take less than the supermax after being cored, shows a level of cooperation from everyone to put this group together. In either of the last two years Jones could've simply signed her qualifying offer and been paid $25,000-30,000 more than she ultimately signed for.

So no egregious errors here, just nothing massively exciting either.

The Wings were never likely to have a particularly dramatic free agency period this year, with limited room for manoeuvre unless they made a dramatic trade. Satou Sabally was re-signed for a fairly reasonable $195,000, considering she could've found max offer sheets elsewhere as a restricted free agent if she wanted them. But it's only a one-year deal, so the Wings will likely be forced to core her next year, when matters could get complicated again.

Kalani Brown was re-signed, which most will view as a positive after she had something of a breakout season last year. However, three years of guaranteed money starting at $125,000 this year is a lot for a player who's likely stuck behind Teaira McCowan in the pecking order, along with the competition from all the other bigs on the roster and Stephanie Soares hopefully coming into the mix as well. There are only so many giants you can find time for. Hopefully Brown at least gets enough minutes to keep her value reasonably high, so that her deal is tradeable if necessary. There was also a strange and unnecessary dump of rights in Dallas, similar to Ndour in Chicago, with Kitija Laksa being released. Another unnecessary move.

Beyond that, it's the usual offseason issue in Dallas - once you add in their two first-round picks, who's getting cut? The roster is more expensive these days, so they can only keep 11 players and stay under the salary cap. At least one name that will surprise some people will be waived or traded during Wings training camp.

The Fever only made two free agent signings this year and I wasn't a huge fan of either of them, although I can at least understand the thinking (which is more than we could say about some of the signings they made in previous years). For those who listened to this year's Mock Free Agency podcast, you will have heard me contemplating exactly the move that the Fever made in reality, signing Katie Lou Samuelson as a gunner option on the wing. Despite missing out on my favoured option of Rebecca Allen, and having plenty of cap space left to throw around, I couldn't bring myself to make the kind of offer to Samuelson - two guaranteed years, starting at $175,000 - that Indiana made in the real world. She's exactly the type of player the Fever need. Perimeter shooting and length on the wing to offer some kind of defensive resistance and stretch the floor. Basically what they want Lexie Hull to be, but haven't really seen from her for more than two games. The problem is that I'm yet to be convinced that Samuelson is actually a good WNBA player. This is now her fifth different franchise (in five seasons of actual play!) and she's been okay at best. In her most recent years, Seattle were better when Steph Talbot filled her spot and LA were just bad all around. I understand the thinking from the Fever front office, I just don't think Samuelson's earned that kind of deal - even without the missed year and no evidence yet of whether she's fully recovered physically from having a baby.

Their other free agent signing was at least cheaper, but it's also questionable whether Damiris Dantas deserved guaranteed money considering recent history. Dantas was having a poor season in Minnesota in 2022 before leaving for unexplained reasons and never returning. She was then cut in training camp by the Lynx the following year. Even as a veteran with a previously solid track record in the WNBA, that gets you a two-year guaranteed deal a year later? Seems a stretch. Especially when Temi Fagbenle finally decided to sign up for a return to the WNBA after several years away (while impressing with her development and performances in Europe). Assuming they manage to find room for her on the roster, don't be surprised if Fagbenle ends up higher in the rotation than Dantas once the games matter.

Of course, the only things that really mattered for the Fever this offseason was winning the lottery and Caitlin Clark declaring for the draft. But the potential significant improvement with Clark is precisely why you don't hand out two-year guaranteed contracts to middling talent. That money and those protected slots could be important next year when far more players may want to come to Indiana.

Coming into the offseason with a shocking amount of cap space to work with considering the talent already on their roster, events didn't end up being quite as exciting as hoped for in Las Vegas. But they'll be happy with bringing back Candace Parker and Kiah Stokes on low-end deals, and deepening their post options by adding Megan Gustafson on a similar non-guaranteed contract. Bria Hartley could also be a useful pickup as a veteran guard option that Becky Hammon may actually be willing to play.

The grade here almost feels like an 'incomplete'. Maybe there was someone they missed out on, but they're still holding a surprising amount of cap space (they could give a free agent over $140,000 right now and still keep Hartley or Sydney Colson on their veteran deal in the 11th spot on the roster). Parker taking an unguaranteed contract means the Aces also still have one of their six protected spots available, which opens up possible future signings or trades. Obviously the 2024 free agent pool has largely been drained at this point, but don't be surprised if Vegas have another move to make at some point down the line.

The 2024 offseason surely hasn't gone quite as the Sparks would've wanted. Franchise mainstay Nneka Ogwumike walked away for nothing; Jordin Canada asked out and had to be cored purely to ensure a return; and their highest-priced free agency signing was giving a shocking amount of money to Rae Burrell to stick around. That's not what offseason dreams are made of. However, there was still some clever manoeuvering.

Taking on a year of Kia Nurse got them the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft, which looks increasingly valuable the more players declare for this year's class. Although they gave up their 2026 first-rounder, which is a significant risk and means they better be decent in 2025. Aari McDonald was a nice piece to get back for Canada and could still become a very useful WNBA guard, plus the bump in draft positioning from that deal helped add Julie Allemand and Li Yueru as well. Both are good players, albeit somewhat unreliable to show up in the US, but Allemand is signed on a reasonable deal and expected to be around in 2024.

Lexie Brown signed an extension which could end up looking like an absolute steal if she returns to the form she flashed last year before illness and injury destroyed her season. Monique Billings was added on a reasonable, unguaranteed deal to deepen the post rotation. They made the smart move of only guaranteeing the first year of Burrell's new contract, so that if she doesn't work out or they desperately need more cap space next year, they can cut bait.

So there were disappointments, but with two high-end rookies on the way in, vast amounts of cap space to work with next year, and the always-appealing draw of Los Angeles, the turnaround could be quick for the Sparks. There just could be a few growing pains in 2024.

With free agency's star names perhaps not putting Minnesota at the top of their lists, the Lynx went shopping in the tier below hoping to strike gold with the right choices. Alanna Smith's breakout season in Chicago led to a two-year guaranteed deal at $150,000 per year which made more sense when it was revealed that Jessica Shepard will be sitting out the 2024 WNBA season. It could be a slight overpay for Smith, but if she keeps up her level from last year she'll be a nice addition, and she's still only 27 - they're likely paying for her peak years.

The bigger risk may be the money they gave Courtney Williams, another two-year guaranteed deal, this time starting at $175,000. Her public comments suggest the Lynx are bringing her in as a point guard, after she ended up playing plenty of lead guard in Chicago last year when no one else stepped up for the job. Williams has always been an exciting and talented player but has also had her moments of controversy and unrest. She's also not necessarily a natural distributor, will almost certainly take enough long-twos to drive Cheryl Reeve insane, and shoots only slightly more free throws each WNBA season than I do. However, between Williams and Natisha Hiedeman - added in a swap for Tiffany Mitchell - at least the Lynx are trying to find guards who can run their team.

Also, even with Williams and Smith guaranteed through next year and Bridget Carleton given a significant raise to stick around, the Lynx have money left to spend if another big addition is available and interested (likely in 2025, or maybe via trade). This roster isn't the finished article yet, but they may well have taken a step towards at least being more interesting. There's just some risk and some hope within the planning that leaves a little uncertainty.

Firstly, and most importantly, the Liberty retained their star-laden core. After extensions during the 2023 season secured multiple key pieces, both Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart were re-signed this offseason to join them. Neither took enormous discounts, but both agreed to deals that were less than they could've demanded if they were purely prioritising their bank balance. Stewart only signed a one-year deal, so will likely be cored again next season, but procedurally that doesn't make much difference and could even be useful if she's working with the front office to make additions in 2025.

Beyond that core, New York came into the offseason hoping to rebuild the bench and add some perimeter defense to compete with Las Vegas. Kennedy Burke is a nice addition and will add some grit to their perimeter when necessary after a couple of strong years overseas. Everyone else signed so far is young and unproven at WNBA level, and given Sandy Brondello's history of preferring veterans there's also the question of whether she'll be willing to give the kids a chance to play. Leonie Fiebich is a very talented German wing who could prove useful, but the transition to the WNBA is always a question for young players.

Just yesterday the Liberty made an additional move, but it won't have any impact on 2024. They traded second-round picks in 2025 and 2026 to Chicago for Rebekah Gardner's reserved rights, despite the fact that Gardner tore her Achilles playing in Europe and will likely miss the entire 2024 WNBA season. It's an unusual move. Gardner is a useful player, and had an impressive rookie season in 2022, but missed almost all of the 2023 WNBA season due to a different injury. She's already 33, and will turn 34 before she plays again. Even with the limited value of second-round picks in the WNBA, that's not a player you'd usually give up two assets for. We won't find out for a while if it was worth it.

Like Las Vegas, New York still have a protected spot available so may well be looking to make further moves. Thanks to slight alterations to how the league has counted credited Years of Service, Marine Johannès and Han Xu also fall outside the WNBA's Prioritization rules so could technically join the Liberty later in the 2024 season. Beyond their top eight or nine players, this group may well not be finished quite yet.

There's a new general manager and head coach running things in Phoenix, but the approach to the offseason ended up being strikingly familiar - big swings on established players to try to give themselves at least a chance at a ring, while Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner are still around. If it means mortgaging the future to get that done, then so be it.

Two guaranteed years at $200,000 per year is a lot for a 32-year-old point guard with a 38% career shooting percentage, but Natasha Cloud is the kind of leader and perimeter defender that this group definitely needed. That was worth paying. Then they added Rebecca Allen, strengthening their perimeter shooting while adding more length and defense on the perimeter (and Connecticut helpfully took Moriah Jefferson off their hands in the process, freeing up cap room they might otherwise have struggled to open). Then came the big trade for Kahleah Copper, sacrificing significant draft capital - including this year's No. 3 overall and a 2026 first-rounder - for another very good player who will soon join the others on the wrong side of 30. In a couple of years this might hurt, when the cupboard could be looking a little bare and there won't be many picks to replenish with. But for now, they've reloaded and look a far more dangerous prospect than we've seen in Phoenix for several years.

That optimistic outlook includes the assumption that Griner will eventually re-sign to play in Phoenix this year. There've been no indications or comments to suggest otherwise, but she's also the last of the big names who still hasn't inked a contract. They have enough cap space left to give her a maximum of just over $150,000, an amount which they hopefully made sure she was happy to play for before their various signings and trades. It's likely all a non-issue - we've often seen in previous years that when both player and team are comfortable with the situation, no one is in any hurry to complete the paperwork - but until it's all complete we can't be 100% certain from the outside.

The rest of Phoenix's offseason moves have largely been signing players on the base minimum who might be able to play the 4, hit an occasional shot, and grab some rebounds alongside Griner. Natasha Mack, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Morgan Bertsch are all reasonable fliers for training camp. On the wing, Amy Atwell could be an interesting pickup as well, if her recent production in Australia can translate. She looks like she may have made meaningful improvements since her brief WNBA stint in LA in 2022.

As with the Mercury, Seattle decided to throw any concept of a youth movement to the wayside and try to skip right to the end of the rebuilding process via high-priced veterans. Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike were both added as free agents (Diggins-Smith for the full max, Ogwumike for close to it) to join Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor as Seattle's core. They were both reasonable moves. No one really wants to go through a rebuild if you can just reload via free agency instead. But there are definitely some risks. Ogwumike is already 33 and only signed on for one year - a move which ensures she'll be a free agent again in a year, when the new team in Golden State might be looking for a marquee name to launch their franchise. Diggins-Smith is 33 as well and missed the whole of last season after giving birth to her second child (and after her relationship with a second WNBA franchise ended in acrimony). They've added a lot of talent, but it might be temporary and could already be on the downswing.

There were also costs simply to get Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith in the door. In order to create the necessary cap space, the Storm had to give up the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft to Los Angeles to incentivise them to take Kia Nurse off Seattle's hands. This is why you don't give multi-year deals with guaranteed money to mid-level talents - opportunities might open up down the line that require that space. The Storm did get LA's 2026 first-rounder in the deal, which could be useful in future, but it looks like it's going to cost them someone like Rickea Jackson or Kamilla Cardoso. That's a heavy price.

It was just this week that we finally saw the deal that would've topped my "deals I don't like" section under the old format of this article. Two years of guaranteed money starting at $175,000 for Stefanie Dolson is a dramatic overpay for a 32-year-old center who's often hurt or banged up and essentially a backup-level player at this point in her career anyway. With Shakira Austin and Queen Egbo already on the books, why Washington felt the need to pay so heavily for additional post depth I have no idea.

Before that, Washington's offseason had been dominated by debate around Elena Delle Donne. They cored her to make sure she couldn't walk away for nothing, she was linked to at least a couple of teams (some of which had very little to offer in trade), and then when potential trade partners appeared to have virtually dried up she announced she'd be "taking a break from basketball". Combined with the loss of Natasha Cloud as an unrestricted free agent, it leaves the Mystics looking significantly weakened since last year. Their only significant spending before Dolson was on Karlie Samuelson, who proved she belonged in the league last year in LA (although two years of guaranteed money starting at $115,000 may still have been an overpay).

Washington also added some interesting training camp options in Belgian guard Julie Vanloo, former Liberty defensive specialist DiDi Richards and combo forward Emily Engstler, but those are all hopeful depth additions. It was not an offseason that will have inspired much excitement among the Mystics faithful.

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