The 2024 WNBA free agency period is now underway, which means the long offseason is just heating up. As of Feb. 1, teams can officially sign players to new contracts, and there’s been plenty of action across the league. Most recently, the Atlanta Dream announced a surprise deal to bring former MVP Tina Charles back to the league after she sat out the 2023 season.
For much of the league’s history, free agency didn’t matter all that much. Key players rarely became free agents due to the length of contracts and the number of times a franchise could use the core designation. That all changed with the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020. Now, free agency is a key aspect of the calendar, just like any other league.
Already some major deals have been struck. Former MVP Jonquel Jones has agreed to re-sign with the New York Liberty, while reigning Most Improved Player Satou Sabally will be back with the Dallas Wings. Skylar Diggins-Smith decided to leave her previous team, the Phoenix Mercury, to sign a reported two-year deal with the Seattle Storm.
We’re still awaiting decisions from four other former MVPs: Breanna Stewart (2018, 2023), Elena Delle Donne (2015, 2019), Nneka Ogwumike (2016) and…
