In some ways, WNBA free agency in 2025 is a dress rehearsal for the madness to come next year.
With the league and its players association beginning the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the expectation that the salary cap will jump dramatically thanks to escalating national TV deals that begin in 2026, virtually every veteran WNBA player will be a free agent in 12 months.
Additionally, the ability for WNBA teams to designate core players — something that could change in the next CBA — will shape this year’s free agency. Three of the top five players in my wins above replacement (WARP) player projections are eligible to receive the core designation, and five of the top 10.
Still, plenty of movement might be on the horizon as the negotiating and trade period opens Jan. 21. And, like the teams that met in October’s WNBA Finals, franchises will have the ability to change their fortunes in free agency. The WNBA champion New York Liberty built a super team in 2023 by signing former MVP Breanna Stewart and All-Star Courtney…
