The 2023 New York Liberty achieved probably as much success as possible without actually winning a championship. They had the regular-season MVP on their team in Breanna Stewart, won the Commissioner’s Cup, made a strong showing at WNBA All-Star Weekend and reached the WNBA Finals. Yet, none of that was enough to beat the power of the Las Vegas Aces. With the Aces seemingly getting stronger, the Liberty’s efforts in free agency need to be focused on building a team with the potential to beat them.
Teams have already started rolling out qualifying offers to players; they can start speaking with players on Jan. 21, with deals able to be signed as early as Feb. 1. This being an Olympic year also throws a wrench in a few WNBA teams’ roster decisions, as there are many national team programs that limit their players’ availability.
Facts and figures*
Players under contract (contract status; 2024 salary)
- Sabrina Ionescu (unprotected; $202,000)
- Betnijah Laney (protected veteran; $180,000)
- Nyara Sabally (unprotected; $72,727)
- Kayla Thornton (protected veteran; $110,000)
- Courtney Vandersloot (protected veteran; $194,670)
Free agent (type; 2023 salary)
- Stefanie Dolson (unrestricted free agent; $160,000)
- Marine Johannès (reserved free agent; $62,285) [QO extended 1/11]
