The 2023 WNBA free agency period is off to a fascinating start, as the league has officially entered its superteam era. Candace Parker kicked things off by signing with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in a surprise move. In response, Breanna Stewart decided to join up with Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu on the New York Liberty, and was able to convince Courtney Vandersloot to come with her. With those three moves, the Aces and Liberty appear to be on a collision course for the title.
Though the biggest names are now off the board, there’s still plenty of moves to come. As the fun continues, here’s everything you need to know about 2023 WNBA free agency:
When did free agency start?
Teams were allowed to start talking with players on Saturday, Jan. 21, but no deals could officially be signed until Feb. 1. While those rules are skirted to some extent — much like in the NBA — teams that are caught breaking them will get punished under the league’s tampering rules. Just last year, the Seattle Storm were fined for announcing a new deal with Sue Bird prior to the official opening of free agency.
How does WNBA free agency work?
In general, it works just like it does in the NBA. Once free agency begins, teams can start talking to players, who are grouped into different classifications based on their contracts. The majority of players will either be unrestricted (can talk to and sign with any team they want) or restricted (prior team has the ability to match any contract offer).
There is also a reserved category for players who hit free agency but have fewer than three years of service in the league. Often, these are veterans who entered the WNBA later in their career, but they can also be young players who went undrafted or were not on a typical rookie scale contract. The prior team has exclusive negotiating rights with any reserved player.
Another unique situation is when a player’s contract expires while they are suspended. Those players are technically found to be “withholding services” according to the CBA, as Her Hoops Stats’ Richard Cohen points out, and are then listed as “suspended — contract expired.” In practice, these players are essentially reserved free agents, though the prior team does not need to extend a qualifying offer.
One final designation to mention is “core players.” Much like the franchise tag in the NFL, teams can decide to “core” a player, which gives that club exclusive negotiating rights, even if they were going to be an unrestricted free agent. Teams must use this maneuver wisely, however, as they are only allowed to use it once per free agency period and a player may only be “cored” three times in their career.
2023 free agents
Here’s a look at every player in free agency this winter, separated by classification.
Cored
|
Brionna Jones |
Connecticut Sun |
Connecticut Sun |
Center |
Cored |
Unrestricted
|
Lindsay Allen |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Yvonne Anderson |
Connecticut Sun |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kristine Anigwe |
Phoenix Mercury |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Amy Atwell |
Los Angeles Sparks |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Monique Billings |
Atlanta Dream |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Lexie Brown |
Los Angeles Sparks |
Los Angeles Sparks |
G |
Signed |
|
Rachel Banham |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Katie Benzan |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kennedy Burke |
Seattle Storm |
G/F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Maya Caldwell |
Atlanta Dream |
Indiana Fever |
G |
Signed |
|
Liz Cambage |
Los Angeles Sparks |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Jordin Canada |
Los Angeles Sparks |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kaila Charles |
Atlanta Dream |
G/F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Tina Charles |
Seattle Storm |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Alysha Clark |
Washington Mystics |
Las Vegas Aces |
F |
Signed |
|
Alaina Coates |
Indiana Fever |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Nia Coffey |
Atlanta Dream |
Atlanta Dream |
F |
Signed |
|
Sydney Colson |
Las Vegas Aces |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Lorela Cubaj |
New York Liberty |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Elissa Cunane |
Minnesota Lynx |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Damiris Dantas |
Minnesota Lynx |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kaela Davis |
Phoenix Mercury |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Reshanda Gray |
Phoenix Mercury |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Brittney Griner |
Phoenix Mercury |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Isabelle Harrison |
Dallas Wings |
Chicago Sky |
F |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Bria Hartley |
Connecticut Sun |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Tianna Hawkins |
Washington Mystics |
Washington Mystics |
F |
Signed training camp contract |
|
Moriah Jefferson |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Stephanie Jones |
Connecticut Sun |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Tina Krajisnik |
Chicago Sky |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Jantel Lavender |
Seattle Storm |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Rui Machida |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Anneli Maley |
Chicago Sky |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Angel McCoughtry |
Minnesota Lynx |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Emma Meesseman |
Chicago Sky |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Nikolina Milic |
Minnesota Lynx |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Tiffany Mitchell |
Indiana Fever |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Astou Ndour-Fall |
Chicago Sky |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kia Nurse |
Phoenix Mercury |
G/F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Chiney Ogwumike |
Los Angeles Sparks |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Nneka Ogwumike |
Los Angeles Sparks |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
JiSu Park |
Las Vegas Aces |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Candace Parker |
Chicago Sky |
Las Vegas Aces |
F |
Signed |
|
Raina Perez |
Seattle Storm |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Theresa Plaisance |
Las Vegas Aces |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Epiphanny Prince |
Seattle Storm |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Allie Quigley |
Chicago Sky |
N/A |
G |
Reportedly sitting out season |
|
Karlie Samuelson |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Jennie Simms |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Odyssey Sims |
Connecticut Sun |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Hannah Sjerven |
Minnesota Lynx |
F/C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Destiny Slocum |
Atlanta Dream |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kamiah Smalls |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Alanna Smith |
Indiana Fever |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Azura Stevens |
Chicago Sky |
Los Angeles Sparks |
F/C |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Breanna Stewart |
Seattle Storm |
New York Liberty |
F |
Announced plans to sign with Liberty |
|
Kiah Stokes |
Las Vegas Aces |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Brittney Sykes |
Los Angeles Sparks |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Signed |
|
Stephanie Talbot |
Seattle Storm |
Los Angeles Sparks |
F |
Signed |
|
Diana Taurasi |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Sparkle Taylor |
Chicago Sky |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kristi Toliver |
Los Angeles Sparks |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Announced plans to sign with Mystics |
|
Yvonne Turner |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Courtney Vandersloot |
Chicago Sky |
New York Liberty |
G |
Announced plans to sign |
|
Megan Walker |
Atlanta Dream |
F |
Unsigned |
|
|
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough |
Washington Mystics |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Erica Wheeler |
Atlanta Dream |
Indiana Fever |
G |
Signed |
|
Sami Whitcomb |
New York Liberty |
G |
Unsigned |
|
|
Courtney Williams |
Connecticut Sun |
Chicago Sky |
G |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Elizabeth Williams |
Atlanta Dream |
C |
Unsigned |
|
|
Kiana Williams |
Connecticut Sun |
G |
Unsigned |
Restricted
|
Emma Cannon |
Indiana Fever |
F |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Bridget Carleton |
Minnesota Lynx |
F |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Sophie Cunningham |
Phoenix Mercury |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Reportedly agreed to deal |
|
Megan Gustafson |
Phoenix Mercury |
C |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Natisha Hiedeman |
Connecticut Sun |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Marina Mabrey |
Dallas Wings |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Teaira McCowan |
Dallas Wings |
Dallas Wings |
C |
Signed |
|
Shey Peddy |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Victoria Vivians |
Indiana Fever |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Gabby Williams |
Seattle Storm |
F |
Qualifying offer extended |
Reserved
|
Anna Cruz |
Minnesota Lynx |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Crystal Dangerfield |
New York Liberty |
Dallas Wings |
G |
Signed |
|
Rennia Davis |
Indiana Fever |
Indiana Fever |
G/F |
Signed training camp contract |
|
AD Durr |
Atlanta Dream |
Atlanta Dream |
G |
Signed training camp contract |
|
Temi Fagbenle |
Indiana Fever |
C |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Rebekah Gardner |
Chicago Sky |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Joyner Holmes |
Connecticut Sun |
C |
Signed training camp contract |
|
|
Marine Johannes |
New York Liberty |
G |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Jazmine Jones |
Washington Mystics |
G |
Signed training camp contract |
|
|
Ezi Magbegor |
Seattle Storm |
F/C |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Beatrice Mompremier |
Atlanta Dream |
C |
Qualifying offer extended |
|
|
Khayla Pointer |
Indiana Fever |
Indiana Fever |
G |
Signed training camp contract |
|
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe |
New York Liberty |
F/C |
||
|
Kianna Smith |
Los Angeles Sparks |
G |
Qualifying offer extended, rights traded to Sun |
|
|
Sam Thomas |
Phoenix Mercury |
Phoenix Mercury |
G |
Signed training camp contract |
|
Evina Westbrook |
Washington Mystics |
G/F |
Signed training camp contract |
|
|
Han Xu |
New York Liberty |
C |
Qualifying offer extended |
Suspended — contract expired
|
Bernadett Hatar |
Indiana Fever |
C |
||
|
Tiffany Hayes |
Atlanta Dream |
G |
||
|
Chelsey Perry |
Indiana Fever |
Indiana Fever |
F |
Signed training camp contract |
|
Kylee Shook |
New York Liberty |
F |
||
|
Maria Vadeeva |
Los Angeles Sparks |
F/C |
||
|
Amanda Zahui B. |
Los Angeles Sparks |
C |
Rights traded to Aces |
|
|
Cecilia Zandalasini |
Minnesota Lynx |
F |
CBS Sports will continue updating this story
