MIAMI — Several WNBA front office executives descended upon South Florida this past weekend for the tipoff of Unrivaled.
Some may have had alternative motives by making the trip beyond supporting the new three-on-three basketball league.
Teams can start talking to free agents Tuesday though players can’t officially sign until Feb. 1. And Unrivaled may be the meeting ground for some general managers, agents and players this offseason.
“There’s a ton of free agents here,” Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart said. “It’s gonna be really interesting, the fact that there gonna been so many meetings going on. And it’s like a one-stop shop to kind of do everything.”
Some of the most interesting free agents are participating in Unrivaled, including Stewart herself, Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. And don’t think the recruiting process hasn’t started between players in town.
Sabally joked she’s already received a few free cups of coffee since arriving at Unrivaled.
“You’re able to talk to other players directly, and you can figure out what type of resources, how important is their team to the owners? If you have an owner of a team that doesn’t prioritize the women’s team, they’re going to talk about it, and that’s a place where I would less likely like to go,” Sabally said. “Definitely keeping that line of communication open because we are always competitive.”
With free agency starting Tuesday, these are the top 10 WNBA free agents:
1. Breanna Stewart
2024 team: Liberty
2024 averages: 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists
Don’t worry, Liberty fans. Stewart is planning to return to Brooklyn for a third season. The Liberty have designated her as a core player and have exclusive negotiating rights with her. The forward spoke at Unrivaled this weekend, too, about the Liberty’s goals to win another title in 2025.
2. Nneka Ogwumike
2024 team: Seattle Storm
2024 averages: 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Ogwumike was one of the big free agent moves last offseason when she signed with the Storm after spending the first 12 seasons of her WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks. Seattle was bounced in the first round of the playoffs, but the forward seems set on returning for another season, based on some of her offseason comments.
3. Kelsey Plum
2024 team: Las Vegas Aces
2024 averages: 17.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists
The Aces designated Plum a core player, which automatically put a one-year supermax deal, worth $249,244, on the table. Still, the guard seems ready for a change of scenery and could be the center of a sign-and-trade scenario this offseason. The Golden State Valkyries could make a run at Plum.
4. Satou Sabally
2024 team: Dallas Wings
2024 averages: 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists
The Wings designated Sabally as a core player, but she’s already indicated that her time in Dallas is over. The forward wants to go to a franchise with better resources than what the Wings can offer. The Liberty and Indiana Fever are two teams who could possibly land the 6-foot-4 unicorn.
5. Alyssa Thomas
2024 team: Connecticut Sun
2024 averages: 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists
It’s no surprise the Sun designated the forward as a core player and want her back. Whether the feelings are mutual aren’t immediately known. Thomas, a top-five finisher in each of the past three MVP races, has expressed frustration with Connecticut’s lack of private amenities — an imbalance that became even more apparent to her after experiencing Unrivaled’s resources.
6. Emma Meesseman
2024 team: Belgium (opted out of WNBA season)
2024 averages: 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists (Olympics)
Whether Meesseman will return to the WNBA this season isn’t publicly known. She hasn’t played in the league since 2022 and, instead, spent the past two summers playing for the Belgium national team in the 2023 EuroBasket and 2024 Paris Olympics. If she comes back, the forward will be a highly sought-after free agent given her versatile skill set, including the ability to stretch the floor.
7. Kelsey Mitchell
2024 team: Indiana Fever
2024 averages: 19.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Mitchell was one half of arguably the most exciting backcourt duo in the WNBA last season. She and Caitlin Clark helped the Fever to an impressive post-Olympic run that earned them a spot in the postseason. Indiana designated the guard as a core player, and she seems poised to return.
8. Brionna Jones
2024 team: Connecticut Sun
2024 averages: 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Jones spent the first eight years of her WNBA career with the Sun, helping Connecticut to six straight semifinal appearances. She has already been made a core player twice and can’t receive the designation again, making her an unrestricted free agent. The center could follow former Sun coach Stephanie White to Indiana. Regardless, the team that signs her will get a reliable and consistent post player.
9. Brittney Griner
2024 team: Phoenix Mercury
2024 averages: 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Griner has played her entire WNBA career with the Mercury, and it doesn’t seem like that will change. The center called Phoenix “home” when she signed a one-year deal last offseason. It seems likely Griner will be a Mercury lifer.
10. DeWanna Bonner
2024 team: Connecticut Sun
2024 averages: 15 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists
The Sun are, without a doubt, the most interesting team this offseason. Not only did they lose White, but their trio of stars all are free agents. Bonner is the oldest — she turns 38 in August — but remains one of the WNBA’s most reliable players. Thomas, Bonner’s fiancée, may get stuck in Connecticut because of the core designation, which could keep the forward there, too.
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