At least four games remain in the 2026 WNBA season as the finals approach , but with all but two teams already pivoting to 2027, it's time to look ahead to free agency.
This offseason will not be nearly as dramatic as the one that preceded it, given that a collective bargaining agreement is in place and most players are already under contract for 2027. However, several impact names could hit the market, and because the salary cap could rise as much as 13 percent next season, teams will have plenty of money to offer potential signees.
As a reminder, if a player changes teams in free agency, the most she can sign for is a maximum contract worth 17 percent of the salary cap. In 2026, that figure was $1.19 million, but the 2027 max could be as high as $1,344,700, depending on how much the cap increases. Players who re-sign with their current teams are eligible for supermax contracts worth 20 percent of the cap.
Heading into the 2027 offseason, with many of the league's stars locked into long-term contracts, four unrestricted free agents could meaningfully change teams' fortunes.
Let's start with Napheesa Collier. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time MVP runner-up wasn't at her best in 2026 while recovering from multiple ankle surgeries — it's easy to wonder if she would have been better off sitting for the season instead of chasing a title with the Minnesota Lynx — but the expectation is that she will return to All-WNBA form in 2027. Collier had the WNBA's second 50-40-90 season in 2025 and is a versatile player who fits any roster. The Lynx obviously struggled to integrate her and Olivia Miles, but a full offseason and training camp should ease any fit concerns for Collier on a new team.
The cleanest landing spot for Collier would be the Golden State Valkyries. All due respect to Kayla Thornton, but Collier would provide an offensive upgrade at power forward without compromising the defense. Collier, 30, would give the Valkyries a scoring threat in the post. She also has familiarity with Gabby Williams from UConn and coach Natalie Nakase from Team USA.
The problem is that Collier might prefer not to join a team that has just won the WNBA championship, so she'll have to find another destination if Golden State wins the finals. The basketball fit in Las Vegas would be pretty perfect, but it's also hard to imagine Collier joining a team that has won three of the last five titles. The Indiana Fever also need a power forward, but they have a lot of mouths to feed in that offense before they get to Collier.
The Dallas Wings would be an interesting fit, allowing Collier to reunite with former Lynx teammates Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. One of them would have to come off the bench, however, and a big reason that Shepard chose to go to Dallas was to get out of Collier's shadow, so even though the Wings could use a forward of Collier's caliber, it's more likely to happen via trade to clear up the frontcourt logjam.
The Phoenix Mercury are another option. Collier could slot into the role DeWanna Bonner vacated, and she'd be an immediate upgrade for a team chasing a return to the finals after a forgettable 2026 campaign. Collier's positional overlap with Alyssa Thomas would present some challenges, but the Mercury could figure it out since Thomas is such an excellent rebounder.
The next player in this tier is Jackie Young. There is no indication that Young wants to leave Las Vegas and her productive partnership with A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and coach Becky Hammon. The Aces can offer her more money than anyone else, and Young knows she can contend there.
However, if Young, 29, wanted to look elsewhere, she could pick her landing spot. A two-way wing with Young's playmaking chops and poise in big moments is essentially a unicorn; no other player has her talent and résumé. She would be the perfect fit in her home state of Indiana. She could also slot next to fellow Notre Dame product Sonia Citron with the Washington Mystics and lead a young squad (an opportunity she won't get playing next to Wilson). Young also could pull the ultimate heel turn and sign with the New York Liberty, fortifying their perimeter rotation.
Again, Young has never expressed any desire to leave the only team she's ever played for. However, if I were a general manager, I would move heaven and earth to bring her onto my team, even over Collier. With a strong guard class entering the WNBA, Young will be even more valuable in the years ahead.
The final two players in this tier are Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell and Phoenix Mercury guard Kelsey Plum. Both are offensive dynamos who are remarkably efficient, especially for high-usage, high-volume shooters. Mitchell offers a little bit more defensively, while Plum is the better playmaker. Plum has some durability concerns after missing most of 2026, but she has the more decorated playoff résumé. Nevertheless, both Mitchell and Plum present roster-building challenges as smaller guards who need to play alongside a true lead guard.
Mitchell's free agency might be the most fascinating of any WNBA player after she said she's willing to be "selfish" and not tie herself to the Fever , despite calling Indiana home for her entire nine-year professional career. Based on her exit interview, Mitchell, 30, appears ready for a fresh start. She would be incredibly productive next to Miles in Minnesota if the Lynx found a way to move on from Courtney Williams. Mitchell could go to Las Vegas, where Young could move to small forward, and together they'd help the Aces attempt to break the Fever's 2026 offensive records. Depending on how Mitchell prioritizes winning versus fit, she would be an ideal offensive hub for the Seattle Storm or the new Houston Comets as those teams build toward the future.
Plum, 32, will likely get the hard sell from Phoenix after the Mercury surrendered a first-round pick and Monique Akoa Makani to acquire her . Phoenix can offer Plum the most money, and the roster context makes a lot of sense. Kahleah Copper is a big guard who can take on tougher defensive assignments, and Thomas provides enough frontcourt playmaking that the Mercury can get away without a true point guard, letting Plum be the smallest player on the floor.
Plum went to Los Angeles to be the No. 1 option after winning as a supporting player in Las Vegas. After a tough time with the Los Angeles Sparks, Plum seems to be back on the winning train. Phoenix and Washington make the most sense for her skill set unless big shakeups in Minnesota or Dallas change those rosters.
Beyond those four stars, few categories of free agents seem likely to impact the 2027 season.
There are veterans who can play supporting roles on a winning team, including Chicago Sky wing DiJonai Carrington(presuming health), Dallas forward Alysha Clark, Chicago guard Natasha Cloud, Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison, Washington wing Betnijah Laney-Hamiltonand Golden State forward Kayla Thornton.
These players are generally younger and less proven but with more upside. Their movement is limited because teams can sign restricted free agents to an offer sheet, but their current team can match the contract, as when Toronto signed Shakira Austin and the Mystics matched to keep her. The top RFAs in this class are Sparks guard Rae Burrell, Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler, and Wings forwards Awak Kuierand Maddy Siegrist.
Las Vegas, New York, Indiana, and Phoenix could all use additional wings and forwards; Burrell seems like an ideal fit for the Liberty or Aces, neither of which has much downhill attacking juice on its roster. Kuier is exactly what the Fever are missing, and Siegrist would be a solid rotation player anywhere.
Finally, some free agents have more nebulous WNBA futures. The Mercury let Bonner go to pursue another playoff run , as her time is coming to an end. Other players' destinies are no longer in their own hands. With Las Vegas, Chennedy Carter wore out her welcome on a fourth team, and she may struggle to find another taker despite her prodigious skill. Fever guard Sophie Cunninghamhas also created a lot of off-court controversy ; if she isn't making life easier for her superstar teammates, that will limit her market.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo, WNBA
2026 The Athletic Media Company
