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2023 WNBA free agency tracker: Top players, signings as Liberty land Breanna Stewart; Diana Taurasi re-signs – CBS Sports
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The 2023 WNBA free agency period delivered in a major way, as star free agents switched teams and ushered the league into a new superteam era. Candace Parker started the action by siging with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, before both Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot joined up with the New York Liberty. Those two teams are now the heavy favorites to win it all this season.
In other news, the Seattle Storm have re-signed Ezi Magbegor, brought back Sami Whitcomb and picked up Kia Nurse as they try to remain relevant following Stewart’s departure; the Chicago Sky have tried to revamp their roster by bringing in Isabelle Harrison, Courtney Williams, and Elizabeth Williams; the Los Angeles Sparks have added Azura Stevens and Stephanie Talbot to the mix as they try to get back into the playoff picture. Diana Taurasi, meanwhile, has signed a multi-year deal to remain with the Phoenix Mercury.
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:
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.
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, meaning they can talk to and sign with any team they want, or restricted, where the 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.
Here’s a look at every player in free agency this winter, separated by classification.
Cored
Brionna Jones
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
Center
Signed
Unrestricted
Lindsay Allen
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
G
Signed
Yvonne Anderson
Connecticut Sun
G
Unsigned
Kristine Anigwe
Phoenix Mercury
Connecticut Sun
F/C
Signed training camp contract
Amy Atwell
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Unsigned
Monique Billings
Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
F
Signed
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
Los Angeles Sparks
G
Signed training camp contract
Kaila Charles
Atlanta Dream
Seattle Storm
G/F
Signed training camp contract
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
Las Vegas Aces
G
Signed
Lorela Cubaj
New York Liberty
F/C
Unsigned
Elissa Cunane
Minnesota Lynx
C
Unsigned
Damiris Dantas
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
F
Signed training camp contract
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
Signed
Bria Hartley
Connecticut Sun
G
Unsigned
Tianna Hawkins
Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
F
Signed training camp contract
Moriah Jefferson
Minnesota Lynx
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed
Stephanie Jones
Connecticut Sun
Washington Mystics
F
Signed training camp contract
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
Minnesota Lynx
F
Signed
Tiffany Mitchell
Indiana Fever
Minnesota Lynx
G
Signed
Astou Ndour-Fall
Chicago Sky
Chicago Sky
F/C
Signed training camp contract
Kia Nurse
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm
G/F
Signed
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
Seattle Storm
F/C
Signed
Epiphanny Prince
Seattle Storm
New York Liberty
G
Signed training camp contract
Allie Quigley
Chicago Sky
N/A
G
Reportedly sitting out season
Karlie Samuelson
Phoenix Mercury
G
Unsigned
Jennie Simms
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed training camp contract
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
Chicago Sky
F
Signed training camp contract
Azura Stevens
Chicago Sky
Los Angeles Sparks
F/C
Signed
Breanna Stewart
Seattle Storm
New York Liberty
F
Signed
Kiah Stokes
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas Aces
C
Signed
Brittney Sykes
Los Angeles Sparks
Washington Mystics
G
Signed
Stephanie Talbot
Seattle Storm
Los Angeles Sparks
F
Signed
Diana Taurasi
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed multi-year contract
Sparkle Taylor
Chicago Sky
G
Unsigned
Kristi Toliver
Los Angeles Sparks
Washington Mystics
G
Announced plans to sign with Mystics
Yvonne Turner
Phoenix Mercury
Seattle Storm
G
Signed training camp contract
Courtney Vandersloot
Chicago Sky
New York Liberty
G
Signed
Megan Walker
Atlanta Dream
F
Unsigned
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics
G
Signed
Erica Wheeler
Atlanta Dream
Indiana Fever
G
Signed
Sami Whitcomb
New York Liberty
Seattle Storm
G
Signed
Courtney Williams
Connecticut Sun
Chicago Sky
G
Signed
Elizabeth Williams
Atlanta Dream
Chicago Sky
C
Signed
Kiana Williams
Connecticut Sun
Minnesota Lynx
G
Signed training camp contract
Restricted
Emma Cannon
Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
F
Signed
Bridget Carleton
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
F
Signed
Sophie Cunningham
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
G
Signed
Megan Gustafson
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix Mercury
C
Signed training camp contract
Natisha Hiedeman
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
G
Signed
Marina Mabrey
Dallas Wings
Chicago Sky
G
Signed
Teaira McCowan
Dallas Wings
Dallas Wings
C
Signed
Shey Peddy
Phoenix Mercury
G
Qualifying offer extended
Victoria Vivians
Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
G
Signed
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
Chicago Sky
G
Signed
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
Seattle Storm
F/C
Signed
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
Indiana Fever
C
Signed training camp contract
Tiffany Hayes
Atlanta Dream
Connecticut Sun
G
Signed
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
Washington Mystics
C
Signed training camp contract
Cecilia Zandalasini
Minnesota Lynx
F
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