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 the majority of players are already signed to contracts for 2027. However, several impact names could hit the open market; since the salary cap can rise as much as 13 percent next season, teams will have plenty of money to offer in new deals.
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 total cap. In 2026, that was $1.19 million, but the 2027 max could be as high as $1,344,700 if the salary cap increases by the maximum amount. If a player stays with her current team, she can earn up to a supermax contract 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 their new teams’ fortunes.
Napheesa Collier
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 out the whole year instead of chasing a title in Minnesota — 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 into 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 is 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 can’t 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, letting Collier 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 for Shepard going 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 interesting option. Collier could essentially 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 season. The positional overlap with Alyssa Thomas is a little challenging, but the Mercury could figure it out since Thomas is such an excellent rebounder.
Jackie Young
The next player in this tier is Jackie Young. No one has indicated that Young wants to leave Las Vegas after such a 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 any WNBA team. 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 alum Sonia Citron on the perimeter 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.
Kelsey Mitchell and Kelsey Plum
The final two players in this tier are Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and Phoenix’s 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 the roster-building challenge of being smaller guards who need to play next to 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, could use 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, move Young back to the three and help the Aces break the Fever’s 2026 offensive records. Depending on how Mitchell prioritizes winning versus fit, she would be an ideal offensive hub for the new Houston Comets or the Seattle Storm 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 her 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 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.
Other notable free agents
Beyond those four stars, few categories of free agents could impact the 2027 season.
Experienced veterans
There are veterans who can play supporting roles on a winning team, including Chicago Sky forward / guard DiJonai Carrington (presuming health), Dallas Wings forward Alysha Clark, Sky guard Natasha Cloud, Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison, Mystics forward/ guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Golden State forward Kayla Thornton.
Restricted free agents
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 best RFAs in this class are Sparks guard Rae Burrell, Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler, and Wings forwards Awak Kuier and 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.
Intriguing veterans
Finally, some free agents have more nebulous futures in the WNBA. 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 defending champions 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 Cunningham has 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.
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