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WNBA free agency superlatives: Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Mitchell and more headline busy offseason so far

Which WNBA star is most likely to succeed with their new team? And who gets the Michael Jordan as a Wizard Award?

maggie hendricks
Contributing writer
·6-min read

With WNBA free agency going strong, we’ve seen players make shocking moves, and in one case, a shocking stay. Let’s take a look at the biggest moments so far in 2025 free agency, and the impact those moves will make on the upcoming season.

In 2024, the Fever made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Alongside young stars like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell made it to the WNBA All-Star Game for the second time. She tied with Clark in leading the team with 19.2 points per game.

That effectiveness is exactly why Mitchell was a coveted free agent. Instead of testing out the waters, though, Mitchell decided to stay in Indiana for her eighth season and play for the Fever’s new coach Stephanie White. Mitchell was drafted second overall by the Fever in 2018.

The team didn't disclose the terms of the deal, but ESPN reported Mitchell signed a one-year, supermax deal worth $249,244. Mitchell was welcomed back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this week by cheering Pacers Sports & Entertainment employees, as well as Clark.

"Indy is a second home," Mitchell said. "I thought I'd give this thing a go. Let's figure out where this program's going, what we're trying to accomplish. And based on the way in which I like to see myself playing, I could do that with people like Caitlin, people like AB, people like Lyss. The list goes on with Lexie Hull, Grace Berger, so I'm excited about the group we have."

Courtney Vandersloot was drafted by Chicago third overall in 2011 and helped the franchise win its first championship in 2021 before heading to New York. Now that she won a ring with the Liberty this past season, Vandersloot is reportedly back with the Sky on a one-year deal to help the young team find its identity.

Vandersloot came off the bench in New York last season, averaging 6.4 points and 4.8 assists per game. She's currently playing in 3x3 league Unrivaled alongside former Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart.

Led by Angel Reese and Kamila Cardoso, who are both just going into their second seasons, the Sky have a new coach in Tyler Marsh and a ton of talent. They'll be looking to improve upon their 13-27 record last season. With Vandersloot, nicknamed the General, the Sky will have a floor leader who can take charge on the court.

As early as December, Jewell Loyd was asking for a trade out of Seattle. She had spent her whole career and won two championships there, but so much about the franchise has changed since that title in 2020. Before requesting the trade, Loyd had made bullying and harassment allegations in a complaint against the Storm coaching staff, and an investigation found no violations.

The 2024 Las Vegas Aces failed to win a third straight title, despite having a team full of superstars, including three-time MVP A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum. It was hard to pinpoint the exact reason the Aces lost to the Liberty in the semifinals. They just looked like a team who was tired, and not as strong as they once were.

The three-team trade that sent Loyd to Las Vegas, Plum to Los Angeles and multiple draft picks to Seattle gives every team a little bit of what they needed. For the Sparks, Plum is a dynamic playmaker and an experienced winner who can be a good influence on a youthful team that includes 2024 No. 2 pick Cameron Brink, who is set to return from a torn ACL. The Sparks have a new coach in Lynne Roberts and will look to improve upon their league-worst finish in 2024, when they won just eight games. Loyd will bring fresh energy to the Aces, who still have an outstanding core. Seattle, meanwhile, gets the draft picks they need (including the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft) to help bolster the team.

The 2024 Phoenix Mercury’s defense was not among the best in the league, to put it mildly. They ranked ninth in defensive rating, last in defensive rating, and last in opponents getting second-chance points. While they had plenty of players who could score (Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi), they struggled to stop opponents from doing the same on the other end of the floor. Something had to change to help Phoenix back to the top of the league.

Alyssa Thomas is the exact player who can make that difference, and she'll head to the desert in a trade with the Sun. She finished third in a tight MVP race last season in large part because of what a great defender she is. Thomas doesn’t just get rebounds (she averaged 8.4 per game in 2024). Her presence forces teams to not want to play inside against her at all.

Thomas is a five-time All-Star who's spent her entire career in Connecticut, which has made at least the semifinals of the playoffs the last six seasons, but has not won a championship. In return, the Mercury will reportedly send the Sun Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and the No. 12 pick in the draft, while Ty Harris will join Thomas in Phoenix.

As a Chicagoan, I tend to pretend that Michael Jordan’s career ended with that perfect shot over Bryon Russell in Utah. Still to this day, I’m weirded out by seeing pictures of Jordan playing for the Wizards, and Phoenix fans have to be in the same boat about the idea of Brittney Griner playing for Atlanta. Griner played 11 seasons with the Mercury after they drafted her No. 1 overall in 2013, and is a 10-time All-Star.

On paper, the move on a one-year deal makes sense. With the Thomas trade and Taurasi possibly leaning toward retirement, the Mercury will have a new look. In Atlanta, Griner can be the center of a young team in need of a veteran presence and a terrifying player in the paint. The Dream have a new coach in Karl Smesko, and continue to add, with three-time All-Star Brionna Jones also reportedly signing with Atlanta.