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Last updated (6:00 pm 2/7/25)
2025 WNBA Free Agency has electrified the league with a significant shuffling of players during the signing period. As the anticipation builds for the 2025 WNBA Draft and season tip-off, these star-studded movements are sparking conversations about what the upcoming season will look like.
We’ll examine the reported signings that have shaken up the league and which signings to watch as the Free Agency announcements continue. Let’s dive into the new Atlanta Dream frontcourt and the blockbuster three-team trade that made history, featuring two former first-overall picks.
Brittney Griner2024 stats (30 games played)17.8 PPG6.6 RPG2.3 APG1.5 BPGBrittney Griner, a nine-time All-Star, WNBA Champion, and perennial All-Defense team member, is headed for the Atlanta Dream. This marks the first time in Griner’s WNBA career that she’ll be playing anywhere but Phoenix as she departs the Mercury for a new opportunity alongside fellow stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Griner automatically brings elite rim protection to Atlanta and provides a new pick-and-roll partner to Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, and Rhyne Howard. While she’s not known for spacing the floor, she’s always willing to attempt an open three, and that’ll keep defenses honest while opening the floor up for Howard and Gray to operate.
Brionna Jones2024 stats (40 games played)13.7 PPG5.5 RPG1.5 APG1.2 SPG
Brionna Jones has also signed with the Atlanta Dream. Jones marks the second Center signed by the Dream ahead of the 2025 season as she joins fellow All-Star big Griner on the Dream frontcourt.
We can see a trend brewing in Atlanta as Jones was an elite defender for the Connecticut Sun who will immediately improve the Dream’s interior defense, complimenting BG’s interior presence. While injuries had plagued her recently with the Sun, she’d been a consistent target for Alyssa Thomas’ post-passing and is a reliable scorer in the paint. The former Sixth Player of the Year and three-time All-Star looked like a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, but her season was cut short to just 13 games due to a ruptured Achilles. Jones is likely to come off the bench in relief of Griner, which adds a versatile amount of depth to the Dream’s second unit. Adding her to the roster adds another target in the paint for Atlanta’s guards, as she’s excellent in the post as a scorer, and her defense versus opposing bench units will be felt.
Sparks, Aces, and Mercury Complete Blockbuster Deal:
The first colossal trade domino to fall this offseason was the three-team trade that sent Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces, Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, and Li Yueru to the Seattle Storm. The picks involved made this trade enticing for the Storm, as they landed the second overall pick in the 2025 draft in the deal.
Loyd, a two-time WNBA champion with Seattle, former Rookie of the Year, scoring leader, and six-time All-Star, is an obvious plus to the Aces, who needed this sort of return for a Plum-caliber player. Plum, of course, also gets a fresh start to operate as the engine for the Sparks, who needed a veteran guard at the helm for Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink. The two-time champion with Las Vegas and three-time All-Star brings ball handling and shooting to Los Angeles, taking pressure off of Jackson or Brink to carry the brunt of scoring.
In addition to nabbing Yueru to add to their center depth, Seattle now has a lucrative pick to use or deal ahead of the WNBA draft. With the Storm now drafting second overall in this year’s draft, they’re in a gainful position to add a franchise cornerstone that can contribute immediately. The Storm might’ve lost a key face of their franchise, but they gained a perfect opportunity to add youth in a new era for their team by gaining this pick.
Keeping an eye out: Other standout moves this offseasonNneka Ogwumike has yet to sign a new deal with the Seattle Storm this offseason, but there haven’t been any reports to suggest that she’ll sign with any other team. Ogwumike, a former league MVP (2016), a WNBA champion (2016), and nine-time All-Star, is a premier forward in the league. Her two-way play for Seattle last season was a perfect fit alongside center Ezi Magbegor, and her scoring in the post added a fun dimension to the Storm’s offense. She averaged 16.7 PPG and a career-high 1.9 SPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.3 APG.
Chennedy Carter is still an unrestricted free agent, and she’ll likely be looking for a new team, with the Sky signing Vandersloot as their point guard this coming season. Carter, who averaged career highs in points per game (17.5), steals per game (1.1), rebounds per game (3.5), and field goal percentage (49 percent), would be an excellent fit for any team like the 2024 Sky – young, trying to build a foundation, and in need of guard depth.
WNBA reporter Candace Pedraza writes columns on WNBA.com throughout the season. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.-
