WNBA: Keep up with the latest free agency news, rumors and more

The WNBA’s free agency period is about to get frothy.

While most players and teams cannot officially agree to contracts until Feb. 1, the free agency waters have begun to churn, with the negotiation window opening on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Here’s a look at what’s happen so far, with updates to come as more signings, trades and credibly-sourced reports emerge:

What’s going on with Chennedy Carter?

The Chicago Sky elected not to issue a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Chennedy Carter, making the four-year guard who averaged a career-high 14.8 points per game last season an unrestricted free agent, meaning she is free to sign a contract with another team that Chicago cannot match.

Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile:

Chennedy had an incredible season for us last year. She’s extremely talented and is a player that can impact the game at the highest level in our league. We absolutely appreciate all she did for our team last year. However, we’ve made changes to our staff and will make changes to our roster. Those changes impact Chennedy’s fit on the team, so we wanted to give her the best opportunity as a free agent.

Costabile offered further reporting about Carter’s 2024 season with the Sky, citing internal difficulties. According to Costabile:

According to multiple league sources, players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the locker room last year due to Carter’s behavior, which went unchecked by former coach Teresa Weatherspoon. There was concern within the team regarding how re-signing Carter would impact the Sky’s chances of landing other free agents.

She further suggests the organization’s decision not to try to retain Carter was made by Pagliocca, new head coach Tyler Marsh and Sky ownership. Carter, who currently is having a standout season in the WCBA, participated in a Twitter/X spaces on Monday night, sharing her perspective of her situation.

Cored player check in

As of Monday, Jan. 20, six WNBA players who are unrestricted free agents have been cored by their teams:

Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun)

Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)

Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm)

Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever)

Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces)

Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings)

The core qualifying offer is a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract that begins at a supermax salary; for the 2025 season, that number is $249,244. However, the player and team can negotiate a core contract with different terms. A cored player also can be traded, including to a team that has already cored a player. This, for example, means the New York Liberty could acquire Satou Sabally.

Qualifying offer updates

The window for teams to issue qualifying offers to restricted free agents and reserved players closed on Monday, Jan. 20.

Restricted free agents who do not sign the qualifying offer presented by their team can sign an offer sheet from another team; however, that player’s prior team has the right to match. Reserved players, in contrast, cannot negotiate a contract with other WNBA teams, although they can agree to contract terms different from the reserve qualifying offer with their current team. If they accept the reserved player qualifying offer, which is a non-guaranteed training camp contract of $66,079, they can sign before the Feb. 1 signing window opens. Restricted free agents and reserved players who did not receive a qualifying offer now are unrestricted free agents and able to sign with any team, as is the case with Chennedy Carter.

As of Jan. 20, here are the qualifying offers teams have issued:

Atlanta Dream

The Dream extended reserved qualifying offers to Maya Caldwell and Lorela Cubaj. Caldwell has signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract for $66,079.

Chicago Sky

While choosing not to issue a qualifying offer to Carter, the Sky presented a reserved qualifying offer to Nikolina Milić and restricted qualifying offers to Dana Evans and Michaela Onyenwere.

Connecticut Sun

The Sun extended a restricted qualifying offer to DiJonai Carrington and a reserved qualifying offer to Caitlin Bickle.

Dallas Wings

The Wings extended reserved qualifying offers to Sevgi Uzun and Jaelyn Brown. Brown signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract for $66,079.

Golden State Valkyries

The Valkyries presented a restricted qualifying offer to Temi Fagbenle and reserved qualifying offers to Julie Vanloo, Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini.

Indiana Fever

The Fever had no players eligible for restricted or reserved qualifying offers.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces did not extend a reserved qualifying offer to Queen Egbo, the team’s only restricted or reserved free agent.

Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks presented a restricted qualifying offer to Aari McDonald and a reserved qualifying offer to Li Yueru.

Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx did not issue a reserved qualifying offer to Olivia Époupa, the team’s only restricted or reserved free agent.

New York Liberty

The Liberty presented reserved qualifying offers to Marine Johannès, Jaylyn Sherrod, Rebekah Gardner and Ivana Djokić. Sherrod and Gardner have signed non-guaranteed training camp contracts for $66,079.

Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury extended reserved qualifying offers to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Natasha Mack, Amy Atwell and Celeste Taylor. Mack has signed a non-guaranteed training camp contract for $66,079. The team did not issue a reserved qualifying offer to Charisma Osborne.

Seattle Storm

The Storm had no players eligible for restricted or reserved qualifying offers.

Washington Mystics

The Mystics extended reserved qualifying offers to Emily Engstler, Sug Sutton and Bernadett Határ. The team did not issue a reserved qualifying offer to Li Meng.