Since the 2025 WNBA free agency period started in late January, the league has seen drastic changes to team rosters, effectively changing the 2025 draft outlook in the process. From shocking trades like long-time Connecticut Sun Alyssa Thomas packing her bags for Phoenix to Seattle Storm acquiring a lottery pick, the league’s opening day roster landscape has drastically changed.
The New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics are eerily quiet
While the Liberty have let go of Courtney Vandersloot, who served as a back-up point guard during the WNBA Finals, the Liberty roster has largely remained the same. While this makes sense for the reigning champions of the league, on the very opposite end of the spectrum, the Washington Mystics have made nearly zero moves during free agency after being one four teams to miss the playoffs this year.
Are the Indiana Fever championship contenders?
In stark contrast to the Mystics, the Indiana Fever have been incredibly busy this free agency period. Re-signing Kelsey Mitchell was a huge win for the Fever backcourt, and acquiring Natasha Howard from the Dallas Wings and DeWanna Bonner from the Sun in a clear effort to pack their frontcourt with veteran experience only leverages the Fever prospects for this year. The Fever finished 20-20 with a roster rotation that has clearly been elevated by the Fever front office. With a starting five that includes the talents of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Mitchell, Howard and Bonner, alongside the bench depth that the Fever front office is still building, the ceiling for the Fever this year could potentially be the WNBA Finals.
The Las Vegas Aces roster suffers huge losses
Since the expansion draft that featured rookie Kate Martin heading to Golden State, the former championship-level Aces roster has continued to take hit after hit. Alysha Clark signed with the Seattle Storm, Tiffany Hayes will rejoin Martin on the Valkyries after signing with Golden State, and point guard Sydney Colson is headed to the Indiana Fever. But, the biggest news came with the Aces sending Kelsey Plum to the Las Angeles Sparks in a three-team trade involving the Seattle Storm sending Jewel Lloyd to the Aces. Both Plum and Lloyd have only ever played with the teams that drafted them. Could the addition of Lloyd alongside A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young lead the Aces back to glory?
Champion Courtney Vandersloot returns to the Chicago Sky
After winning a championship with the New York Liberty, unrestricted free agent Vandersloot will head back to Chicago, where she’s also won a championship. Vandersloot has expressed that she wants to be a starter, and she wasn’t interested in serving as the Liberty’s backup point guard. The Sky have been in desperate need of someone who can feed the ball to Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, and Vandersloot will assuredly be able to fill that need. The trio of Vandersloot, Cardoso and Reese will be one to watch come May.
The Phoenix Mercury acquire Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, but lose Britney Griner
Two long-time franchise pillars have left their teams during this free agency period, with Griner heading to the Atlanta Dream and the Mercury acquiring Thomas out of Connecticut. Thomas, alongside Sabally, who was an incredibly sought-after player this free agency period will join Kaleah Copper in Phoenix this May. It’s still unclear if Mercury franchise legend Diana Taurasi will return this May, but with Griner heading to Atlanta, nothing is out of the question. It’ll be interesting to watch Copper, Sabally and Thomas share the floor this season, and should make for some exciting fast-paced plays.
Connecticut Sun starting five gutted
The Sun that took a trip to the WNBA semifinals are now entirely wiped out. With fiance’s Bonner and Thomas in Indiana and Arizona, respectively, the WNBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington is headed to the Dallas Wings alongside Ty Harris, and Brionna Jones will find herself in Atlanta. This is the first time in WNBA history that a team has traded away their starting five after a trip to the semifinals. Marina Mabery is now left with the remnants of the team she requested to be traded to in the midst of the 2024 season. Time will only tell how the Sun’s front office hodge-podges together the rest of their starting five ahead of the season opener in May.
While the free agency period is still raging, the stage is nearly set for the season to open this coming May. Until then, players continue to mingle and explore the free agency pool while together in Miami, FL for the new 3×3 league, Unrivaled.
