Oh, what a glorious time of year it is. What’s more fun than tugging a general manager cap snugly over your head and predicting who will sign where during the WNBA offseason? Player movement has exploded over the last couple of years, a massively positive fact for the growth of women’s basketball. Roster speculation is healthy, and more importantly, exciting. The upcoming season is about to take shape before our eyes.
What better time to provide you with a comprehensive list of the top unrestricted free agents in the game? Every player written about here will be taking meetings over the coming weeks, with deals able to be officially inked beginning on February 1.
The rules are simple: players are ranked based on expected future value. Winsidr put together a team of five voters: Myles Ehrlich, Jasmine Harper, Aryeh Schwartz, Chris Wozniak, and myself. Votes were aggregated and averaged to create a final ranking. Think of it this way: if contracts were irrelevant, and you were starting a franchise from scratch, who would you choose first?
Before we get started, a few notes.
Firstly, restricted free agents were excluded from this article. Restricted free agency is an entirely different ballgame, detailed thoroughly here by the wonderful folks at Her Hoop Stats. Some of this year’s premier restricted free agents include Sophie Cunningham, Natisha Hiedeman, Marina Mabrey, Teaira McCowan, Victoria Vivians, and Gabby Williams. Since restricted free agents must return to their current teams should those front offices decide to match any extended offer sheets, we decided to focus solely on the unrestricted free agents, who control their own destiny.
Secondly, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi have been excluded from this exercise. Griner, who was wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly a full calendar year in 2022, has vocalized her wish to play in 2023 with her longtime club, the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi has also played her entire career in Phoenix and won’t be leaving the Mercury this offseason. They are unrestricted free agents only as a technicality.
Thirdly, Brionna Jones was officially cored by Connecticut earlier this week, making her no longer available as a UFA. She was initially ranked in our top five, but has been removed as her status for 2023 is now secure.
Okay, that’s it for housekeeping—now the fun part! Here are Winsidr’s official (unrestricted) free agency rankings for the 2023 season:
1. Breanna Stewart – The basketball world eagerly awaits Stewie’s decision, crawling into every nook and cranny of the rumor mill for clues on where the superstar will sign. Stewart is having a blast on Twitter, sending out cryptic emojis for fans to latch onto and dissect. Friday, she offered more straightforward emojis, indicating that the four finalists for her services are Seattle, Minnesota, Washington, and New York.
Stewart’s place atop this list is unanimous, a mere formality amid a sea of otherwise difficult decisions. The 28-year-old has two Finals MVP trophies to her name. Stewart and A’ja Wilson have accounted for 60 percent of the league’s championships and MVP awards over the last five seasons. We could be here until 2024 listing Stewart’s accomplishments. Her presence on a roster nearly guarantees title contention.
Etched into my memory, but soon-to-be-forgotten in the scope of WNBA history, is Stewart’s performance against Las Vegas in Game 4 of the 2022 Semifinals. The Aces clinched their Finals berth that evening, winning 97-92 in Seattle. Chelsea Gray and Wilson were phenomenal, part of a championship run cemented in league lore. Stewart was equally superb, pouring in 42 points on 14-of-22 shooting (6-of-8 from three), snaring seven rebounds, blocking three shots, and snatching a steal to boot.
I love that type of showing. Was it enough to win the game? No. Was it everything Stewart could have possibly given, pushing herself to stratospheric heights in a memorable battle of the WNBA’s best? Absolutely. It’s a fool’s errand speculating whether or not that was her final contest as a member of the Storm, but if it was (did someone say Stew York?)—wowzers, what an impressive farewell. And if it wasn’t? Seattle will have unfinished business to attend to.
(Also of note: Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot [more on Sloot, soon] are represented by the same agency. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Vandersloot’s decision may play into Stewart’s.)
2. Nneka Ogwumike – What a glorious career this has been. At 32, Ogwumike is the WNBA’s beacon of consistency. Not a run-of-the-mill type consistency, either, one which throws you into a slumber of banality. Nope. Ogwumike’s brand of consistency teems with excellence. When she takes the floor, you know what you’re getting, and you know it’ll be great.
Surely, Ogwumike would never leave her home of 11 seasons, right? Los Angeles has overhauled its leadership structure, bringing in Curt Miller to serve as head coach and Karen Bryant as general manager. Chaos and dissension have swirled through the fabric of the franchise dating back to 2019, Derek Fisher’s first year with the team. Each ensuing season, folks wondered whether Ogwumike—who led the Sparks to a championship in 2016 and was named league MVP the same season—would finally reach her breaking point, “demanding” a trade in the kindest way possible. Not Ogwumike. She stuck it out and maintained an elite level of play, all the while bolstering her status as one of the best two-way bigs in the game. It would be shocking if she bolted now.
Ogwumike was named to the All-WNBA Second Team last season, and her style of play has grown seamlessly with the evolution of basketball at-large. Defensively, she is unimpeachable. Ogwumike can capably switch onto any type of player and retain an advantage. She’s smarter than the opposition, knowing where best to deploy her skill and expertise. Offensively, she is as efficient and reliable as they come—Ogwumike owns the second-highest true shooting percentage in WNBA history, trailing only Sylvia Fowles. She can operate as the number one option, or as a secondary scorer, and she is brilliant in the pick-and-roll.
Here’s to hoping LA’s new regime once again surrounds Ogwumike with a roster worthy of her greatness.
3. Candace Parker – This is where things get tricky, because how many years does Parker have left as a professional basketball player? Age comes into play when formulating these rankings. All that matters is the future. At 36 (she’ll turn 37 before the 2023 season begins), Parker’s best basketball years are behind her.
Or are they?
The two-time champion (2016, 2021) and two-time league MVP (2008, 2013) was named All-WNBA First Team last season. Firmly in the second half of her thirties, Parker was one of the five best players in basketball, should you trust the voters. That’s ridiculous—a testament to her wisdom, which has accumulated as her athleticism diminishes.
Parker is a genius when it comes to placement among her peers. She has a doctorate in spatial intelligence. At 6’4”, Parker is far from the tallest player on the floor. She’s not the strongest. She can no longer leap the highest. Yet in 2022, she led the league in defensive rebounding percentage, burrowing into pockets of the paint opponents didn’t expect her to be. One of the greatest passers in the history of the game, Parker’s rebounds double in value on teams that like to run. Her outlet passes double as art. This is part of why Parker and Chicago guard, Kahleah Copper, have developed such lovely chemistry. Parker rebounds, turns, and fires to a flying Copper, who finishes in transition.
Parker may only play one more year, but with such a wide-open league landscape, in which nearly half the teams are cultivating title hopes, Parker will be as in demand as ever. Is a return to Los Angeles possible? Sure. But my money is on the Sky.
4. Courtney Vandersloot – Sometimes, basketball fans are so dazzled by the play of a
superstar that we fail to appreciate what makes them unique off the court. It’s easy to overlook Vandersloot’s personality, to label it boring or common. Don’t be fooled: this is one of the most genuine people in a league full of genuine people. Vandersloot will look you in the eyes and beam as she espouses the virtues of a teammate. Sometimes that teammate is her wife, Allie Quigley (more on her later!). Watching Vandersloot bounce up-and-down in excitement as Quigley won her record-breaking fourth three-point contest last summer was a perfect embodiment of who the soon-to-be 34-year-old is.
Vandersloot’s kindness fits her on-court persona: the unselfish distributor who makes sure everyone else is taken care of before she seeks her own meal. She is all over the record books with assist-centric feats. Her play has hardly waned with age; if anything, she’s been better in her thirties than her twenties. Vandersloot helped lead Chicago to its first championship in 2021, her fingerprints all over the final minutes of a Game 4 clincher. The Gonzaga graduate has the innate ability of all great point guards: knowing when her team needs a bucket instead of an assist.
Vandersloot led the league in assist rate last season, per Her Hoop Stats (minimum 10 games played). She was really good, but for the first time ever, doubt crept into the minds of WNBA fans. We saw Chelsea Gray surpass Vandersloot as the league’s best point guard. We wondered whether Vandersloot’s best years were finally behind her.
Vandersloot has played 12 WNBA seasons, all with Chicago. Would she ever leave? Even with questions regarding her slightly diminished production in 2022, she’s still worth the max. Seattle, New York, Minnesota, Chicago… teams will make their strongest pitch for a player of Vandersloot’s caliber. Just because she’s no longer at her on-court peak doesn’t mean she can’t still swing the title race.
5. Emma Meesseman – We have arrived at an interesting case. Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP, may decide not to play stateside in 2023. This is a distinct possibility, and one that would be a major bummer for fans of the W. That doesn’t factor in here, however, as this exercise is about ranking players based on expected future performance, not speculative guesswork regarding availability.
Meesseman enjoyed a wonderful, under-the-radar season in 2022. Sure, the Sky fell short come playoff time, but Meesseman was a rock. She shot career-highs from the field (57 percent) and on twos (60 percent). She provided sharp passes from the high post, kept the offense humming when others were struggling or hurt, and more than held her own defensively. She is the all-around type of player who can take a team from the fringes of title contention to a legitimate contender.
Meesseman will turn 30 in May. She is squarely in her prime, and would fit on any roster. Could the Storm convince Meesseman to continue her WNBA career if they manage to re-sign Stewart? Will Chicago head coach and general manager, James Wade, prioritize Meesseman, given the Sky’s fairly blank cap sheet? Or will the Belgian native decide that her efforts are better spent overseas?
6. Azurá Stevens – Teams don’t fly overseas to meet with just anybody. Stevens, 26, is in demand, entering her prime and able to do what forward-thinking front offices crave. She is your prototypical stretch-four: long and lean; big but mobile; an interior force and an outside threat. Defensively, she offers coaches lineup flexibility, her skills best utilized down low where she can swat shots but also effectively deployed on the perimeter after switching onto guards. Offensively, she is clever, adept at slithering into the lane and finishing over outstretched arms. She shot 38.5 percent from three in 2020 on over three attempts per game, and hit 36 percent last year on similar volume.
It doesn’t hurt that Stevens is a delight off the court as well. Her TikTok dances are stellar, her interviews always insightful. No one pays premium prices for an elite locker room presence, but it’s an added bonus for any prospective employer.
Stevens helped the Sky win a title in 2021, but she has started just 19 out of 65 regular season games with Chicago. Could she slide into a permanent starting role if Wade brings her back? Or would she look at a situation like, say, Atlanta and envision taking her game to the next level? Stevens is one of the most fun players on the market, and she’s hitting unrestricted free agency at a perfect time.
7. Brittney Sykes – Close your eyes. You’re the head coach of a professional basketball team. Your season is on the line. Their superstar is lethal in crunch time. Legacies will be defined over the next few minutes. You look at your best defender, and breathe a sigh of relief. Her name is Brittney Sykes. Something just shy of a grin lines her face. She is calm and fierce at once. She envelops their superstar with her lengthy arms, then pries the ball loose and darts the other way for two. The ballgame is secured. Pandemonium ensues. Everyone goes to get ice cream.
Sykes is one of if not the best wing defender in the game. She delights in ransacking her opponent. Her offensive arsenal pairs perfectly with her menacing defense—she’s lethal in transition, quick with the ball, and explosive finishing at the rim. Sykes, who turns 29 in February, is squarely in her prime.
Sykes is not a floor spacer, which limits the offensive ceiling of her team, but also means she likely won’t garner the max. Could a reunion in Atlanta—the team that drafted her seventh overall in 2017—be possible? Allisha Gray is reportedly in the process of being traded to the Dream, and a Gray/Sykes perimeter pairing would give opponents nightmares. Could a sleeper like New York or Chicago emerge? Or does Curt Miller want a chance at coaching Sykes? She isn’t an A-list free agent, but whoever signs her will be thrilled.
8. Alysha Clark – Injuries stink. Clark was the league’s preeminent two-way wing in 2020, perhaps the best perimeter defender in the W (she’s no slouch in the post, either), and a sniper who could score from all levels of the floor. Her presence in Seattle helped the Storm march to their second championship in three seasons. She was a perfect hypothetical fit on any roster. Then, after signing with Washington in the 2021 offseason, Clark suffered a Lisfranc injury in her right foot, requiring surgery and forcing her to miss a full year. Clark returned in 2022 and was effective for the Mystics, but not quite the same. How could she be?
With a full post-injury season under her belt, can Clark once again reach that elite level? Or—at age 35—was 2022 the new normal for the Middle Tennessee graduate? That’s what every front office in the league is pondering as they prepare offers for Clark.
Even if she’ll never be the same dominant force from her Storm days, Clark is the perfect type of role player to help you win a title. She’s incredibly savvy at anticipating actions before they happen, and she scores in creative ways (hello, push shot!) that have been eschewed by a younger generation of hoopers. You can rely on her in all areas, unconcerned about the potential for a mental blunder. She’s as sound a decision-maker as there is.
Unfortunately, the more tangible evaluation factors spell uncertainty. Clark peeled off an absurd three-season run from 2018-2020 in which she shot 39 percent, 48 percent, and 52 (!) percent from three for the Storm. In 2022, she shot 30 percent from behind the arc. No one is asking her to hit half of her triples in the upcoming season, but whether or not teams believe she can once again surpass league-average from deep will determine the length and amount of her upcoming contract.
9. Erica Wheeler – Show me someone who isn’t rooting for Wheeler, and I’ll show you misery personified. How could you not love Wheeler’s story? From being undrafted out of Rutgers to winning the 2019 All-Star Game MVP, Wheeler has carved out a reputation as one of the WNBA’s consummate professionals. Don’t let the vague plaudits fool you, though: Wheeler can hoop.
Standing just 5’7”, Wheeler plays way bigger on defense. Watching her in person when Atlanta visited New York last season, I was struck by her persistent hounding of Sabrina Ionescu for 94 feet. Ionescu was thrown off by Wheeler’s incessant pressure, and it affected New York’s flow. Then, with the clock about to expire and Atlanta down three, Wheeler nailed a triple from the top of the key, sending the game into overtime. The Dream rode the wave of Wheeler’s spectacular shotmaking, while the Liberty appeared deflated, rueing a game that got away. Atlanta outscored New York by 11 in the extra period.
Reliable point guards are always in demand in the WNBA. Plenty of teams will be after Wheeler—a player who made her name in Indiana, suited up for Los Angeles in 2021, and was traded to the Dream—over the coming days. The 31-year-old (Wheeler will turn 32 before the 2023 season) suffered slight offensive regression in her first season with Atlanta, but nothing that signals doom for the future. I predict a full bounce-back for Wheeler in 2023, cementing herself as a consistent two-way force. Will it happen as part of a loaded backcourt in Atlanta alongside Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray? Or will Wheeler pack her bags and join her fourth team in as many seasons?
10. Allie Quigley – If Vandersloot leaves Chicago, will Quigley retire? (Quigley’s potential retirement doesn’t affect her ranking here; we judged players based on assumed availability.) If she decides to hang up her kicks, she’ll be showered with love. If she doesn’t, we’ll all be lucky to watch a basketball legend run it back for at least one more season.
Quigley was as good as ever in 2021, helping lead Chicago to a title and catching fire in the clincher. Arguably the best three-point shooter in WNBA history, she’s a threat out of every conceivable action. She has averaged double figures in scoring six seasons in a row, in part because of her quick release and ability to hit jumpers from off-balance, leaning positions.
In 2022, for the first time ever, Quigley began to look her age on the court. The 36-year-old was far from bad, but she wasn’t deadly in the way fans had become accustomed. She shot 35.5 percent from three, down from her career average of 39.4 percent and a steep drop off from her nuclear 45.4 percent mark of 2021.
Quigley has been able to enjoy more rest this offseason, and her skill set is conducive to remaining effective as she ages. She could very conceivably return to her career shooting averages and be a key piece on a contender. Quigley unselfishly took less money to remain with Chicago in 2022; if she does run it back in 2023, she’ll likely be looking to get paid her worth. Will teams roll out the Brinks truck for a future Hall-of-Famer near the end of her career?
IT’S HALFTIME! Okay, not quite—10 down, 15 to go. We could be here all day singing the praises of this loaded free agent class, but you have places to be! Things to do! From here on out, we’ll give you quick-hitters, highlighting the most important details on unrestricted free agents Nos. 11 through 25. Let’s get back to it!
11. Isabelle Harrison – Harrison figures to be part of the mass exodus from Dallas. She vocalized her displeasure at her role last season, and her frustration was warranted.
When utilized correctly, the 29-year-old is an offensive force with length to hang defensively and cause problems for opponents. She wasn’t utilized correctly in 2022, however, and her finishing suffered as a result, shooting below league average from every area of the floor inside the arc. Rewind to 2021, and it’s a different story: Harrison shot a career-high 54 percent from the field, averaged double-digits in scoring, and grabbed nearly six rebounds per game. She’s tireless on the offensive glass. She will be in-demand over the next couple weeks.
12. Jordin Canada – Guards who aren’t threats from deep are tricky to pin in free agency. On one hand, Canada brings tons of positive energy to the floor. She’s lightning-quick in transition, solid at finishing on the move or finding the right teammate to score. She’s strong, and uses that to her advantage on the defensive end. She’s smart with the ball and can make folks look foolish in the pick-and-roll. On the other hand, teams go under screens set for Canada, clogging the paint and daring her to shoot. Her career 39 percent field goal percentage leaves much to be desired.
In Seattle, Canada’s poor shooting wasn’t much of an issue, the 27-year-old coming off the bench and marauding opponents for limited stretches. Enjoying a bigger role with Los Angeles in 2022, Canada’s weaknesses were more glaring. Is there a team willing to splurge on a guard who can’t shoot, but who does tons of other stuff well? Or are those teams nonexistent in the modern game?
13. Sami Whitcomb – Here is a perfect example of why I enlisted my colleagues to submit their own rankings. I had Whitcomb 20th on my original list. They disagreed. Boom: Whitcomb at 13.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy the 34-year-old’s game—quite the opposite, in fact. It’s that injuries sunk Whitcomb’s 2022 season in New York, and her lack of bounce affected her patented jump shot. The Californian sniper shot 38 percent from three in 2020 with the title-winning Storm, then nailed 43 percent from deep on six attempts per game with the Liberty in 2021. That number plummeted to 35 percent last season.
Whitcomb does other things well. She’s stronger than you realize and likes to muscle up on defense. She moves well without the ball. Ultimately, however, her value on the court derives largely from her identity as a marksman. If teams feel confident that 2022 was a fluke injury-wise, they’ll loft more money in Whitcomb’s direction. If they fear that 35 percent figure is a sign of reaching one’s mid-thirties, she’ll slot into a lower salary cap tier, one that sees her as an offensive spark off the bench.
14. Tiffany Mitchell – South Carolina hive, stand up! Mitchell has played all seven of her WNBA seasons in Indiana. She’d never averaged below 20 minutes per game until last season, when she started just eight of 34 games and played 16.3 minutes. This wasn’t due to a drop-off in production, but rather the Fever being in a transitional period. Former head coach Marianne Stanley was fired early in the season, and the team prioritized playing its younger players over the established veterans (with one notable exception). If Mitchell returns to Indiana, it will likely be with an assurance that she factors significantly into the team’s vision.
The 28-year-old is a tenacious on-ball defender and a dynamic attacker of the rim. She’ll send defenders flying with her sharp handles, then burst into the lane and finish at the hoop. Mitchell’s three-point shooting has always been a weakness, at just 27.4 percent over her career. She knocked down 38.7 percent from deep last season, signaling potential improvement, but took less than one three per game.
Mitchell makes a ton of sense as one of the first players off the bench on a contender. She’s the type of piece Las Vegas so desperately seeks—someone who can provide depth and reliability and is proficient on both ends. Will she be too expensive for the defending champs to sign?
15. Courtney Williams – Sometimes I tire of wearing my analytical hat, so I toss it in the dumpster in favor of a more fun, basketball-fan hat. Williams may not always be efficient, but she’s electric. When she catches fire, the game slows, as if Williams is at the controls. No one can defend Williams when she’s on. And she’s on an awful lot of the time.
Sadly, fans aren’t in charge of signing players to teams. A front office may look at Williams and wonder if their defense could sustain her presence on the roster. A front office may look at her recent shooting percentages and wonder why she doesn’t pass more. Or perhaps a front office might see opportunity in signing Williams—a vibrant personality with a million dollar smile who doesn’t shy from the biggest moments. Simply put, she’s one of the highest-upside players available this offseason.
16. Tina Charles – A divisive player on court, Charles is a treasure off and should probably be celebrated more than she is. Alas, she’s burned some bridges in the WNBA—Charles completed a contract divorce with Phoenix midway through the 2022 season, her first with the team—despite a Hall of Fame career that includes winning the 2012 MVP award. That was over a decade ago, but Charles is still productive on the offensive end, and she proved as much with Seattle in the playoffs last fall.
The million dollar questions are: Will Charles be okay with coming off the bench if it means a chance at her first ring? Can her prolific scoring make up for what she, at 34, is no longer capable of defensively? Does the fact that she needs the ball in her hands mean if Charles is eating, others are unhappy? She may be the biggest X factor of the 2023 offseason.
17. Stephanie Talbot – The Australian three-point shooter is a rare example of a third round pick delivering value befitting of a higher selection. Phoenix took Talbot 33rd overall in 2014; she didn’t join the WNBA until 2017 but instantly proved she required attention spotting up from deep. Now, at age 28, Talbot has established herself as one of the league’s best three-point shooters. She hit 42 percent on triples in 2021, and 40 percent in 2022, both with Seattle. Her gravity pulls defenders out of the paint, unclogging the lane for her teammates to attack the hoop.
Somewhat surprisingly, given how much of an emphasis modern basketball places on long-range shooting, Talbot has never averaged more than 17.9 minutes per game. She projects to earn a raise from the minimum contract she was on previously, as evidenced by her favorable ranking here.
18. Moriah Jefferson – How ironic that when players leave Dallas they grow wings. Jefferson was waived by the Wings in May of 2022 and signed with Minnesota four days later. She soared as a member of the Lynx, starting all 30 of the games she appeared in and stabilizing the team’s offense with consistent scoring from mid-range.
Here’s a funny question: do you think of Mo-Jeff as a three-point threat? She’s a career 42-percent shooter from deep, and she knocked down over 47 percent of her triples last season, yet she averages just 1.8 threes per game on her career (2.5 in 2022). I’ll be monitoring those numbers in 2023, as I am curious to see if her future team will encourage her to launch more liberally from behind the arc.
19. Elizabeth Williams – There’s much to be said for making a sustainable career off of one elite skill. This isn’t to say Williams only does one thing well on the court, but it’s clear interior defense is her specialty. Williams was named First Team All-Defense in 2020, and remained stout for Washington last season. After a six-season run in Atlanta from 2016-2021, during which the 29-year-old started an ultra-impressive 186 of 187 games, Williams came off the bench with the Mystics and averaged just 14.9 minutes. Does anyone still view her as a starter, or will her limited offensive arsenal once again relegate her to bench duty? We’ll know the answer very soon.
20. Kia Nurse – So many players on this list were impossible to rank given their injury history. When healthy, Nurse is an All-Star level talent—she made the All-Star Game in 2019 for her potent scoring prowess. Sadly, Nurse tore her right ACL in a 2021 playoff game, forcing her to miss the 2022 season. She returned months ago in the women’s World Cup, a positive sign after nearly a year of grueling rehab.
Even before her injury, Nurse was never the most efficient scorer, a career 36 percent shooter from the field. Was that because she played her first three seasons on a rebuilding New York club before being traded to Phoenix in 2021? Or is that an indictment of her game? Nurse will turn 27 in February, and she’ll be one of the more fascinating players on the market to track. Do WNBA front offices view her as a key building block, or a fiery bench scorer with limited upside?
21. Damiris Dantas – In 2020, Dantas broke out, filling in for the injured Sylvia Fowles and scoring 12.9 points on a scorching 43 percent from three. Injuries have limited her availability since then, but when healthy, Dantas is the perfect stretch-big. If teams had assurances that she’d be able to play a full season, Dantas would shoot up these rankings. Instead, she may end up being one of the offseason’s best signings.
22. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough – There are unheralded players, and then there’s SWK. Every time I watch the 27-year-old play, I’m impressed by her poise and persistence. She may not wow you with any one skill, but the accumulation of her talents and attitude form a solid all-around player who always seems to score a bucket at opportune times. She’ll bolster the bench of any team that is smart enough to add her.
23. Lexie Brown – The dead-eye shooter had a validating season in 2022 after thriving last winter at Athletes Unlimited. She shot 40 percent from three on 3.9 attempts for Los Angeles, no small feat given the Sparks’ less-than-ideal spacing (that’s putting it kindly). Brown not only spaces the floor but also pesters opponents with swarming on-ball defense. At 28, Brown is just now entering her athletic prime. Teams would be smart to target her as a two-way option off the bench.
24. Nikolina Milić – The soon-to-be 29-year-old was highly effective in her first WNBA season, averaging 11.7 minutes for Minnesota in 2022 and posting the league’s second-highest offensive rebound percentage, per Her Hoop Stats (minimum 10 games played and 10 minutes per game). Teams can always use rebounding reinforcements, to say nothing of Milić’s promising scoring chops. The Lynx would be smart to bring her back, if she doesn’t soar out of their price range.
25. Chiney Ogwumike – The Stanford graduate has become a media superstar at ESPN. Her future off the court is brighter than those fancy, environmentally friendly light bulbs. She’s still productive on court, too, an above-average defender off the bench who can score here and there. Ultimately, she’ll probably stick with her sister in Los Angeles, or decide to focus on TV work full-time.
