2025 WNBA Offseason Report Cards (Pt 1)
Find out who got top marks, who's just getting by and which team needs a strong draft to save their semester.
Free agency is all but over (though Breanna Stewart is, theoretically, still without a contract) and many of the marquee offseason leagues have wrapped up play; so, the WNBA draft is now the only thing standing between the league’s 13 teams and the start of the 2025 season. And while it’s becoming cliche to say this every spring, the upcoming season has to be the most anticipated in league history. A league-altering shift is coming after the season with the negotiation of a new CBA, but front offices around the league have clearly shown that winning now is a still a priority with their aggressiveness this offseason.
With only the draft left before the season begins, let’s grade teams’ moves so far to determine who has spent their pennies wise and which franchises may end up feeling their pounds (or, I suppose, dollars…) went foolishly.
JUMP TO TEAM
ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND
LA | LV | MIN | NY | PHO | SEA | WAS (Part II, Coming Next Week)
Atlanta Dream
The Dream’s offseason moves before last season—particularly the acquisition of a high-end perimeter defender like Jordin Canada—had me excited for the team’s chances in 2024, but a variety of factors kept the roster from achieving the huge potential it had on paper. As the Dream enter 2025, the strong roster moves the front office has made this winter again create a perception that this can be a great team, but they’re one of the biggest “wait and see” teams league wide because of the number of moving pieces. New coach Karl Smesko is incredibly respected for his tactical chops, but makes a gigantic leap from not just college but the Atlantic Sun conference. Meanwhile, Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones are amongst the most distinguished bigs in the WNBA, but the Dream will require an entirely rebuilt offensive framework to facilitate their needs while also keeping explosive perimeter scorers like Gray and Howard in rhythm. As neither of the new bigs is a high-volume outside shooter, Smesko’s usage of them is something to watch in the early parts of the season, and I have serious questions whether these are acquisitions of good fits or merely acquisitions of good players—a very important distinction. Watch for Holly Winterburn to be a here and there game changer as a microwave scorer off of the bench as a rookie.
Grade: B
Chicago Sky
It’s no secret that Chicago has been aggressive in upgrading their roster this offseason, but the big question is whether they’ve pushed in too many chips too soon. Ariel Atkins gives them the two guard the roster has needed ever since Marina Mabrey was dealt to Connecticut last summer, but the opportunity cost of choosing 3rd in next month’s draft is pretty great. Even if Atkins re-signs, a new deal won’t be cheap, and the money the Sky will commit to re-signing her then can’t go to chasing the bevy of other free agents that will be on offer next winter. At the same time, Atkins is still just 28, and the rapid development of Reese and Cardoso as rookies suggests this team could be ready to win in the very near future. Yet, the price they paid for Atkins suggests Chicago should be ready to win now which, for me, is an unfair bar to set for a rookie head coach and two second year stars (albeit very talented ones). All that said, the Sky’s other business was strong. Courtney Vandersloot, while hardly a needle mover these days, is a low-risk, high-upside veteran on a one-year contract while both Kia Nurse and Rebecca Allen add solid depth, defense and shooting to the roster. Michaela Onyenwere returning is also a smart move after her solid 2024. In the end, these smart moves all having a one-year horizon while the risky swing for Atkins has longer-term impacts sours Chicago’s grade for me. If the draft class ends up weaker than expected or the Sky get the point guard they covet all the way down at #10, this grade could shift considerably upward in the next month.
Grade: C+
Connecticut Sun
It almost feels weird giving the Sun a harsh grade given this exodus was always such a distinct possibility, but knowing it could happen shouldn’t shield those involved from blame. WNBA free agency has very much become an amenities game and the Sun’s highly-veteran, highly out-of-contract roster left them with very little on-court juice to cover up for their lack of off-court perks. The biggest move was the sequence of deals that Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington departed in, and the Sun’s final haul for the duo was guards Lindsay Allen and Jacy Sheldon, the #7 and #8 picks in April’s draft, and a 2026 first-rounder from New York (likely to be #10 or below). When you consider the variable hit rate for bottom-half first round picks in the WNBA (plus Allen’s expiring deal), it doesn’t feel like a whole lot—though Sheldon is an intriguing young prospect who now has space to grow into her potential. On the free agent market, Connecticut has shown it’s keeping up with the action in Europe as Yvonne Anderson and Robyn Parks return to the W while new head coach Rachid Meziane has also been a star of the European scene over the last 24 months. With their 2026 first-rounder owed to the Sky, the Sun are in a bad spot for the foreseeable future, but Meziane will have plenty of minutes to give the draft picks his team does make next year.
Grade: F
Dallas Wings
Dallas blended their biggest trade arrival (Carrington) into a deal with their big departure (Satou Sabally) which softened the blow of losing the German, and the addition of NaLyssa Smith and Tyasha Harris to the equation makes the deal a fascinating one for the Wings. Sabally seemed set on leaving and landing a pair of young starter-level players plus an unflappable vet like Harris in the deal for the cost of adding Sheldon, Sevgi Uzun and Kalani Brown feels like a worthwhile gamble for Curt Miller—especially with the #1 pick in April’s draft still up his sleeve. Until we see the team on court, I don’t think we can definitively say they have gotten better, but I like the pivot ahead of Arike’s all-important free agency—especially after the progress of 2023 stalled out for a variety of reasons a year ago. If Arike, Carrington and the #1 pick are still on the roster at the start of the 2026 season, this offseason should be reflected upon as a massive win for the organization, and I respect the boldness to try this variety of moves even if they don’t ultimately work out. Watch for Smith to be the differentiator between this being a good and great offseason as she’s a player brimming with potential that young head coach Chris Koclanes needs to maximize.
Grade: A-
Golden State Valkyries
Grading an expansion team requires a unique scale as they enter their debut offseason with a couple of hands tied behind their back, but the Valkyries have done quite well given that difficult context. The strong foundation in place at an organizational level allowed them to hire the best candidate on the coaching market (at least before Stephanie White became available) before the franchise’s first game was played, and ownership’s willingness to spend allowed them to lure a high-end veteran like Tiffany Hayes away from one of the W’s premier organizations across the Sierra Nevadas. Elsewhere, the roster for the team’s debut season is now made up of promising rookies from a year ago (Kate Martin), perpetually under appreciated young prospects (Laeticia Amihere), explosive bench spark plugs (Cecilia Zandalasini) and veteran reserves (Billings, Thornton) who can now hope to offer more in a bigger role. The strong moves they’ve made probably won’t translate to much winning this year (expansion seasons are hard!!), but Ohemaa Nyanin has made the most of limited resources and the franchise can make a huge leap forward in next year’s free agent frenzy.
Grade: B
Indiana Fever
If Golden State needs a special (more generous) scale as an expansion side, the Fever almost need a harsher grading scale as convincing free agents to come and play with 23-year-old Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston is about as easy as a GM can have it. Regardless, Amber Cox—who replaced Lin Dunn in October—was able to go above and beyond even with the favorable circumstances. DeWanna Bonner’s arrival reinforces the team’s belief they can win a championship in 2025 while White following her from Connecticut shows the franchise has the ruthlessness that’s sometimes necessary to clear the final hurdles and win a long-coveted second WNBA title. Sophie Cunningham, who arrives in the multi-team Sabally trade, lacks the high ceiling I mentioned Smith having for Dallas, but she’s certainly a more consistent player and will offer another dose of late-season and playoff experience for this young roster. Meanwhile, Jaelyn Brown also arrived in that trade and projects as a reliable long-term role player thanks to her extremely multi-faceted game. Other veterans (Howard, Colson, Turner) joined Bonner in buying in to this burgeoning powerhouse and, oh by the way, explosive scorer Kelsey Mitchell returns on a max contract after seemingly flirting with a departure at times last season. Indiana looked on the fringe of competing towards the end of last season, and they’ve made all the right moves this winter to jump to the top table of contenders ahead of the 2025 season.