Which of the WNBA’s Top Free Agents Could Come to Chicago?
Chennedy Carter, Michaela Onyenwere & Dana Evans shouldn't be the only free agents on Sky fans' radar.
With WNBA teams free to speak to free agents starting tomorrow (1/21), this year's free agency period--which allows contract signings to start from February 1st--has never felt more real. I've focused a lot on the Sky's internal options in recent weeks, but there's plenty of other excellent options on the market that could also help the Sky next season. Let's dive into twenty of the top free agents and how each could fit into Chicago's new era under Tyler Marsh.
The Untouchables
Whether they turned down the Sky last offseason, they’re likely to defend their title, they seem unlikely to ever leave the desert or they’re a restricted free agent, this group of players are all ones the Sky (and most other teams) would probably like to sign this offseason but won’t.
Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, DiJonai Carrington (RFA)
The Impracticals
Signing any of the players below is far more likely than a Stewart or Taurasi coming to Chicago, but the fit still doesn’t make much sense with three starting-level bigs already under contract with the Sky for 2025. Delle Donne is an exception who could play at the 3 but seems unlikely to return to the W unless she’s playing for a locked-in top-tier contender.
Elena Delle Donne, Brionna Jones, Tina Charles, Natasha Howard, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
The Possibles
There’s less obvious reasons why the rest of this year’s free agent class wouldn’t come to Chicago. So, let’s dive into the list to understand why some of these standout names would.
Kelsey Plum - 2024 Team: Las Vegas Aces
At this stage, there’s no reason to think that Plum wouldn’t return to Las Vegas, but the hire of Tyler Marsh gives the Sky a 1 or 2% chance of bringing Plum to town that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. That being said, I wouldn’t get your customized jersey ordered just yet. Even when the Sky get their new facility, it’s still unlikely to measure up to Vegas’ world-class training center. Nor are Cardoso or Reese (for as fantastic as they are) likely to surpass A’ja Wilson anytime soon. Unless Plum wants to lead her own team (a not uncommon occurrence for superstar “supporting” players), there’s no reason she’d leave Las Vegas this winter and, even if she did, it’s likely a year too early for Chicago to land one of the league’s best.
Satou Sabally - 2024 Team: Dallas Wings
Sabally is an interesting one because, thus far, the only concrete links in free agency seem to be with the New York Liberty–where her sister Nyara plays. Even then, there’s no clear indication that she’ll actually sign with the Liberty; she just spent time around the team while supporting her sister during last season’s playoffs. That being said, if New York (and key free agents Stewart and Vandersloot) are willing to make the money work, it’s hard to imagine why Sabally wouldn’t sign with the Liberty for at least one season. Her arrival would further enhance their chances of retaining the title, she’d reunite with her sister and fellow compatriot Leonie Fiebich, and there’d be flexibility to cash in on the new CBA that arrives after next season. If she doesn’t choose New York, Chicago could be an interesting alternative. Sabally would instantly become the team’s offensive focal point (a role she’s yet to enjoy in Dallas and wouldn’t in New York), her style would align with that of Marsh, and the size she offers at the 3 would give the Sky seemingly unlimited line-up flexibility. All that said, Sabally, like Plum, probably hits “free agency” (she was cored by Dallas meaning she’s not a true free agent) a year too early for the Sky on account of their current roster development and their under construction facility.
Alyssa Thomas & DeWanna Bonner - 2024 Team: Connecticut Sun
I’m under the impression that Thomas and Bonner will sign with the same team heading into what could be Bonner’s final WNBA season, but the level of roster uncertainty in Connecticut means I’m not ruling out a move elsewhere for one of the league’s great dynamic duos. The added benefit of Thomas & Bonner as a package is that adding two great players–instead of just one–allows any team they sign for to quickly accelerate their timeline towards winning a title. Thus, I wouldn’t fully rule out the Sky as adding Thomas and Bonner to the team’s current roster would certainly make them a playoff contender and might even allow them to go deep in the playoffs with the right rotational adjustments. At the same time, I’m also not sure I can see Bonner signing up to spend one of her final professional seasons practicing at a local rec center. It may sound like a broken record, but the standards around the league have risen and Bonner and Thomas will feel confident they can find a team that allows them to team up, win now and already has their top-class facility open for business.
Myisha Hines-Allen - 2024 Team: Washington/Minnesota
Hines-Allen was a clever midseason acquisition by Cheryl Reeve a year ago, and you get the feeling the veteran from Louisville can have an even greater impact with a full training camp to settle alongside the Minnesota roster in 2025. That being said, the nature of Hines-Allen’s game means she can provide value for every team in the WNBA with positional versatility, solid shooting, physicality and a great basketball IQ. At 6’1”, she could be a perfect complement to the Sky’s 3s and 4s and would–like Sabally–allow Marsh to switch match-ups all over the floor with little to no consequence. Unlike all of the players above who are likely to be starters wherever they go, Hines-Allen has been in-and-out of starting line-ups for most of her career, and that could be the Sky’s unique selling point if they really wanted to acquire her. For all that the Lynx can offer, Hines-Allen won’t be a regular starter in Minnesota next season, but she could slot in as the Sky’s opening day small forward next year. Whether that would be in the Sky’s best interest (especially with a free agent decision on the younger, similarly profiled Michaela Onyenwere to be made this offseason) is another discussion, but there’s a path for Hines-Allen to land in Chicago–something that can’t be said about most of the premier free agents above.
Kelsey Mitchell - 2024 Team: Indiana Fever
Mitchell seemed unlikely to return to Indiana after comments she made towards the end of last season, and Chicago could’ve been a perfect fit. A scorer who can shoot from outside and generate their own shot is exactly what this Sky roster needs, and Mitchell could easily be part of the Sky’s full rebuild given she won’t be 30 until the start of the 2026 season. For a player with Mitchell’s offensive skill set, a max contract would be justified and a 2-3 year deal would ensure that she's around through the remainder of Reese and Cardoso's rookie deals and the opening of the new practice facility in Bedford Park. The only problem? Mitchel; will be sought after by every team in need of perimeter help—including the Fever who, according to GM Amber Cox, are still keen on retaining her services.
Gabby Williams - 2024 Team: Seattle Storm
Williams was a late-season arrival after the Paris Olympics and may or may not play in the WNBA in 2025 given her expected participation in EuroBasket with France. Even if she does play in the W, expect her to handpick her next team from a list of contenders like she did before signing with the Storm in 2024. If the Sky hit on a marquee free agent or two, the dynamic here may change but comments Williams made last season during a social media exchange with Reese suggest a return to Chicago is not on the cards after the way things ended when James Wade dealt her to the Sparks in 2021.
Aerial Powers - 2024 Team: Atlanta Dream
Powers was an interesting option for the Sky last winter but only if she was willing to accept a role off the bench given Marina Mabrey and Kahleah Copper were firmly entrenched as the Sky's starting wing players. A year later, Powers is further removed from being a starter (she played her third lowest MPG last year and started only 2 of her 17 appearances), but Chicago now looks like one of the few teams league wide that may be able to offer her a starter's spot (or at least near starter minutes). Because while her overall efficiency (35.5% FG) last season was subpar, Powers still shot a solid 38.9% on threes and finished (17.3) within a couple points of her career scoring average (19.3) adjusted for minutes played. And while she's an offense-first player who would be brought in to score the ball, Powers has long been an underrated defender--meaning she could also contribute to the Sky's performance at that end. After last year's injury-riddled campaign, Powers looks likely to take a pay cut from the $155,000 she earned last season, and the Sky have plenty of cap room to support a contract of that size. If Chicago can sell Powers on a role with the team that offers (1) a lot of regular minutes and (2) a chance to grow into a starting role by season's end, she could be a value addition that adds much needed spacing in the half court.