Which of the WNBA’s Top Free Agents Could Come to Chicago?
Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith & Skylar Diggins-Smith shouldn’t be the only free agents on Sky fans’ radar.
With WNBA teams free to speak to free agents as of yesterday (Jan. 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 as well as Skylar Diggins-Smith, the most highly-linked external free agent, in recent weeks, but there’s plenty of other excellent options on the market that could help the Sky next season.
In the interest of considering how the league’s best free agents would fit in Chicago, let’s use The Athletic’s list of the top free agents this offseason for organizational purposes. Players are listed below in the order they were ranked in that article — note this is not my attempt to comment on any of these players’ comparative quality or recreate the great work done by the folks over at The Athletic. All that said, let’s dive into the free agents and how each fits into Chicago’s new era under T-Spoon.
The Untouchables: Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Satou Sabally, Brittney Griner, DeWanna Bonner, Elena Delle Donne, Brionna Jones, Candace Parker, Jordin Canada, Kiah Stokes
Whether they’ve been cored (Stewart), have personal ties (DB), are restricted free agents (Satou), have spoken about re-signing (BG) or have other reasons, these players are extremely unlikely to join the Sky this offseason. (In the time this blog sat in my drafts, Delle Donne, B. Jones and Canada were all also cored. The Sky still *could* but almost certainly won’t trade for them.)
Nneka Ogwumike— PF — 2023 Team: Los Angeles Sparks
Given her ability to defend, rebound, score inside and shoot from beyond the arc, Nneka represents exactly what the Sky are looking for to solidify their roster with an elite power forward. Like SDS, signing Nneka comes with consequences as it pertains to the finances of constructing the rest of the roster, but I think those are sacrifices you’re willing to make if you’re Spoon and the front office. I struggle to see the scenario where she leaves LA, but this would be a ‘test the waters’ phone call I’m asking Kahleah Copper to make on my behalf if I’m Jeff Pagliocca.
Skylar Diggins-Smith— PG — 2023 Team: Phoenix Mercury (missed season)
Given the buzz around this potential target, I wrote a full blog about the Sky’s point guard options last week.
Natasha Cloud— G— 2023 Team: Washington Mystics
Cloud is a name that, in amongst the buzz about SDS, isn’t getting the attention she probably should on the free agent market. She is one of the few defenders in the W who can match Kah when it comes to guarding the perimeter, and the prospect of pairing the duo (or even a trio with one of Dana Evans or Rebekah Gardner) on the court is fascinating. With defense sure to be the foundation of the Sky’s identity under Spoon, signing Cloud would represent clear alignment between head coach and front office. For all she is defensively, she’s not an elite scorer, but her high floor and ability to play make at the offensive end of the floor mean she’d be great value for the Sky’s (likely near max) money. With SDS likely to hand pick her next team, the rest of the teams that need a ball handler— Washington likely included — will be competing to convince Cloud (the next best 1 available) to join.
Rebecca Allen— G/F— 2023 Team: Connecticut Sun
Allen is a difficult name to pin down given she (1) offers so much versatility and (2) will likely receive a vast array of offers with varying price tags from contenders and playoff hopefuls alike. Despite a down year in 2022, Allen has still shot an impressive 37% on nearly 3.5 threes per game since 2019 — meaning she’s bound to be one of the best shooters on the market. What she offers elsewhere — specifically her ability to hold her own inside and on the perimeter at the defensive end — gives her the potential to be the first player off the bench for just about every franchise in the league. Given that unique skillset, I expect her to find a home with a contender — possibly the Sun once again. Depending on how the chips fall with Allen’s pursuit of her fair market value, Allen could wind up an intriguing option for Spoon in a number of ways next season.
Kalani Brown — C— 2023 Team: Dallas Wings
The Sky pursue a big caught in the logjam of bigs in Dallas to help give them more robustness in their front line. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Brown’s story is not entirely dissimilar from Isabelle Harrison’s a year ago. What is different, however, is the extra size Brown offers. At 6'7", Brown will be one of the tallest players in the W once again, and that size allows her to be, unsurprisingly, one of the league’s premier rebounders. For Dallas, Brown’s unique size allowed them to run similar starter and bench line-ups, but Kalani would give the Sky the option of something quite different when Elizabeth Williams sits. Brown’s productivity — both on the glass and as a scorer — means she’s more than just ‘tall,’ but everything she brings coupled with her presumed desire for a bigger role means she’ll command a big offer. Depending on how big, another high-priced front court piece who can’t shoot might be a non-starter for a team with Elizabeth & Izzy tied to big deals.
Layshia Clarendon — SG— 2023 Team: Los Angeles Sparks
Clarendon was, in many ways, impressive a season ago with LA. Consequently, if the right offer, in Hollywood, with Curt Miller, is on the table, I’m not seeing the urgency to go and find a new home elsewhere. Given the number ($74k) they played on last season, there is an equally compelling argument that Clarendon would (1) look for a big offer to reward their play or (2) accept a lower number once again to be a part of a winning organization. In any case, Clarendon makes a lot of sense for the Sky in any number of different roles. If, for instance, Courtney were to move elsewhere, Clarendon brings a similar package of well-rounded scoring (a rounding error from 50/40/90 last year), competent defense and combo-guard skills that could fit alongside Dana and Marina in the Sky’s backcourt. Even if Courtney returns, Clarendon’s skillset and personality seem to align pretty clearly with what the Sky have in mind for 2024.
Nia Coffey— PF — 2023 Team: Atlanta Dream
A personal favorite target of mine for the Sky given Coffey’s exceptional defensive IQ, ability to shoot the 3-ball and history of playing relatively low minutes for a starter. With Coffey in the fold, the Sky could still afford to let Sika and/or Izzy spread their wings in ample minutes while falling back on a veteran starter at the four who has the right package of skills to start and contribute for every franchise in the league in some capacity. That said, I don’t want to dive too deeply into how Coffey fits given Atlanta’s GM has made comments that suggest Coffey is likely to stay with the team.
Katie Lou Samuelson— SF— 2023 Team: Los Angeles Sparks (missed season)
Given how Samuelson’s production had steadily increased (albeit in line with volume) over her four WNBA seasons before she missed last year ahead of her daughter’s birth, she’s a very difficult player to peg in this year’s free agency class. Despite not quite measuring up to her status as a #4 pick, her three-point shooting (35% on 5 attempts in 2022) alone gives her the chance to be of value to teams— especially when paired with her size and versatility as a defender. That said, I’m not sure what Samuelson sees as her ideal role (or whether her partner Devin Cannady’s G-League employment in the southeast is a factor), but Katie Lou is definitely the type of player the Sky should consider if/when they need to fill their roster with low-price, high-upside bench pieces.
Aerial Powers— F/G— 2023 Team: Minnesota Lynx
Powers has made it very public that she won’t return to Minnesota next year — meaning Chicago has one less team to compete against for the former Wings and Mystics wing. Because of her apparent fallout with the Lynx, her statistics last season aren’t reflective of Powers’ obvious ability to score the basketball, but I’m not sure what impact a year like that has on Powers’ market value (she was just below the max last year). If her value has taken a considerable hit, the Sky would obviously be wise to reach out for the instant offense she could offer the team off the bench — assuming she’s willing to take on that role. However, given she’ll probably want to start and be paid for her long-term reputation (rather than last year’s limited numbers), the Sky probably can’t offer her what she’s looking for with Kah and Marina already signed to max deals long-term.
Diamond DeShields— G— 2023 Team: Dallas Wings (missed season)
DeShields is a popular player league wide, but I think many in Chicago still hold a special place in their heart for the #3 pick turned World Champion. That said, DeShields’ motivation for leaving the Sky was her desire to be seen as a key building block for the team’s future — something that she likely won’t be considered in Chicago (especially not if Dana is re-signed long-term) this winter. Where she fits in the landscape of free agency overall, I’m not too sure. If DeShields finds herself relegated to offers of leading a second unit, the Sky would be silly not to pick up the phone if the domino effect leaves them needing a guard, but I think DeShields should be able to find a team (possibly back in Dallas where Latricia Trammell has spoken highly of her) that sees her as a starter — especially given the strong season she had with Phoenix in 2022.