WNBA free agents 2024 include Breanna Stewart, DeWanna Bonner, Candace Parker, Lindsay Allen and Brittney Griner. Stewart contract expires in February 2024.
Following the conclusion of the 2023 WNBA regular season, the time for player transfers and contract extensions has also been closed.
The playoff began on September 13 with two exciting Round 1 matchups. Connecticut is facing Minnesota while the defending champion Las Vegas plays Chicago.
Typically, the WNBA announces the official catalog of players in January because the players' statuses will not be completely confirmed until that time. As of the current state, several big names in the league are on the verge of becoming unrestricted free agents at the end of this year.
After that, these athletes will be able to sign freely with any franchise. They could also choose to re-sign with their current team but negotiate a new contract with better pay.
1. Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart is a veteran basketball star currently listed in WNBA free agency. Stewart claimed her second WNBA MVP title in September 2023.
The 6-foot-4 power forward made a move to New York Liberty in February 2023 after playing six seasons with the Seattle Storm.
Stewart agreed to sign for the New York Liberty ahead of the 2023 season. She inked a one-year contract with the Liberty which will last till February 2024. Surprisingly, she accepted a salary reduction when she joined the team, agreeing to a contract worth just $180,000.
The 29-year-old New York native was picked by the Seattle Storm in the 2016 draft. Stewart guided Seattle to two WNBA championship titles in 2018 and 2020, each time being crowned the Finals MVP.
2. Skylar Diggins-Smith
The latest free agent tracker WNBA reveals that Skylar Diggins-Smith is highest paid player in the list. Skylar has an annual average salary of $224,870 in 2023.
The WNBA welcomed the 6-time All-Star into the league when the Tulsa Shock (present Dallas Wings) chose her as the 3rd overall in the 2013 draft.
In March 2016, Diggins-Smith signed a four-contract extension which lasted till 2019. Although the contract details and payment structure were not made public, Spotrac has mentioned she agreed to a 4 year / $899,480 deal.
After spending seven years at Dallas, Diggins joined the Phoenix Mercury in February 2020 through a sign-and-trade arrangement, which involved 2020 draft selections and a forthcoming first-round pick.
3. DeWanna Bonner
DeWanna Bonner name has been popping up in recent trade rumors in the WNBA. Bonner has one of the richest contracts in the league.
It has been 15 years since she made her debut with the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix selected DeWanna in the first round of the 2009 WNBA Draft.
Bonner's crucial contribution helped the Mercury to win two championships in 2009 and 2014. In February 2020, she made the decision to leave Phoenix after over ten years of service and join the Connecticut Sun at the expense of three future first round draft picks.
Besides, the 6-foot-4 athlete has played for several teams in Europe and Asia during the off-season including Dynamo Kursk, Cukurova Basketbol and more.
4. Candace Parker
Candace Parker is a two time WNBA champion who will be a free agent in 2024 as her current contract with the Las Vegas Aces expires in February.
However, she has not yet given any verdict on her future as her sole focus right now is to win another championship. Parker boasts two WNBA Finals wins, one achieved with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016 and another recently with the Chicago Sky in 2021.
In 2021, she entered unrestricted free agency and left the Sparks after a remarkable 13-season stint to sign a two-year contract with the Sky.
Similarly, in 2023, Parker signed a deal on the WNBA trade deadline to play for the Las Vegas Aces after spending two years with Chicago.
5. Nneka Ogwumike
Nneka Ogwumike is among the few active WNBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise.
Ogwumike joined the Los Angeles Sparks team in 2012 after they selected her in the WNBA draft and she has been playing for them ever since.
The year 2016 was the best for her as she clinched her first and only WNBA title and was also honored as the MVP of the season.
With 8 All-Star selections, Ogwumike is easily one of the top players of the current generation. It will a a heartbreaking to see her leave Los Angeles in 2024 when her contract expires.
Though the Texas homegrown has agreed to several contract extensions in the past, fans are hoping she will do it again this time.
6. Brittney Griner
The 2014 WNBA champion Brittney Griner is expected to wave goodbye to the Phoenix Mercury in 2024. Griner is currently in the final year of her contract.
The 32-year-old is playing her tenth season in the league with Phoenix. She has secured one championship win and received nine All-Star selections during her career.
With a towering height of 6 feet and 9 inches, Griner easily became a household name as she consistently gave her best to the team.
She signed a rookie contract back in 2013 after the Suns picked her in the draft. Four years later in 2017, Griner after her rookie contract expired, Griner inked a multi-year agreement to stay with the Mercury.
7. Lindsay Allen
Lindsay Allen has played for four WNBA franchises including New York, Las Vegas and Indiana. Allen agreed to join the Minnesota Lynx in 2022.
In the summer of 2022, Allen put pen to paper and officially inked a 7-day contract with the Minnesota Lynx. She spent a season playing for the Indian Fever the year before.
When New York picked Allen as the 14th overall in 2017, she later became a victim of the Lberty's final roster cut. However, after the starter Brittany Boyd got injured, the then-Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer decided to bring Allen back to the team.
She finalized a move to Las Vegas in 2018 and stayed there till 2020.
8. Brionna Jones
Brionna Jones has played for the Connecticut Sun her entire WNBA career. She signed her rookie contract in 2017 for $50,000.
In 2021, she agreed to continue playing for the Sun basketball team for two more years, and they promised to pay her $120,000 each year. Then, in 2023, Connecticut offered Jones a big contract for one year, worth $208,000 of base salary.
The two time All Star is a versatile player who helped Connecticut reach the WNBA Finals in 2022 and a third place finish in the regular season ranking this campaign.
In 2012, Jones received both the WNBA Most Improved Player Award and was also inducted into the WNBA All Defensive Second Team.
9. Tiffany Hayes
Tiffany Hayes is a WNBA player currently committed to the Connecticut Sun. Hayes is a 2010 NCAA women's basketball winner with the Connecticut Huskies.
She moved to the Sun after a decade long stint at the Atlanta Dream from 2012 to 2022. Atlanta recruited Tiffany following the 2012 WNBA draft during which she was the 14th overall pick.
After being a key contributor to the Atalanta team, her contract concluded in 2022 and she signed a one-year, unprotected contract with the Connecticut Sun for $162,477. This is a significant reduction in pay from her prior contract with the Dream, which was for $215,000.
The 2017 All Star who is also active overseas will soon run out of contract with Connecticut making her available as a free agent.
10. Jonquel Jones
Jonquel Jones is a Bahamian-Bosnian player who joined the New York Liberty in 2023. Jones signed a one year deal that expires in January 2024.
Before the 2023 WNBA season started, Jones requested a move from Connecticut to New York. In January 2023, the deal was complete and she was traded to the Liberty.
However, Jones will be an unrestricted free agent once her contract with New York lapses in early 2024. She can join another franchise or renew the contract with the Liberty for higher pay.
Jones, 29, although unfortunate to have won the championship trophy, received the 2021 WNBA MVP award and also secured four All-Star selections.
