The 2026 WNBA offseason was a rapid period of change, featuring an expansion draft, college draft, and free agency. Teams like the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty thrived, while the Seattle Storm faced significant roster losses.
Key points
2026 WNBA offseason was condensed into a few weeks
Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty thrived
Seattle Storm faced significant roster losses
Expansion draft and college draft occurred in April
The fast-paced offseason presented some unique challenges for each team's front office, with Phoenix Mercury general manager Nick U'Ren summing it up with a this thought: "Few other leagues have gone through what this league just went through in terms of doing everything in a 3-4 week period."
The same can't be said about some rosters that were decimated in free agency, like the Seattle Storm. USA TODAY Sports breaks down the winners and losers of the truncated offseason.
Q&A
Which teams were considered winners in the 2026 WNBA offseason?
The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty were considered winners, successfully maintaining their core players and making strategic additions.
What challenges did teams face during the 2026 WNBA offseason?
Teams faced the unique challenge of condensing the offseason activities into a 3-4 week period, which included the expansion draft, college draft, and free agency.
How did the Seattle Storm perform in the 2026 WNBA offseason?
The Seattle Storm struggled during the offseason, experiencing significant roster losses due to free agency.
What notable player did the New York Liberty add during the offseason?
The New York Liberty added three-time All-Star Satou Sabally to their roster during the offseason.
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The Dallas Wings finished 10-34 last season, tied for last place in the WNBA standings with the Chicago Sky, despite a sensationalĀ Rookie of the Year campaignĀ from No. 1 overall pickĀ Paige Bueckers.Ā The Wings used its 2026 No. 1 pick to select UConn's Azzi Fudd to improve the team's perimeter shooting after finishing second-to-last in 3-point percentage (30.4) last year. The Wings also allowed the second-most opponent points per game last season and made moves in free agency to shore up their interior with the addition of Alanna Smith, the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, and Jessica Shepard.
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty's shocking first-round playoff exit just one season after winning a title meant the team needed to retool its roster and get healthy. New York was able to do both in the offseason, returning Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, plus adding three-time All-Star forward Satou Sabally. The Liberty also re-signed Betnijah Lany-Hamilton, a former starter for the franchise and a glue player that they will utilize on both ends of the floor. New York also added head coach, Chris DeMarco, who should bring his experience with individual skill development and systems to the team.
The Atlanta Dream had a disappointing end to their 2025 season. After a franchise-best 30 wins in the regular season, Atlanta lost its first-round playoff series to Indiana. Still, the Dream remained confident in their core players and knew they wanted to run it back with the same group. Atlanta emerged from free agency victorious with four of its five starters, plus two-time All-Star Angel Reese, following a trade. That kind of feat is hard to pull off, but Atlanta seems poised to not only redeem its playoff loss but also the top-five defense that helped it cement the franchise as a contender.
After missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, things aren't looking so bad for the Sparks heading into the second season of coach Lynne Roberts' tenure. Kelsey Plum ā who was fourth in the league in scoring last season ā returned to LA on a team-friendly deal, taking a discount to allow the Sparks to bring in other talented players. And the team took advantage of its cap space, bringing in Nneka Ogwumike, who won an MVP and led the Sparks to a championship in 2016. LA gave up Rickea Jackson in a trade to the Chicago Sky, but received two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins in return. The Sparks also re-signed Dearica Hamby, added Erica Wheeler in free agency, and potentially got the steal of the draft by picking up South Carolina's Ta'Niya Latson in the second round.
Losers
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm will look completely different after losing five players that accounted for 67.5 points per game last season in Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins,Ā Brittney Sykes, Gabby Williams and Erica Wheeler. The Storm returned Ezi Magbegor (9.7 ppg) and Dominique Malonga (7.7 ppg), who will both have to take the next step offensively to replace the lost production. Seattle signed Natisha Hiedeman (7.3 ppg) and Stefanie Dolson (3.7 ppg) in free agency, drafted Awa Fam third overall and acquired Flau'jae Johnson in a draft-day trade with the Golden State Valkyries, but losing over 82% of your total scoring will be hard to replace.
Chicago Sky
The core of the Chicago Sky's roster has changed for the third consecutive season, and while the team has managed to add new pieces like Rickea Jackson, Natasha Cloud and Skylar Diggins to help recoup losses like Ariel Atkins and Angel Reese, continuity matters when trying to win a championship. Chicago is also dealing with several injuries to begin the 2026 season, and that's just never good for a team that needs as much time to get as possible. Courney Vandersloot is still out after a season-ending ACL injury, and AzurĆ” Stevens and DiJonai Carrington are also out with unclear injury timelines.
In this expansion franchise's first season, there's simply not a lot on this roster that inspires optimism about the Fire's immediate future. It is largely a collection of players who are either young, unproven or have failed to find a consistent role with past teams in the WNBA. Perhaps the exception is Bridget Carleton, the team's highest-paid player at $1.19 million, but even she has yet to prove she can carry an offense ā averaging 9.6 points per game in her best season with the Minnesota Lynx. The hope here is a few of these players ā from Haley Jones and Emily Engstler to Megan Gustafson and Sug Sutton ā can seize opportunities and have breakout seasons.
