WNBA Free Agency Is Already Bringing the Drama—and It’s Only the Beginning

The WNBA Free Agency Moves So Far Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links. " The WNBA season is coming up fast, and there’s a lot that’s been happening during the free agency period—starting with a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players, which makes contract possibilities much more lucrative this season in particular. Several big names have already shifted around, which could have huge implications for teams this season.

The 2026 WNBA Draft happens on April 13, and preseason games kick off on April 25 , making now go-time for teams to figure out what’s next for the season ahead. But plenty of big moves have already taken place. Here’s what you need to know about the WNBA free agency period, plus what it all means.

First, there are important WNBA free agency terms to know. You’ll hear a lot of terms thrown around to describe an athlete’s status during this time, and it’s important to understand what they mean. These are the big ones you may hear, per the WNBA : Unrestricted free agent : This is a player that can enter into negotiations with any team without any issue.

Restricted free agent : This is a player with four years under their belt whose contact has expired who receives a “qualifying offer” from their current team. (This is basically a one-year deal that allows the team the chance to match any offer the player gets from another team. ) Core player : A core player is someone who gets a Core Qualifying Offer, which is a one-year deal on the maximum base salary available to players.