WNBA free agency takeaways: Finals contenders load up, veterans run it back and some prove you can go home again

As the WNBA’s chaotic free agency period continues this week through the collegiate draft on Monday , a few trends stood out for players making decisions in a condensed timeline. While comfort and fit are always key during free agency, the comfort aspect seems to be at a premium. A few unrestricted free agents returned to teams where they spent the majority of their career, or at least where they reached peaks.

Others are re-uniting with people they’ve played alongside recently or back in college. And significant veterans are returning to their childhood homes. Those takeaways for players who did not re-sign with their 2025 franchise fall farther down the list than the most obvious point: The offseason Finals contenders have only solidified their ranks atop the rest.

New York successfully re-signed its core of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, none of whom have officially signed contracts yet, plus added wing Satou Sabally to the lineup . Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is set to return from surgery that kept her out last year, and Leonie Fiebich came into the season on a team-friendly contract. That’s a loaded starting five, and it doesn’t even touch on the depth at play for first-year head coach Chris DeMarco.

Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu will return to the Liberty under new head coach Chris DeMarco. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) Mitchell Leff via Getty Images It looks like reigning champion Las Vegas also fit their superstars under the new $7 million cap, re-signing Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young, and reportedly working on Jewell Loyd and four-time MVP A’ja Wilson. Wilson made it clear at Team USA camp she wasn’t going anywhere, so she may be waiting out to take a team-friendly deal.