The race for the 2025 WNBA championship is down to two teams: the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces.
The Indiana Fever were eliminated in a winner-take-all semifinal Game 5. They join the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream, Golden State Valkyries, Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks in turning their focus to 2026.
This is expected to be one of the most pivotal offseasons in WNBA history. The league and the players are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement; new teams in Toronto and Portland, Oregon, will join the league and hold an expansion draft; and there will be an unprecedented number of free agents, given that many players signed one-year deals after the players’ association opted last October to terminate the current CBA. The draft lottery also will determine which team will get the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
In the meantime, we’re breaking down potential moves for each WNBA franchise as its season ends, including a look at the state of each roster, team needs and priorities for each front office.
(Note: All players listed as “reserved” can become free agents if no qualifying offer is extended from their current team.)
Jump to a team:
ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GSV | IND | LA | MIN | NY | SEA | WAS
Eliminated in the WNBA semifinals
Indiana Fever
2025 record: 24-20 (6th)
Free agents: Kelsey Mitchell (unrestricted), Natasha Howard (unrestricted), Lexie Hull (restricted), Sophie Cunningham (unrestricted), Damiris Dantas (unrestricted), Sydney Colson (unrestricted), Brianna Turner (unrestricted), Aari McDonald (unrestricted), Odyssey Sims (unrestricted), Chloe Bibby (reserved), Kristy Wallace (contract expired following suspension)
2026 draft capital: Own first-, second-, third-round picks
Season recap: The 2025 campaign started with championship aspirations for the Fever after a productive offseason, but little went to plan from there. Caitlin Clark, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was in and out of the lineup because of an array of soft tissue injuries, appearing in just 13 games before being sidelined for the second half of the season. DeWanna Bonner abruptly left the team in June, and four other players sustained season-ending injuries in August and September. Still, coach Stephanie White and the short-handed Fever managed to finish four games above .500, securing their second consecutive postseason berth coming off a seven-year drought. Indiana won the franchise’s first playoff game and postseason series since 2015 by upsetting the Atlanta Dream in the first round. The Fever then took two games from the Las Vegas Aces, finding themselves one win away from reaching the WNBA Finals. But after Mitchell sustained an injury in the third quarter of the winner-take-all Game 5, they were ultimately knocked out in the semifinals.
State of the roster: The Fever already have two of the most talented players in the league under contract for 2026: Clark and Aliyah Boston, Indiana’s No. 1 picks in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Hull is also a restricted free agent, meaning Indiana has the right of first refusal if she signs an offer sheet with another team. That’s a fantastic young core to build around as the organization assesses the next steps for the offseason.
Top front office priority: Much like last offseason, re-signing Mitchell will be the No. 1 priority. From there, the front office must determine which complementary pieces fit with its long-term vision, and which players to move on from. Gaining veteran experience was a huge priority this past offseason; does that mean the team looks to re-sign players like Cunningham and Howard? If not, which other free agents could the team attract to play alongside Clark and Boston? This season showed the importance of having guard depth surrounding Clark, but the Fever also felt a little thin in the frontcourt at times.
Biggest offseason question: What do this offseason and ultimately Year 3 hold for Clark? Her sophomore season never fully took off due to injuries, and the Fever insisted they have been operating with her long-term health and well-being top of mind. Can Clark leave her injury issues behind, and how quickly can she return to her dominant form in 2026? Once she’s finally able to return to the floor, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a version of Clark hungrier than ever before. The Fever’s championship hopes fell short this year, but how much can they level up as they aim to win it all in 2026? — Alexa Philippou
Minnesota Lynx
2025 record: 34-10 (first)
Free agents: Napheesa Collier (unrestricted), Kayla McBride (unrestricted), DiJonai Carrington (unrestricted), Courtney Williams (unrestricted), Alanna Smith (unrestricted), Natisha Hiedeman (unrestricted), Bridget Carleton (unrestricted), Jessica Shepard (unrestricted), Maria Kliundikova (reserved), Jaylyn Sherrod (reserved), Camryn Taylor (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own first-round pick from Chicago; third-round pick
Season recap: The Lynx entered this season with a chip on their shoulders. Despite making it to the WNBA Finals last season — losing in five games to the New York Liberty — they had something to prove. They felt the championship was “stolen” from them, so they were determined to make it back. For all four months of the regular season, Minnesota looked primed not only to reach that goal but capture its fifth title in franchise history.
Collier was the MVP front-runner for most of the way, until a right ankle injury caused her to miss seven consecutive games across July and August. While she was runner-up for that award, Collier became just the second player in WNBA history to finish a season with a 50-40-90 shooting split, going 53.1% from the floor, 40.3% from 3 and 90.6% from the foul line.
Minnesota swept the expansion team Golden State Valkyries in the first round of the playoffs but looked far less invincible in the semifinals against the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury. It all came to a head in Game 3 when Collier was injured after making contact with Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas on a play that sent Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve into a rage against the officials. With Collier sidelined, the Mercury went on to win Game 4 and the series, ending Minnesota’s campaign in a far more painful way than last year’s Finals loss.
State of the roster: The Lynx have no players guaranteed to return next season. While there isn’t an immediate reason to believe their core players won’t want to come back, it could be time to make some tweaks to the roster.
Top front office priority: Given what this group has accomplished over the past two years, there is no need to blow up the roster — but some adjustments need to be made. Namely, the Lynx need more guard and wing depth. That could come from bringing back Carrington — who missed the final stretch of the regular season with a shoulder injury and the semifinals due to a left foot sprain — or from signing someone else in free agency.
Biggest offseason question: There are really two questions.
The first: How long will Collier’s recovery take? There are eight months before the WNBA season starts up again, but Collier was set to play in the second season of the Unrivaled league in January. Is that still on the table? Or will her injury affect her offseason and her plans to grow her game?
The second question: How do the Lynx recover from this loss? It sounds a bit dramatic for a semifinal ousting, but Minnesota must figure out how to move on emotionally from this ending. Collier and the Lynx have spoken at length about how their Finals loss to the Liberty fueled the past 12 months. It wasn’t enough to get them over that hump or even back to the Finals. Now, they have to do it all over again. — Kendra Andrews
Eliminated in the first round of the playoffs
New York Liberty
2025 record: 27-17 (5th)
Free agents: Breanna Stewart (unrestricted), Sabrina Ionescu (unrestricted), Jonquel Jones (unrestricted), Natasha Cloud (unrestricted), Kennedy Burke (unrestricted), Isabelle Harrison (unrestricted), Emma Meesseman (unrestricted), Stephanie Talbot (unrestricted), Rebekah Gardner (reserved), Marine Johannes (reserved), Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Annika Soltau, Raquel Carrera, Seehia Ridard (expiring suspended contracts)
2026 draft capital: Own third-round pick
Season recap: The Liberty returned nearly all of their players from the 2024 title run (excluding Laney-Hamilton, who was injured in the offseason and did not play in 2025, and Kayla Thornton, who went to Golden State in the expansion draft). The Liberty began the season with optimism about potentially defending their championship. They started the year 9-0, but injuries and inconsistency derailed those ambitions as Jones, Stewart, Cloud and Ionescu all missed games. New York signed three-time EuroLeague MVP Meesseman, the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, on Aug. 1, but the move didn’t have the intended impact because of a short runway and shifting lineups. A 12-11 regular-season record after the All-Star break dropped the Liberty to the No. 5 seed, but they were finally (mostly) healthy when their first-round series began. They won Game 1 against the Mercury, but Stewart suffered an MCL sprain in overtime. She was hampered moving forward, and Phoenix won the next two games to oust the defending champs. The Liberty owned the league’s most talented roster but failed to capitalize on it.
State of the roster: The Liberty have only two players under contract for 2026 — Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich — and just one pick in the 2026 draft, so the roster is in flux. Depending on the CBA negotiations, the Liberty will likely core Ionescu or Cloud, but under current CBA rules, could not core Stewart or Jones.
Top front office priority: Two words: free agency. The Liberty need a team for 2026, and because of limited draft capital and players on existing rookie contracts, they have to construct that team through free agency. Expect New York’s front office to aggressively pursue players from the current roster, as well as possibly add a couple of new faces. General manager Jonathan Kolb has made big splashes in recent years.
Biggest offseason question: The biggest question is the simplest one, and perhaps facing most teams this offseason: Who is coming back? This offseason could be straightforward if Stewart, Jones, Ionescu and Cloud all re-sign and this version of the Liberty core makes another run at it. Or … some or all of them move on. — Katie Barnes
Seattle Storm
2025 record: 23-21 (7th)
Free agents: Skylar Diggins (unrestricted), Ezi Magbegor (unrestricted), Tiffany Mitchell (unrestricted), Nneka Ogwumike (unrestricted), Katie Lou Samuelson (unrestricted), Brittney Sykes (unrestricted), Erica Wheeler (unrestricted), Gabby Williams (unrestricted), Zia Cooke (reserved), Mackenzie Holmes (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own third-round pick, plus first-round picks coming from Los Angeles and Las Vegas and a second-round pick from Dallas
Season recap: The start of August was a pressure point for Seattle. Tied for fourth in the league entering the month, a six-game losing streak sent the Storm reeling. They recovered enough to make the playoffs — and, perhaps more crucially, ensure their draft lottery pick from the Sparks — but got stuck matching up with Las Vegas in the opening round for a second consecutive year. While Seattle was competitive against the WNBA’s top teams in the regular season, beating every playoff team except Indiana twice, that didn’t translate as the Aces knocked the Storm out of the postseason for the third time in four years.
State of the roster: Only two players are under contract for 2026: veteran guard Lexie Brown, who struggled to find consistent playing time this season, and 2025 No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga. The latter is the centerpiece of the next generation for the Storm, who will add two first-round picks next spring and get 2023 first-rounder Jordan Horston back from an ACL tear in 2026. If Seattle is going to remain in playoff contention, though, maintaining the veteran presence provided by All-Stars Diggins and Ogwumike could be crucial.
Top front office priority: Finding more shooting. The Storm finished ninth in makes and attempts from 3-point range, a key factor in ranking eighth in offensive rating — ahead of only one playoff team, the Golden State Valkyries. Seattle tried in free agency, but Samuelson was lost to an ACL tear and Alysha Clark fell out of the rotation before a midseason trade for Sykes. The Storm’s young core could use a knockdown shooter to complement Malonga.
Biggest offseason question: Should Seattle continue a two-timelines approach? Trading Jewell Loyd for the pick used to get Malonga meant developing the promising teenager, who ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s 25 under 25 players, while also trying to win now. The optimistic view was she could become a star quickly enough to complement close friends Diggins and Ogwumike while they’re still capable of leading a contending team. That became more difficult to justify during the Storm’s second-half swoon. Support from Diggins and Ogwumike was crucial to Noelle Quinn, the WNBA’s second-longest tenured coach after Cheryl Reeve, maintaining her position last offseason. If that changes, or if Seattle’s front office decides to move toward a younger group that’s more on Malonga’s timeline, there could be turnover on the sidelines. — Kevin Pelton
Atlanta Dream
2025 record: 30-14 (3rd)
Free agents: Brittney Griner (unrestricted), Brionna Jones (unrestricted), Jordin Canada (unrestricted), Allisha Gray (unrestricted), Nia Coffey (unrestricted), Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (unrestricted), Rhyne Howard (restricted), Naz Hillmon (restricted), Maya Caldwell (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own first-, second-, third-round picks
Season recap: Under new leadership in Karl Smesko and a new offensive system, the Dream thrived, putting together their best season in years. They improved in nearly every statistical category from a year ago, going from third to first in rebounding (36.6 per game), 12th to third in assists (21.4 per game) and 10th to third in 3-pointers made (421). They are also second in offensive rating — they finished in last place a season ago — and defensive rating. Their 30 wins are also a single-season league record for a first-year WNBA coach. They also finally won a postseason game for the first time since 2018.
State of the roster: Te-Hina Paopao and Taylor Thierry will still be under their rookie contracts, making them the only players guaranteed to return. Paopao, the 18th overall pick in 2025, carved out a solid role in her rookie season, starting 17 games and averaging 5.8 points on 43.8% shooting and 2.4 assists.
Top front office priority: The Dream need to find a way to retain their core of Gray, Howard and Hillmon. Atlanta general manager Dan Padover told ESPN the trio has been the centerpiece for the franchise’s rebuild over the past four years — and when the Dream drafted Howard and Hillmon in 2022 and traded for Gray the next year, the plan was to keep them around long term.
Biggest offseason question: What does Griner’s future in Atlanta look like? Her arrival last offseason was surprising, and there were even more questions about how she — as well as Jones, two dominant bigs — would work in Smesko’s offensive system that’s built around shooters. Griner averaged just 9.8 points per game, her fewest points since her rookie year (12.6). She also played a career-low 20.8 minutes. — Kendra Andrews
Golden State Valkyries
2025 record: 23-21 (8th)
Free agents: Tiffany Hayes (unrestricted), Kayla Thornton (unrestricted), Monique Billings (unrestricted), Temi Fagbenle (unrestricted), Kaila Charles (unrestricted), Cecilia Zandalasini (restricted), Veronica Burton (restricted), Kaitlyn Chen (reserved), Janelle Salaun (reserved), Iliana Rupert (reserved), Laeticia Amihere (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own first-, second- and third-round picks
Season recap: The Valkyries made history in their first season, becoming the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs in its inaugural year. A roster built up of former sixth women, the Valkyries said they always maintained the belief that they would outperform expectations and what previous expansion teams had done, but acknowledged even they were a bit surprised by just how quickly the group built its chemistry. This was even more the case after Thornton — at the time a candidate for Most Improved Player — was lost for the season to a knee injury in July. The award instead went to teammate Burton. Golden State had the opportunity to finish as high as sixth in the regular season but finished eighth because of some late-season losses and tiebreakers. Still, even making the postseason in its first year is an incredible feat.
State of the roster: Only Kate Martin and Carla Leite aren’t free agents for the Valkyries. Both were important rotation players for WNBA Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase, with Leite also starting six games. But neither are going to be the nucleus for this team. Golden State owner Joe Lacob wants to keep as many players from of this roster together as he can, but it will be a tall task.
Top front office priority: Bringing back as many players as possible, especially Thornton and Burton. If the Valkyries want to continue to build off this impressive season, they need to retain these two guards who are the leaders of this team on and off the court.
Biggest offseason question: The Valkyries thought they were a desirable landing spot before they had even played one game. Now, after this historic season, they believe even more they can attract big names. Can the front office land a star in free agency? Part of the Valkyries’ feel-good story was how successful they were with a roster full of former rotation players. To continue to build, they should target a game-changing player. — Andrews
Eliminated in the regular season
Los Angeles Sparks
2025 record: 21-23 (9th)
Free agents: Julie Allemand (restricted), Emma Cannon (unrestricted), Dearica Hamby (unrestricted), Alissa Pili (reserved), Kelsey Plum (unrestricted), Azura Stevens (unrestricted), Julie Vanloo (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own second-round pick, Seattle’s second-round picks, own third-round pick. Traded their first-round pick to Seattle
Season recap: Lynne Roberts left Utah and the college game to coach in the WNBA for the first time. Record wise, her Sparks improved a lot from last season’s 8-32 last-place finish, and despite beginning the summer with a 5-13 record, had played relatively solidly after the All-Star break. They remained in contention for the playoffs until the third-to-last night of the season. Still, a franchise that for many years was practically automatic about reaching the playoffs has now missed the postseason for the fifth year in a row.
State of the roster: Post players Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink and Sania Feagin, and guard Sarah Ashlee Barker will still be on their rookie contracts. Jackson has had the most success, averaging 14 points and 3.6 rebounds over two seasons. Brink returned from an ACL injury that cut short her 2024 rookie season, playing 19 games this year and averaging 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds. The Sparks hope both of their 2024 lottery picks are long-term pillars for the team.
Top front office priority: Bringing back Plum, the team’s leading scorer, and Hamby and Stevens, its top rebounders. After the Sparks were eliminated Sept. 9, Coach Roberts said she is hopeful that the franchise can keep its core together as she believes the Sparks can build a lot on the progress made this season. She also said her biggest disappointment was some of the close games the Sparks felt got away from them, but that experience should help next season.
Biggest offseason question: How much better can Brink be? Provided players such as Plum — who asked to be traded from Las Vegas last offseason — choose to remain in Los Angeles, maybe the biggest key for Roberts and general manager Raegan Pebley will be Brink’s ongoing recovery. Brink averaged 7.5 points in 2024 before she was injured, and it seemed as if she was really starting to build confidence around the time she got hurt. This year, she returned to action but didn’t seem very comfortable offensively. Brink still has a chance to be one of the league’s impact players, which would be a big boost for the Sparks. — Michael Voepel
Washington Mystics
2025 record: 16-28 (10th)
Free agents: Shakira Austin (restricted), Alysha Clark (unrestricted), Stefanie Dolson (unrestricted), Emily Engstler (reserved), Jade Melbourne, Madison Scott (reserved), Sug Sutton (restricted)
2026 draft capital: Own picks in all three rounds — Seattle’s first-round pick, New York’s first-round pick (via swap with Connecticut), Minnesota’s second-round pick
Season recap: The Mystics really had two different seasons. Through Aug. 5 with a 13-15 record, they were battling for a playoff spot behind three All-Stars: rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen and first-time veteran Brittney Sykes. After trading Sykes to Seattle to get the Storm’s first-round pick for 2026, Washington then struggled down the stretch. The Mystics finished the season on a 10-game losing streak, which could allow them to move up in the draft lottery order, pending the Sparks’ season finale. The late slide can’t take away the excitement about Citron and Iriafen, both locks for the All-Rookie first team.
State of the roster: After holding two of this year’s top four draft picks, Washington will again add young talent in the spring. Seattle’s late slide will give the Mystics three draft picks in the top 11 to join Citron and Iriafen. The other long-term building block for Washington is center Austin, who finally enjoyed a healthy season and averaged a career-high 12.7 PPG. A restricted free agent this offseason, the former No. 3 pick is still just 25 years old. With so many rookie contracts on the books, the Mystics have the option of being aggressive in free agency.
Top front office priority: Scouting the 2026 draft. Citron and Iriafen both ranked among our top 10 players under 25 last month, but Washington could still use another high-end prospect. Whether the Mystics move up in position to draft that player in the spring may go a long way toward determining their offseason strategy. If Washington comes out of the lottery with the No. 4 or No. 5 pick, the front office may aim to take another swing in 2027 when USC star JuJu Watkins could be available.
Biggest offseason question: How much can the Mystics expect from Georgia Amoore? The team’s third 2025 first-round pick, No. 6 overall, Moore suffered a season-ending ACL tear during training camp. Washington’s limited ballhandling options after the Sykes trade helped cause the late losing streak. If Amoore is a long-term starter at point guard, the Mystics can focus their resources on adding alongside Citron on the wing. Given the timing of Amoore’s injury, however, she may not play in a competitive game before the 2026 preseason. — Kevin Pelton
Connecticut Sun
2025 record: 11-33 (11th)
Free agents: Lindsay Allen (unrestricted), Tina Charles (unrestricted), Bria Hartley (unrestricted), Marina Mabrey (unrestricted), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (restricted), Haley Peters (restricted), Mamignan Toure (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own two first-round picks (via Phoenix and via Minnesota), one second-round, one third-round
Season recap: It’s been a tough season for the Sun. They went 2-8 in their first 10 games and won 11 games overall — and yet, it was difficult to count them out late in the season. They played the Liberty close on Aug. 25, and beat the Mercury at home on Sept. 6. Through the losses, a young core emerged in Leila Lacan, Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers. The Sun traded for former UConn star Aaliyah Edwards prior to the deadline and also rostered rookie Rayah Marshall. This group of players was a much-needed bright spot, considering this year’s winning percentage (.256) was the lowest in franchise history.
State of the roster: The Sun have a clear core of young players and question marks everywhere else. They also have only the players on rookie deals under contract for next season: Lacan, Morrow, Rivers, Edwards and Marshall. Everyone else is a free agent of some sort. How those chips fall will dictate the next moves by the front office, but expect GM Morgan Tuck to take a run at keeping Nelson-Ododa, Charles and Mabrey.
Top front office priority: The Sun need to build around their young core through the draft, and look for value in free agency. Signing Charles ahead of the 2025 season is a good example of value paying off. And because Uncasville may not be an attractive destination for top-tier free agents, the Sun will have to be creative in wooing international prospects.
Biggest offseason question: What is the future of the franchise? The Sun are embroiled in conflict around a possible sale. It is not clear if it will happen, or to whom — or if the Sun will be in Connecticut, New England or somewhere else entirely. What is clear is that the Connecticut Sun will remain the Connecticut Sun and play in Uncasville for the 2026 season. Beyond next season, though, things are much more uncertain, which could further complicate signing talent in free agency. — Katie Barnes
Chicago Sky
2025 record: 10-34 (12th)
Free agents: Rebecca Allen (unrestricted), Ariel Atkins (unrestricted), Rachel Banham (unrestricted), Kia Nurse (unrestricted), Michaela Onyenwere (unrestricted), Sevgi Uzun (reserved) , Courtney Vandersloot (unrestricted), Elizabeth Williams (unrestricted)
2026 draft capital: Own picks in all three rounds — Phoenix’s first-round pick, their own second-round pick, New York’s second-round pick, own third-round pick. However, Minnesota (via trade) has Chicago’s original first-round pick, meaning the Lynx will have the lottery selection, not the Sky.
Season recap: Under new coach Tyler Marsh, the Sky lost by 35 points in their season opener at Indiana — and things didn’t improve from there. Chicago never won more than two games in a row, doing that just twice, and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row. Longtime Sky point guard Vandersloot returned to the team after two years in New York but was lost for the season on June 7 with a knee injury. In early September, Angel Reese’s published remarks about the franchise needing “great” players also caused a stir with her teammates. She later apologized to them and was suspended for half a game. But what she said struck a chord with many frustrated fans. Due to a league suspension for getting her eighth technical foul, the team suspension and back issues, Reese did not play in the Sky’s last four games.
State of the roster: Reese and Kamilla Cardoso (the team’s leading scorers and rebounders), fellow post player Maddy Westbeld and guard Hailey Van Lith all remain on rookie contracts. Vandersloot turns 37 before the start of next season but said she intends to return after rehabbing her knee. With free agency more imperative than ever this offseason, the Sky don’t appear well-positioned to draw top players. But bringing back a similar team in 2026 won’t work. As Reese told the Chicago Tribune, “I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year.”
Top front office priority: Fix the relationship with Reese. Or figure out how to part ways without alienating the fan base — which would be a tall order. Perhaps Reese might have waited until after the season to make her remarks so as not to offend her current teammates, but the substance of what she said has merit.
Biggest offseason question: Is general manager Jeff Pagliocca on the hot seat? He was hired as the team’s first standalone GM in October 2023 (until that point, the Sky combined the GM and head coach roles). Known as a skill development guru, he had worked with the franchise in that capacity for four seasons before stepping into the GM role. But does that translate to mastering team construction? The Sky’s plummet the past two years, after five consecutive playoff appearances, is concerning. Teresa Weatherspoon was fired as coach after a 13-27 finish in 2024; Marsh’s record was worse. Pagliocca also traded the Sky’s No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft to Washington for veteran guard Atkins. She’s a very good player, but will turn 30 next July. Chicago could have instead kept the pick and drafted guard Sonia Citron, 21, from nearby Notre Dame, who ended up becoming an All-Star for the Mystics this season and is under a rookie contract. — Voepel
Dallas Wings
2025 record: 10-34 (13th)
Free agents: Grace Berger (reserved), Luisa Geiselsoder (reserved), Tyasha Harris (unrestricted), Myisha Hines-Allen (unrestricted), Haley Jones (reserved), Arike Ogunbowale (unrestricted), Li Yueru (reserved)
2026 draft capital: Own first- and third-round picks. Traded second-round pick to Seattle
Season recap: Dallas fired coach Latricia Trammell after going 9-31 in 2024, replacing her with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes and general manager Curt Miller, a longtime WNBA coach/GM. Then the Wings started this season 1-11, won just twice after July 30 and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year. This year’s No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers delivered on her potential and is expected to be named Rookie of the Year. But injuries and offseason moves that didn’t work (such as bringing in DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith, both of whom were then traded midseason) doomed the Wings to finishing in the WNBA’s cellar.
State of the roster: Bueckers will enter the second season of her rookie deal, along with fellow guards Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly. All three provided much of the team’s heart this season. Forward Maddy Siegrist and guard Diamond Miller will enter the option (fourth) year of their rookie deals from 2023. Siegrist missed the second half of June and all of July with a knee injury but has played well since returning in August. Miller, the 2023 No. 2 pick, was acquired from Minnesota in an August trade and still hopes to find consistent minutes.
Top front office priority: Build the team around Bueckers, a franchise-changing player who has adjusted quickly to the pro game.