Ranking The Most Impactful WNBA Offseason Changes So Far
It’s been a short but wild offseason that saw plenty of player movement, massive contracts, and an influx of new talent through the draft.
Some teams, like the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever, kept their cores from last season together and added depth pieces around them (since the Aces didn’t make many big changes, those moves and other re-signings don’t count here). Others, like the Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky, completely revamped their rosters.
Some changes promise to yield better results than others.
1. The New York Liberty signed Satou Sabally
2025 was not the season the Liberty had hoped for after winning a title in 2024. The team was still able to re-sign Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Leonie Fiebich is still on her rookie contract. Then, they went out and added Satou Sabally to that championship core. A starting lineup of Ionescu, Fiebich, Sabally, Stewart, and Jones would be absolutely massive and stacked with All-Star-level players.
If the four stars click on both ends of the floor and rookie head coach Chris DeMarco is ready for the big stage, adding Sabally may allow the Liberty to bring another championship trophy to New York.
2. The Atlanta Dream’s trade for Angel Reese
The Dream emerged as a potential contender last season, but the short-handed Fever got the better of them in the playoffs. All core players—Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Bri Jones, Naz Hillmon, and Jordin Canada—re-signed with the Dream, and the organization traded two future first-round picks for Angel Reese. Adding Reese to a core that already looked like one of the best in the league last season, should be enough to finally get Atlanta past the first round.
3. Putting veterans around Paige Bueckers
The Wings had a busy, busy offseason. They re-signed Arike Ogunbowale and Awak Kuier, who spent a few seasons in Europe after joining the Wings as the second-overall pick in 2021. They also lured Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard away from the Minnesota Lynx and drafted Azzi Fudd.
That is a much more competitive team than the one they had last season, giving Paige Bueckers a chance to prove that she can be the best player on a playoff squad in the W.
4. The Seattle Storm’s pivot to focusing on the future
Noelle Quinn’s firing came with an exodus of veteran talent. Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes, Gabby Williams, and Erica Wheeler all left Seattle to sign elsewhere. Seattle is firmly focused on the future, adding Awa Fam and Flau’jae Johnson to the duo of Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston.
That pivot may not lead to much success in the 2026 season, but it should translate to another high draft pick in a stacked 2027 WNBA Draft and an insanely bright future. Malonga and Fam are only 20 and 19, respectively, and their ceilings are scarily high. Focusing on them instead of competing will be absolutely worth it. Both could be MVP candidates in just a few years.
5. Skylar Diggins signed with the Chicago Sky
Despite trading Angel Reese, the Sky still tried to build a competitive team. They traded for Rickea Jackson, signed Azurá Stevens and DiJonai Carrington, and, most importantly, added Skylar Diggins.
Diggins is an All-Star and a playoff veteran. Her talent will be the key to realizing this roster’s potential this season and beyond. For the last few seasons, the Sky have lacked a culture setter. Maybe Diggins can change things in Chicago and help build a winning culture that Kamilla Cardoso and Jackson will benefit from for years to come.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.