WNBA free agency winners and losers: Liberty and Wings make big moves, Lynx and Mercury in flux

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WNBA free agency winners and losers: Liberty and Wings make big moves, Lynx and Mercury in flux originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The first weekend of WNBA free agency has seen plenty of player movement.

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On the eve of the 2026 WNBA Draft, some teams already plan to look toward the incoming rookie class for answers to their questions. But with the league's salary cap exploding to $7 million per team, there is more room to maneuver than ever as existing contenders fortify and others try to break through into the league's elite.

Here are some winners -- and some losers -- as the first weekend of WNBA free agency draws to a close.

WNBA free agency winners & losers 2026

Winner: Dallas Wings (and Azzi Fudd)

The Wings shocked the WNBA on Saturday by signing Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith to a three-year max contract. Smith joins former Minnesota Lynx teammate Jessica Shepard in Texas as part of a refurbished frontcourt; Dallas, one of the WNBA's worst defensive teams a year ago, should be much improved on that end in 2026.

Arike Ogunbowale re-signing for a figure below the max helped the Wings make these moves. There is optimism that Ogunbowale returns to form after a career-worst season in 2025, while Paige Bueckers should continue her ascent as one of the game's superstars.

So how does Fudd become a winner in all this? The Wings' moves indicate that Dallas is lining up the UConn sharpshooter as the top pick in Monday night's draft. Drafting a big with Smith and Shepard newly signed wouldn't make as much sense as pairing Bueckers with former UConn teammate Fudd, the best pure shooter in the draft.

Winner: Satou Sabally

Sabally has joined the New York Liberty after one season in Phoenix. She now forms a "Big Four" in the Big Apple alongside Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart as New York -- under new head coach Chris DeMarco -- aims to return to the WNBA Finals.

Sabally's injury record and penchant for inconsistency could prove challenging for the Liberty to absorb over a full season. But when Sabally is at her best, few players in The W provide everything that she can. After coming up just short with the Mercury in 2025, the three-time All-Star could achieve her goal of winning a ring in 2026.

Loser: Los Angeles Sparks

Rest in peace to the Sparks' rebuild, circa 2023 to 2026.

Los Angeles has abandoned its plan to build around youth like Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson to embrace the familiar trappings of chasing All-Stars to finish somewhere in the 6-8 seed range. How else can you explain Los Angeles' moves over the past year, like the trade for Kelsey Plum or the draft miss on Sarah Ashlee Barker?

To cap off this half-hearted rebuild, the Sparks are trading Jackson to the Chicago Sky for veteran Ariel Atkins after re-signing franchise icon Nneka Ogwumike. At this rate, Brink might want to start thinking about where she'll be playing in 2027.

Loser: Phoenix Mercury

Re-signing Alyssa Thomas is great. But the Mercury haven't done much else to fortify a team that surprisingly reached the WNBA Finals in 2025 -- and fears that Phoenix will take a step back in 2026 appear to be well-founded.

Satou Sabally, a key contributor to that Finals run, is in New York now. Key reserve Lexi Held was left unprotected in the expansion draft, where the Toronto Tempo selected. Phoenix hasn't re-signed All-Star guard Kahleah Copper, nor have the Mercury been tied to any major free agents.

The Mercury don't pick in Monday's rookie draft until the back half of the second round, so it isn't as if Phoenix can feasibly acquire one of the top prospects on the board either. 

It isn't clear what Phoenix's plan is, and it looks like the Mercury are being left behind after last year's impressive postseason run.

Winner: Las Vegas and contenders choosing continuity

The Aces have brought back their entire championship-winning core except A'ja Wilson, though Wilson has publicly said that she isn't leaving Las Vegas. The Atlanta Dream re-signed all of their core contributors this week after trading for Angel Reese. The Indiana Fever are bringing back Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell while adding frontcourt depth in Monique Billings.

These title contenders all chose stability. As the saying goes: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Loser: Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx's incredible roster depth has taken a sizable hit this month.

Minnesota ceded Bridget Carleton and Maria Kliundikova in the expansion draft, while Shepard, Smith and Natisha Hiedeman all moved on as free agents. At least All-Star guard Courtney Williams is re-upping on a max contract.

It sounds like the Lynx are preparing to play at least the first couple months of 2026 without MVP candidate Napheesa Collier. Having the second overall pick in Monday's draft suddenly looks crucial for the Lynx's future as head coach Cheryl Reeve tries to revamp the roster.

Will Minnesota take a "gap year" before returning to contention in 2027? Only time will tell.

Winner: Bridget Carleton

Carleton signed a three-year max contract with the Fire after Portland took her at the top of the expansion draft. Carleton is a good player who carved out a starting role in Minnesota over the past two seasons. She can shoot, she can make plays and she can defend multiple positions.

But perhaps most importantly, Carleton goes from being the Lynx's lowest-paid starter to earning one of the league's best contracts as the Fire's first marquee player. It might make her the single biggest winner of the free agency.

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