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2026 WNBA offseason grades: Liberty, Dream, Storm ace their moves, expansion teams take divergent paths

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CitrixNews Staff
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2026 WNBA offseason grades: Liberty, Dream, Storm ace their moves, expansion teams take divergent paths
2026 WNBA offseason grades: Liberty, Dream, Storm ace their moves, expansion teams take divergent paths By Apr 27, 2026 at 10:25 am ET • 23 min read dream-getty.png Getty Images

The whirlwind WNBA offseason is moving right along. Training camps opened earlier this month, teams have started making cuts and preseason games got underway over the weekend. In less than two weeks, rosters will be finalized and it will be time for opening night of the 2026 season, which is set for May 8. 

Now that the 2026 WNBA Draft is in the rearview and free agency is largely complete, this is a perfect time to take stock of each team's moves over the last few weeks and see how they've set themselves up for the new campaign. 

Let's review all 15 teams' key additions, re-signings and departures and hand out some offseason grades. 

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Atlanta Dream: A-

Dream general manager Dan Padover was named WNBA Executive of the Year for a record-setting third time in 2025, and he has a chance to go back-to-back for a fourth trophy after his impressive showing this spring. The Dream won a franchise-record 30 games last season, but were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Fever. They knew they needed to get better this offseason, and Padover made it happen without losing a single piece of their core. 

The trade to acquire Angel Reese, which only cost the Dream their 2027 and 2028 first-round picks -- selections that are likely to be in the teens -- was arguably the best single move of the entire offseason. And amid the busiest and most expensive free agency period ever, they were able to re-sign their entire starting lineup from last season, which a number of contenders failed to do. What's more, they signed All-Stars Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones, and 2026 Sixth Woman of the Year Naz Hillmon, to three-year deals, which means this core is locked in for years to come. Additionally, Madina Okot was a perfect high-upside swing late in the first round, and former first-round pick Isobel Borlase, who was named the 2026 WNBL MVP in her native Australia, has agreed to come over to the WNBA this season. 

The one thing you could ding Padover on this spring is that the Dream are still short on shooting, especially for a team that was second in attempts per game last season. Gray and Te-Hina Paopao are the only returners who shot 35% or better last season, and neither Reese nor Borlase, their two biggest additions, are big outside threats. Their lack of shooting was an issue in the playoffs last season and could come back to bite them again. Finally, Jones underwent knee surgery and does not have a return timeline, which will affect their frontcourt depth early in the season. 

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Chicago Sky: C+

Last season was a disaster for the Sky. They finished tied for the worst record in the league, their 34 defeats tied the single-season losses record and their 10 wins were the second fewest in a season in franchise history. To make matters worse, they alienated their best player, Angel Reese, and had to give up their first-round pick (No. 2 overall) to the Minnesota Lynx to complete the trade that brought them Reese in the first place. A campaign like that demands changes, and general manager Jeff Pagliocca completely revamped the roster during a controversial offseason. 

On the free agency front, the Sky were wildly successful. Skylar Diggins is still a high-level point guard and the type of competitor and leader who can single-handedly change a culture. Azurá Stevens is one of the league's best shooting bigs and DiJonai Carrington is an elite perimeter defender. However, the Sky's trades were hit-and-miss. Getting Rickea Jackson for Ariel Atkins was a win, but the return for Reese (two first-round picks) was poor and giving up a 2028 first for Jacy Sheldon was bizarre. Furthermore, they reached for Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5 overall (they didn't have their own pick, but they did have the Sun's). 

Overall, the Sky have a better roster than last season, and they have a real chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2023. But they lost their best player, the postseason is not a lock and they no longer control their first-round pick in either of the next two drafts. Once again, the Sky have mortgaged a big chunk of their future for short-term gains. If any franchise should know the danger of that play, it's Chicago. 

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Connecticut Sun: B

The Sun's .250 winning percentage last season was the worst in franchise history, their 11 wins were their second fewest in a season and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. All of that was to be expected, however, after they were forced to hit the reset button and began what looks like a long-term rebuild -- a project they'll continue in Houston. 

On the court, the Sun's offseason was solid, if not super exciting. Brittney Griner and Kennedy Burke will provide veteran leadership and replace some of the on-court production they lost with Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles' departures. They also re-signed Olivia Nelson-Ododa and took a swing on former No. 2 overall pick Diamond Miller. And despite not having a pick before No. 12, they crushed the draft. Nell Angloma, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker were all excellent value picks. 

It would have been almost impossible for any of their personnel moves to overshadow their big off-court news. In March, the Mohegan Tribe announced that it had agreed to sell the franchise to Tillman Fertitta for a record $300 million. As part of the agreement, the team will move to Houston in 2027 and reclaim the Comets name (at least that's the plan). There is still plenty of rightful consternation in Connecticut and New England over the sale process and relocation, but the franchise had fallen behind the times, both on and off the court. There's no question that the team and players will benefit from the move in the long run. 

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Dallas Wings: B+

The Wings were a mess last season. Chris Koclanes was not cut out for a head coaching job, Arike Ogunbowale had the worst campaign of her career and they were beset by injuries. Paige Bueckers' arrival brought plenty of excitement, but the 2025 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year could only do so much. The only silver linings from last season were that the Wings were so bad they wound up with the top pick again, and general manager Curt Miller was spurred into revamping the roster. 

Miller's first order of business was to hire a new coach, and he went off the beaten path to bring in long-time South Florida coach Jose Fernandez, who was endorsed by UConn legend Geno Auriemma. It was ultimately no surprise, then, that the Wings selected Azzi Fudd, another Huskies guard and Bueckers' girlfriend, with the No. 1 pick -- especially after they signed 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in free agency, and convinced former No. 2 pick Awak Kuier to return to the WNBA. One of the biggest questions of the entire offseason, not just for the Wings, was whether they'd bring back Ogunbowale after a tough 2025, and they did end up inking her to a two-year max. 

The Wings are far more talented than last season and it would be hard for Fernandez not to be an upgrade in the coaching department. But while the offseason was a clear success, drafting Fudd and signing veteran bigs was the safe route. They'll be more competitive in 2026 and could even make the playoffs for the first time since 2023, but it's hard not to think about the potential of a Bueckers-Awa Fam pairing. The 19-year-old Spanish center, who ended up going No. 3, is not as polished as Fudd, but has a higher upside. 

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Golden State Valkyries: C+

The Valkyries faced plenty of criticism for their expansion draft strategy, then wound up with one of the best defenses in the league and became the first expansion team ever to make the playoffs in their inaugural season. So perhaps the front office has earned the benefit of the doubt, but there are still a lot of questions about how the team will build on last season's success after a largely uneventful and somewhat confusing offseason. 

Gabby Williams is a very good player. She's one of the best defenders in the league and her versatility should make the Valkyries even better on that side of the ball. But it was interesting that the Valkyries' only significant addition was someone who will accentuate their strengths rather than address their weaknesses. Golden State was one of the worst offensive teams in the league in 2025, and it's hard to see how that improves this season. Even with Williams and the arrival of 2025 No. 5 pick Juste Jocyte, they still lack a go-to scorer and are short on shooting, which is a real issue for a team that set the single-season 3-point attempts record last season. 

The Valkyries' need for an offensive spark made their decision to trade the No. 8 pick (Flau'jae Johnson) to the Storm for No. 16 (Marta Suarez) and a future second-round pick even more inexplicable. Ohemaa Nyanin's initial refusal to explain the deal was baffling, and though she later said they agreed to the trade before any specific players were selected, punting on a top-10 pick for two second-round selections is horrible value. 

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Indiana Fever: B

The Fever had a bizarre 2025. Key free-agent addition DeWanna Bonner quit on the team after nine games, they lost six players to season-ending injuries, including Caitlin Clark, and still pushed the eventual champions to overtime in the deciding Game 5 of their semifinal series. Amid all the chaos, the Fever learned that their core is good enough to compete for a title, so it was no surprise that general manager Amber Cox prioritized keeping it together. 

As expected, the Fever cored Kelsey Mitchell to gain exclusive negotiating rights, and she signed a one-year supermax. They also re-signed Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham, and gave Aliyah Boston an EPIC extension that will keep her in Indianapolis through 2029. With that group in place, there wasn't much else for the Fever to do but work on the margins. Monique Billings, Tyasha Harris and Myisha Hines-Allen aren't the most exciting free-agent additions ever, but Billings and Harris in particular are very solid role players who will boost their depth. Billings is a strong pick-and-roll big who had good chemistry with Clark on Team USA this spring, while Harris is a stout perimeter defender who can really shoot the ball. Raven Johnson, the No. 10 overall pick, will also be a big boost to their perimeter defense. 

It's fair to wonder if the Fever should have tried to add another shooter, particularly a pick-and-pop big -- second-round pick Justine Pissott may eventually fill this role -- but they likely hope a bounce-back season from Clark will boost their 3-point rate. The Fever didn't have a flashy offseason, but they kept everyone they needed to and did good work to fill out the back-end of their roster. 

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Las Vegas Aces: B

We'll likely never see a season like the Aces' 2025 campaign again. They were below .500 well into the second half of the season, then won their last 16 games to surge into the playoffs, where they were nearly eliminated in both the first round and semifinals before sweeping the Mercury in the Finals to win their third title in four years. Their up-and-down form gave president and general manager Nikki Fargas some tough decisions to make in the offseason. Yes, the Aces won it all, but they didn't look like a championship-quality team for most of the summer. 

In the end, Las Vegas decided to largely run it back. Megan Gustafson is the only player who averaged double-digit minutes in the playoffs and didn't return. It's hard to argue with that course of action, though some of the contracts were eye-opening. Most notably, Jackie Young only signed a one-year deal, while A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd all inked three-year deals. Is Young gone after this season? And did they need to give Loyd three years after how much she struggled for much of 2025? Those are bigger questions for the future, though, not the 2026 season. 

Additionally, the Aces made some exciting swings on the margins in both free agency (Chennedy Carter) and the draft (Janiah Barker) that could address some of the concerns about their depth. Carter, in particular, has a chance to be one of the best moves of the entire offseason. She's gone unsigned in two of the last three seasons due to concerns about her conduct, but she is an incredibly talented offensive player who could help the Aces solve one of their biggest issues from 2025: a lack of rim pressure. 

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Los Angeles Sparks: B-

The Sparks' furious second-half push last season ultimately fell short and they missed the playoffs by two games, which extended their postseason drought to five seasons. That's the longest drought in franchise history and the longest active one in the league. General manager Raegan Pebley's moves during the offseason made it clear that the organization is desperate to get back to the postseason, even at the cost of another former lottery selection. 

Former No. 1 overall pick, MVP and champion Nneka Ogwumike's return in free agency was the Sparks' best move of the spring. Though now in her late 30s, she's still an All-WNBA performer and will help create a winning culture. Re-signings Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby, as well as trade acquisition Ariel Atkins, will all fit right into that mold and give the Sparks one of the most experienced and reliable cores in the league. But what about everyone else? Will Erica Wheeler be able to fill Julie Allemand's shoes? Can Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell stay healthy? Is rookie Ta'Niya Latson going to contribute right away? Do they have enough depth? 

The Sparks got better and are going to be a playoff team, but they don't profile as a contender -- at least not an inner-circle one -- and neither Plum nor Ogwumike is signed beyond this season. Considering the age of their new core, there's a real chance they're stuck in the middle in a few years, wishing they had built organically through the draft and still had Rickea Jackson and Dominique Malonga next to Cameron Brink. 

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Minnesota Lynx: C-

When Napheesa Collier crumpled to the floor late in Game 3 of the Lynx's second-round series against the Mercury last season with what turned out to be a significant ankle injury, it turned out to be the end of an era in Minnesota. After two seasons as one of the best teams in the league and two devastating playoff exits, the Lynx will look completely different heading into 2026. Once again, Cheryl Reeve will have to prove why she's the only remaining dual head coach and general manager in the league. 

Between the expansion draft and free agency, the Lynx lost six rotation players, including co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith, starting forward Bridget Carleton and Sixth Woman of the Year runner-up Natisha Hiedeman. No team lost as many key players in the offseason as the Lynx. To make matters worse, Collier only re-signed for one year, ended up needing surgery on both ankles and won't even resume on-court activities until June. It's impossible to recover from that type of talent drain, and the Lynx are going to be much worse than last season, especially until Collier returns. 

Even though the Lynx were one of the clear losers from the offseason, there was some positive news in Minneapolis. Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride are back, and they drafted Olivia Miles with the second pick, which they got from the Sky. Dorka Juhasz has returned from Europe, free-agent signing Natasha Howard is still a reliable player and they've taken a swing on numerous international players. There's enough here for the Lynx to remain in the mix and be in position to regroup for 2027 if this season ends up being a wash. 

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New York Liberty: A

The Liberty were hardly ever healthy last season, but general manager Jonathan Kolb had no interest in using injuries as an excuse. Days after their title defense ended with a first-round exit to the Mercury, Kolb started making changes. Title-winning coach Sandy Brondello was fired and Kolb made it clear in his end-of-season press conference that while he expected the Big Three -- Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones -- to return, the rest of the roster would not look the same in 2026. 

True to his word, Kolb re-signed Stewart, Ionescu and Jones. Notably, all three players took the regular max instead of the supermax, which created room for All-Star forward Satou Sabally, who took a discount to come to the Big Apple. There may be some questions about how the Stewart-Sabally-Jones frontcourt will work, but that's a good problem for new coach Chris DeMarco to solve. The Liberty have the most talented quartet in the league by some distance, and all of them are under contract for at least the next two years. Plus, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Han Xu are back, and they finally convinced Spanish forward Raquel Carrera to come over to the WNBA.

Again, it's fair to wonder about the frontcourt fit, as well as Stewart and Sabally's health. Depth could also be a concern, particularly in the backcourt. Natasha Cloud is gone and Marine Johannès remains unsigned, which leaves Ionescu as the only point guard with any WNBA experience. But the Liberty's top-level talent is better than anyone else's. They are clearly the biggest winners of the offseason and have established themselves as the team to beat this season.   

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Phoenix Mercury: D

The Mercury's forward-thinking front office, led by general manager Nick U'Ren, built a Finals team on the fly last season with a daring trade to acquire Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally and a number of sharp signings on the margins. So it was a major surprise that the Mercury largely sat on their hands this offseason as their leading scorer walked in free agency and their rivals wheeled and dealed.

In the Mercury's defense, it was hard to envision Sabally leaving and taking a discount to join the Liberty, a team they had just knocked out of the playoffs. Still, that doesn't explain why they didn't seem to have a backup plan. Valériane Ayayi has been very good overseas and is another intriguing international signing, but with all due respect, it's not a good sign if she's your only notable addition. Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper are back, and those two alone will ensure that the Mercury remain competitive, but to what end?

As good as the Mercury were last season, it's easy to make a case that their playoff success was a fluke, considering the number of double-digit comebacks they made and their opponents' injury issues. Now, they're essentially running back that same team minus Sabally and two other deep rotation players in Kitija Laksa and Lexi Held, who were selected in the expansion draft. They also relied heavily on DeWanna Bonner and Sami Whitcomb in the playoffs last season, and they are both in their late 30s. What happens if they both fall off? About the only positive from the Mercury's offseason is that they found good value in the undrafted free agent market; Maggie Doogan, Yarden Garzon, Kara Dunn and Shay Ciezki were all worth bringing into camp. 

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Portland Fire: B+

  • Key additions: Bridget Carleton, Megan Gustafson, Carla Leite, Haley Jones, Luisa Geiselsöder, Emily Engstler, Maya Caldwell, Nyadiew Puoch, Iyana Martin
  • Key re-signings: N/A
  • Key departures: N/A

Unlike the Valkyries or Tempo, the other recent expansion teams to join the league, the Fire had no interest in trying to be a playoff team this season. General manager Vanja Černivec and coach Alex Sarama, who previously worked together overseas, are taking full advantage of the unique opportunity to build a team from scratch, and this is going to be a multi-year project.

Bridget Carleton, Megan Gustafson and Karlie Samuelson are the only ones on the roster with more than four years of experience in the WNBA, and Samuelson is one of two 30-year-old players. The Fire grabbed as many prospects and "second-draft" players -- that is, former high picks who haven't panned out yet -- as they could in the expansion draft, and even went the draft-and-stash route with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 Draft. Spanish point guard Iyana Martín will stay in Europe this summer and won't come to the WNBA until 2027. 

Not only do the Fire have a ton of intriguing young talent, including French point guard Carla Leite, Australian forward Nyadiew Puoch, German center Luisa Geiselsöder and former lottery pick Emily Engstler, but they're well positioned for top picks in the 2027 and 2028 Drafts, which will include JuJu Watkins and Sarah Strong. 

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Seattle Storm: A

The Storm were seconds away from eliminating the eventual champion Aces in the first round of the playoffs, and who knows what would have happened in Seattle if Jackie Young's putback late in Game 3 didn't go in. As it was, that defeat proved to be the end of a short-lived, controversial and unsuccessful era. Coach Noelle Quinn, who had previously been investigated for harassment and bullying, was let go, and four starters left in free agency, including All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams.

While a lot of talent walked out the door, that group had consistently failed to live up to expectations in Seattle. It's not a big deal to part ways with an aging core that went 48-36 over the last two seasons and never made it out of the first round. In fact, Ogwumike and Co.'s decision to leave was a blessing for the Storm, because it allowed them to fully embrace a rebuild under new coach Sonia Raman. Already, Seattle's future looks much brighter than it did at the end of last season. 

The Storm re-signed Ezi Magbegor, signed a few vets to provide leadership and were by far the biggest winners of the draft. Spanish center Awa Fam fell to them at No. 3, which was a borderline miracle, and they fleeced the Valkyries for Flau'jae Johnson. Getting Fam and Johnson, who only cost them two second-round picks, was such a win that it didn't even matter that they reached for Taina Mair at No. 14. All of a sudden, the Storm have a young core of Magbegor, Fam, Dominique Malonga, Johnson, Jordan Horston, Jade Melbourne and Mair. Teams can rebuild for years and never have a single player as talented and exciting as Fam or Malonga; the Storm have both.

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Toronto Tempo: C-

  • Key additions: Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, Nyara Sabally, Temi Fágbénlé, Julie Allemand, Isabelle Harrison, Kiki Rice
  • Key re-signings: N/A
  • Key departures: N/A

The Tempo followed in the Valkyries' footsteps during their expansion draft and will hope to continue that trend by making the 2026 playoffs. Perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise that general manager Monica Wright Rogers took the win-now path after hiring Sandy Brondello as coach. Brondello has won titles with two different franchises (Mercury and Liberty) and has never missed the postseason in 13 seasons as a head coach across three franchises (Silver Stars, Mercury and Liberty). 

Marina Mabrey was their big get in the expansion draft, and they gave her and free-agent signing Brittney Sykes max deals. They're both good players and together, along with Julie Allemand and No. 6 overall pick Kiki Rice, will form an entertaining and complementary backcourt. Their frontcourt moves didn't pan out as well. Maria Kliundikova is not coming over to the WNBA this season and the Mystics matched the offer sheet they gave Shakira Austin. Free-agent signing Temi Fágbénlé is really solid, but if she's your best big, that's a problem. They'll really have to hope Nyara Sabally has more to offer than she's been able to show in New York.

The Tempo's desire to be competitive right away is commendable, but sneaking into the postseason and taking themselves out of the vaunted 2027 lottery would actually be a disaster for their long-term future. Even being one of the best non-playoff teams and winding up with a back-end lottery selection would be a blow. There won't be as many top-level free agents in the coming offseasons and Toronto teams in other major North American leagues have often had trouble attracting players. The Tempo's best chance to acquire a superstar is in the draft, but their offseason path has made it less likely that they'll be in a position to get JuJu Watkins or Sarah Strong in the next few years. 

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Washington Mystics: B-

Rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were incredible last season, and while Washington wasn't complaining about how well both of them adapted to the professional game, their immediate impact made the team a bit too competitive. The Mystics were right in the mix for a playoff spot until they traded Brittney Sykes and lost their last 10 games of the season. That move ensured they fell into the lottery, but they wound up with the No. 4 pick instead of one of the top selections. 

Thanks to a few previous trades, the Mystics also had the Nos. 9 and 11 picks in this year's draft, giving them three first-round selections in back-to-back years. This time around, they added Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalić and Cotie McMahon. While Betts isn't a perfect fit with Iriafen and Shakira Austin already in place (they matched the three-year max offer sheet Austin signed with the Tempo to prevent her from leaving), she was clearly the best player available and they had to take her. It's less clear why they selected both Dugalić and McMahon when they desperately needed shooting and Gianna Kneepkens was still on the board. Now, they have a frontcourt logjam and are still way short on shooting. Even their late-round picks were all non-shooters. 

Perhaps it's not surprising that the Mystics had a confusing draft just days after firing general manager Jamila Wideman in a bizarre move due to "serious strategic differences." The Mystics' moves -- including swindling the Sky out of their 2028 first-round pick in exchange for Jacy Sheldon -- were almost entirely additive, but their offseason felt a bit underwhelming. They shouldn't still have so many roster questions after making three more first-round picks and four top-19 selections. 

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Originally reported by CBS Sports