WNBA Offseason 2024: Guides for every WNBA team

The 2024 WNBA regular season is over, and with the playoffs underway, it's also time to turn our attention to how teams should approach the offseason.

Many answers are still pending. The league has not yet announced a date for the draft lottery, which took place in December of last year. And in addition to the WNBA Draft in April, the league will hold an Expansion Draft as the Golden State Valkyries join the league ahead of the 2025 season. League sources say it will take place before the start of free agency in January, but the WNBA has not yet announced a date or rules for the Golden State Expansion Draft.

The Los Angeles Sparks, one of four teams that did not make the playoffs this season, have the best chances of getting the first pick in April's draft at 44.2%.

In the meantime, we're analyzing the potential moves of all the eliminated WNBA franchises, including a look at the state of each roster, team needs, and front office priorities.

Eliminated after the regular season

Washington Mystics

Record 2024: 14-26 (9.)

Players without contract: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (unrestricted), Emily Engstler (reserved), Sug Sutton (reserved), Julie Vanloo (reserved)

Capital Draft 2025: Two first-round picks, their own and Atlanta’s

Lotto winning chances: 10.4%

Review 2024: First came Natasha Cloud's decision to sign with Phoenix at the start of free agency. A week later, Elena Delle Donne, who had played just 23 games in 2023, announced she was sitting out the season. That meant two of Washington's top three scorers from 2023 were unable to play. Then, in the second game of that season, the Mystics' other leading scorer, Brittney Sykes, suffered a high ankle sprain and missed three weeks. It all added up to an 0-12 start, a hole Washington couldn't get out of. The Mystics won five of six games in late August/early September and became a playoff threat, but — by relying too heavily on Ariel Atkins and Sykes — they ultimately fell short of expectations. They had just two wins all season against teams with winning records.

Status of the installation: Delle Donne's status is uncertain, but the core players for 2024, Atkins, Sykes, Stefanie Dolson, Shakira Austin, Karlie Samuelson (who had her best season as a pro) and Aaliyah Edwards, are under contract. Keeping those players on the court is the problem. Austin has played just 31 games over the past two seasons. Washington may need to bring back Emily Engstler just to protect the frontcourt. Sykes missed 23 games. That gave some minutes to Julie Vanloo, who could now be a valuable backup. Edwards suffered from inconsistency in her rookie year. Her expected improvement would fill some gaps.

Top priority: Add another scorer or a true point guard. Sykes and Atkins can't be asked to carry the offense again.

Biggest question out of season: How can the Mystics best utilize their current talent? Overall, the coaching staff has done a great job of getting the team out of the 0-12 hole and almost making the playoffs. But Washington has weaknesses. The Mystics grabbed the fewest rebounds in the league and had the most turnovers. That really limits scoring opportunities. The two first-round draft picks could help add more depth that coach Eric Thibault can turn into a balanced attack. A better version of Edwards and a healthy Austin could solve the rebounding dilemma and lack of scoring opportunities on the inside. That was another area where Washington struggled. — Charlie Cream

Record 2024: 13-27 (10.)

Players without contract: Isabelle Harrison (unrestricted), Brianna Turner (unrestricted), Diamond DeShields (unrestricted), Chennedy Carter (restricted), Michaela Onyenwere (restricted), Dana Evans (restricted). Elizabeth Williams has signed a contract extension through 2025.

Capital Draft 2025: Holds Connecticut's first-round pick from the Marina Mabrey trade earlier this season. Dallas could swap first-round picks with the Sky as part of the trade to get Mabrey before the 2023 season. (Chicago traded away its second-round and third-round picks.)

Lotto winning chances: 17.8% (That's the technical number for Chicago to get the first pick, but since Dallas owns the rights to trade picks, the Sky have virtually no chance of picking first.)

Review 2024: Despite being competitive most nights, the Sky couldn't overcome their limited three-point percentage (last in the WNBA in three-pointers made per game and percentage of points from three-pointers), the Mabrey transfer, Carter's late-season illness and Angel Reese's season-ending wrist injury that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The 2024 season will be remembered for Reese's historic rookie season, in which she set league records for double-doubles and rebounds (a record later broken by A'ja Wilson), and for Teresa Weatherspoon potentially finding a core to build on with Reese, Carter and Kamilla Cardoso.

Status of the installation: It's almost certain the Sky would beat any offer for Carter, but with six other free agents, Chicago could look very different in 2025. Production and consistency have been poor after Reese, Carter, Cardoso and the now-departed Mabrey. Rachel Banham and Lindsay Allen could return as they fill needs and have reasonable contracts – Banham as a 3-point shooter and Allen as a point guard – but it would be beneficial for the Sky to have them come off the bench. Onyenwere gave Chicago new momentum after the Olympic break and is a restricted free agent who will likely return. The rest of the team's free agents either couldn't stay healthy or fell out of the regular rotation.

Top priority: In addition, there are several long-range shooting players and a point guard who poses a goal threat.

Biggest question out of season: How much will the franchise regret the pick swap with Dallas? The Sky would have had the third-best chance to secure the first pick, but imagine if they had. Paige Bueckers would have filled the franchise's two most important needs with one player. This was a rebuilding season, and while it's disappointing to not make the playoffs, Chicago accomplished its goal of rebuilding the franchise with a young core. What happens next with the roster rebuild will be critical. — Charlie Cream

Record 2024: 9-31 (11.)

Players without contract: Satou Sabally (unrestricted), Natasha Howard (unrestricted), Jaelyn Brown (reserved), Sevgi Uzun (reserved)

Capital Draft 2025: Standard picks plus the opportunity to swap places in the first round with Chicago

Lotto winning chances: 45.4% (combined odds for Dallas and Chicago, as the Wings have the right to swap tips with Sky)

Review 2024: The shoulder injury that cost Sabally the first 25 games derailed what should have been another landmark season for a franchise that was coming off its first playoff win since moving to Dallas in 2016. The Wings still won just three games after Sabally returned, largely because they had the league's worst defense. Teaira McCowan showed signs of improvement in the post, and former first-round pick Maddy Siegrist seemed to be one of the WNBA's most improved players in her first month – but wasn't the same after eight weeks out with a broken finger. Arike Ogunbowale (second in the league with 22.2 PPG) remains one of the game's most electrifying offensive players.

Status of the installation: Expect the Wings to use Sabally as a starter and bring her back after she hopefully puts up a full season of 17.4 points per game following the Olympic break. She and Ogunbowale form one of the league's highest-scoring duos, but just a year removed from that playoff appearance, this roster either needs to get fully healthy or be rebuilt. As for Howard, a decision must be made. Her leadership and points would be missed, but letting her go as a free agent would provide some offseason flexibility. Dallas has signed four first-round picks in the last two years, and three of the four – Jacy Sheldon, Lou Lopez Senechal and Stephanie Soares – have combined for 260 points in two seasons.

Top priority: The Wings need to get much better defensively and more physical. The draft probably won't provide that, so Dallas should be active in free agency. Oh, and a true point guard would be nice, too.

Biggest question out of season: Was this season just the result of injuries or do personnel changes need to be made? The Wings seemed destined for bigger things, but they played without Sabally, Siegrist and Howard for a stretch of the first half of the season. They were unable to recover and 2024 became a free fall. Management and the coaching staff will have to decide if just being healthy is enough or if some big changes are needed. — Charlie Cream

Record 2024: 8-32 (12.)

Players without contract: Kia Nurse (unrestricted), Aari McDonald (restricted), Li Yueru (reserved)

Capital Draft 2025: Standard picks plus additional third-round pick from the Chicago Lottery – odds: 44.2%

Review 2024: The Sparks were the league's worst team and battled a litany of injuries for the second year in a row, most notably the loss of Cameron Brink, April's No. 2 draft pick, who tore his ACL 15 games into her rookie season. Despite being the worst season in franchise history and failing to reach a playoff berth for the fourth straight season, Los Angeles will enter 2025 with a clear focus on building up its two young stars, Brink and Rickea Jackson. Dearica Hamby also had a memorable summer, putting together a career year in her second season after giving birth to her second child.

Status of the installation: There isn't much buzz about who will be on the Sparks in 2025. The front office did its job early by signing Hamby, Azura Stevens, Stephanie Talbot and Lexie Brown to contract extensions earlier this year (the first three through 2025, Brown through 2026). Players like Layshia Clarendon, Rae Burrell, Julie Allemand and Zia Cooke are also under contract but are on unprotected contracts. Crystal Dangerfield and Odyssey Sims (who are both on hardship contracts) – in addition to Nurse, McDonald and Li – will enter the offseason as unrestricted free agents.

Top priority: Acquisition of a lead guard and development of consistent offensive power of the guards

Biggest question out of season: Will the ping pong balls fall in Los Angeles' favor? If so, there is a silver bullet for the aforementioned backcourt problems named Paige Bueckers waiting for the Sparks in the draft. A young core of Bueckers, Brink and Jackson would give fans plenty of reason to be optimistic that the Sparks can re-emerge as contenders in the years to come. — Alexa Philippou