Winners and Losers from Wild 2022 WNBA Free Agency (So Far)

At a USA Basketball camp in Washington, D.C., New York Liberty guard-forward Betnijah Laney stated the obvious about what the past week has meant for the WNBA. "There's been a lot going on. There is no secret about that."

So what exactly has been going on? Since the final week of January, WNBA free agency has been in full swing. Since the madness began, there have been four trades, and as many as 21 players will have changed jerseys—including superstar Liz Cambage—when the league tips off in early May.

Also in D.C. was Breanna Stewart, who had declared in December that this free agency was going to be "the biggest" since 2020's new CBA. What were her takeaways? The West Coast is still the best coast: "As always, the West is looking really tough."

And Stewie is correct. Out West, superteams have emerged, but also the defending champion Chicago Sky may be even deeper than they were in 2021. Other teams such as New York and Connecticut addressed their needs rather than making multiple jaw-dropping moves. Stefanie Dolson gives the Liberty an experienced center, and Courtney Williams' return to the Sun gives Curt Miller some backcourt firepower, which the team desperately needed in the playoffs.

It's all about the quality of moves rather than the quantity. Which teams positioned themselves well for 2022, and which maybe did not?

B/R's winners and losers of free agency isn't necessarily an assessment of which teams are now the best but rather examines the beneficiaries and the disadvantaged of the most seismic moves. Teams that might have "won" free agency won't necessarily be the best teams in the league.

Winner: Natasha Cloud 

Why? The Mystics signed another dynamic point guard in Japan's Rui Machida to lead the second unit.

Also: Last season left a poor taste in Cloud's mouth. After missing the postseason in 2021, she admitted to NBC Sports Washington's Wes Hall that she takes that disappointment “personally as the point guard and leader” of the Mystics. Washington suffered several disruptions last season, from Elena Delle Donne only playing three games to constantly a shifting roster due to a myriad of injuries. 

Cloud and combo guard Leilani Mitchell were the only two players who could handle the ball and run the offense. Mitchell is due to have her second child in June, so the Mystics needed a guard who could run things, and that's what they got in Machida. 

The 28-year-old WNBA rookie has a similar skill set to Cloud's. She pushes the pace in transition, is a pass-first guard and can shoot from three when necessary. In the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Machida averaged 12.5 assists per game, including 18 in the semifinals against France. 

This is not the first time international play has served a role in scouting potential WNBA talent. When former Seattle Storm head coach Dan Hughes drafted Ezi Magbegor in 2019, he remembered the way she played in the 2018 World Cup. Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault clearly was impressed with what he saw in Machida last summer, and having a second natural point guard will take some of the load off Cloud.

Winner: The Los Angeles Sparks

Why? L.A. acquired 2020 No. 4 pick Chennedy Carter, is expected to sign Liz Cambage and signed defensive guard Jordin Canada.

Also: The Sparks had the worst offense in the WNBA last season with a rating of 92.3. There was always confusion as to what their identity was, as they didn't adhere their style to their personnel. Head coach and general manager Derek Fisher took multiple steps this offseason to correct that, and it began with talking to and eventually going after four-time All-Star Cambage. But to sign Cambage, which the Sparks haven't announced yet, Fisher had to not only clear salary-cap space but also trade some of L.A.'s protected deals.

The Sparks began free agency with six protected players, including the previously suspended Gabby Williams, which is the league limit. To clear enough space for Cambage, they completed two trades. The first was with the Seattle Storm, sending Williams for big wing and floor-spacer Katie Lou Samuelson plus the ninth pick in the 2022 draft. The second was to send veteran point guard Erica Wheeler to the Atlanta Dream for Chennedy Carter and the draft rights to Chinese prospect Li Yueru.

The Sparks yielded a dynamic, versatile guard in Carter who can play on or off the ball in addition to one of the best centers in the world. In 2022, there should be no question as to who their offense is centered around (no pun intended).

Like L.A.'s offense, the defense should improve with Canada, who is quite disciplined on that end and makes up for her size with her 5'10" wingspan. Canada can hang with taller players, guarding the likes of 6'4" DeWanna Bonner one-on-one successfully. 

However, Canada struggles to space the floor and shoot, something L.A. still lacks. The Sparks will have to hope the fact that she's back home in Los Angeles helps. 

Winners: Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles

Why? Going into what might be the final season for the trio, the WNBA legends have better teams around them.

Also: While 2022 isn't a historic anniversary year of the W, it will be quite memorable because it could be the final season for three of the best players to ever play the game. And in response to that possibility—though only Sylvia Fowles has called this season her last—the GMs of the Storm, Mercury and Lynx showed their commitment to their stars.

In Seattle, GM Talisa Rhea made sure the Big Three stayed together. Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd re-signed for what many have assumed will be Sue Bird's final year. Rhea also brought in first-team All-Defensive guard Briann January for her final season. January will give Seattle more defensive potential and leadership after the team dropped off in 2021—a natural result of not really attempting to replace what it had lost in Natasha Howard and Alysha Clark.

Jim Pitman threw a Hail Mary in Phoenix, and I'm not exaggerating. First, he brought back a piece who proved him wrong in 2021 in Sophie Cunningham. He declined her player option at the beginning of last season, and then she saved their postseason in September when she hit six threes in the Mercury's win over the Liberty. But then Pitman addressed his team's major need: athleticism on the wing. He made a three-way trade with the Sky and the Fever that brought Diamond DeShields to the desert.

And he didn't stop there: He brought on eight-time All-Star Tina Charles, who took a substantially smaller deal so she could be on a team packed with talent and star power. Both Charles and Diana Taurasi want to win now.

Lynx head coach and GM Cheryl Reeve signed Angel McCoughtry, whom she believes will take pressure off Fowles. McCoughtry, one of the most dynamic slashers in WNBA history, will provide the Lynx with more stability at the small forward and power forward positions while Napheesa Collier works her way back from pregnancy.

Winner: Breanna Stewart

Why? Stewart signed a one-year supermax deal, leaving her with options for 2023.

Also: On Jan. 21, #WNBATwitter erupted when Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Breanna Stewart had taken an in-person meeting with the Liberty, including governors Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, head coach Sandy Brondello and the rest of the front office in Los Angeles.

Did spending the holidays in New York City with her wife and child get Stewart thinking about leaving the team that drafted her? It's hard to say, but she wasn't cored like her teammate Jewell Loyd, so Stewart could take meetings and explore free agency without the Storm's permission.

Stewart decided on Seattle, the place where she declared "[her] heart" was before the Storm cored Loyd and before negotiations began in mid-January. She signed a one-year supermax worth $228,094.

If Sue Bird's last year wasn't on the horizon, would Stewart have re-signed with Seattle? We don't know, but what we do know is the only way the Storm can core Stewie is if they trade Loyd, who signed a two-year deal off the core designation. I doubt that will happen. And if it doesn't, Stewart will become a free agent yet again in 2023.

According to Haynes, all 12 WNBA teams had interest in Stewart. That's not a surprise. I ranked her as the No. 1 free agent in December. She's one of the most proven winners in the WNBA. Signing a one-year deal gave the two-time WNBA Finals MVP a chance post-Bird to determine where the rest of her storied career will take place.

Winner: The Defending Champion Chicago Sky

Why? Adding the two best players from the Belgium national team was no small feat.

Also: Regardless of how difficult it is to successfully run it back in the W (the last time it was done was 2002), the Sky are going to try.

With Candace Parker in the last year of her two-year deal with her hometown team, head coach and GM James Wade knew his team couldn't end up like the 2020 champion Storm, who lost Natasha Howard, Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb.

So while Wade lost not only Diamond Deshields and Stefanie Dolson to teams that needed them more, he also presumably lost assistant coach Olaf Lange. Where might he go? The idea is he'll join his wife, Sandy Brondello, in New York to help her develop the Liberty's young talent.

Losing Lange was a blessing in disguise for Wade because he proceeded to bring on former WNBA player Ann Wauters. As a former star of the Belgium national team, Wauters helped Wade land 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman and 2020 Rookie of the Year candidate Julie Allemand back to the W and away from their previous teams in the Mystics and Fever. While both players might have to join the team late because of the Russian and French seasons, respectively, the Sky are adding a third Finals MVP in addition to Parker and the reportedly re-signed Kahleah Copper as well as a really talented point guard who can start or back up Courtney Vandersloot if she returns.

Loser: Liz Cambage

Why? Cambage's contract hasn't been reported yet, and L.A. has limited cap space.

Also: On Feb. 1, the day contracts could be signed, Liz Cambage tweeted about an important issue that both she and the players in the league are facing: "ahhh yes the @WNBA, where a head coach can get paid 4X the highest paid players super max contract. lmao and y'all think imma spend another season upgrading my seat on a flight to get to games out of my own pocket."

While Cambage brought a very real issue into the spotlight, was her shade toward the league to express some other grievances? The Aces did not core her. And five days later, Ramona Shelburne reported that Cambage verbally committed to play with the Sparks.

In 2019 when Cambage was traded from the Dallas Wings, she told the Los Angeles Times that she was between the Sparks and the Aces before landing with Vegas. She's always wanted to play for the Sparks because of the team's location and relative proximity to her native Australia.

So why is Cambage at a disadvantage? Well, she's joining a team that wasn't a contender in 2021 and includes a bunch of players she's never played with before. It's going to take them time to build chemistry. Also, as of now, the Sparks have $145,296 in cap space. While L.A. can make more space for a larger contract for Cambage by waiving 2021 rookies Jasmine Walker and Arella Guirantes, she can't possibly get a supermax deal unless the Sparks engage in a sign-and-trade with another team.

Loser: The Las Vegas Aces

Why? Without Cambage or a replacement, Vegas loses bench depth.

Also: After complaining about her playing time in the playoffs and after the reported altercation she got into while training with the Australian Opals before the Tokyo Olympics, the Aces have moved on from Liz Cambage.

While that was probably a smart move for the Aces culturally, as they are beginning 2022 with a new head coach in Becky Hammon, they lost depth on their bench—which made them unstoppable in 2021 during the regular season. Hammon's potential starting five of re-signed franchise star A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Dearica Hamby leaves a slim bench in Riquna Williams and Kiah Stokes.

The Aces then have second-year point guard Destiny Slocum, Ji-Su Park and potentially 2021 first-round pick Iliana Rupert from France and their No. 11 pick in the 2022 draft.

Hammon is inheriting a talented group from former head coach Bill Laimbeer, but she won't get an experienced bench unless the Aces invest in an assistant coaching staff that preaches player development, something Laimbeer's teams weren't known for. Also, while the Aces are bringing back Stokes on an unprotected deal, they signed her for $115K, an amount that prevents Las Vegas from signing and trading with L.A. for their stretch center Amanda Zahui B, who might complement Wilson nicely and give her more space to work in the paint.

On Tuesday, the Aces announced that they had signed 2019 9th overall draft pick Kalani Brown to a training camp contract. After watching her play in Athletes Unlimited which takes place in Las Vegas, the Aces' front office was impressed. Vegas does need another post player, but is Brown the answer? She played only in one game for the Dream in 2021 before being waived. The chances she makes the roster after training camp are slim, but maybe she surprises.

Loser: Dallas Wings

Why? The Wings failed to bring over a veteran leader to anchor their young and inexperienced roster.

Also: The only notable transaction by the Wings was signing superstar Arike Ogunbowale to a massive protected extension that runs through 2025. She'll make the supermax following the final year of her rookie deal in 2022. In 2023, she'll make $234,936, followed by $241,984 in 2024 and $249,032 in the final year of this extension.

Dallas, after its success in 2021, could not rest on its laurels. Sure the Wings made it to the postseason for the first time since 2018, but they struggled to win close games and didn't have the veteran leadership to stay competitive against a team with as much experience as the Sky.

It would be something else if the Wings had more of a player development apparatus similar to what exists in Washington or what will exist in New York. But there are no signs that head coach Vickie Johnson has any infrastructure in place to develop these young players. While Johnson has said in the past that her leaders are Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally, Sabally pointed her finger back toward Johnson when she was asked about who the leader is.

What does this show us? Two possibilities. Either Dallas is complacent, or the Wings continue to be a team where top players do not want to land. Did they try to lure the Ogwumikes back home from L.A. in a trade? I'd surely like to know.

Loser: Vanessa Nygaard

Why? She's a first-year WNBA head coach stepping into massive expectations.

Also: If you thought the Mercury had a superteam reliant upon the success of its stars in 2021, then look again. This year's roster is twice as stacked, and while on paper that might be advantageous for a first-year head coach, how is it in practice?

Nygaard didn't lose free agency, but she's gotten the most difficult hand out of all the teams that have new coaches.

The Mercury are a usage mess. Tina Charles was the league's leading scorer in 2021. While her goal was to take a step back and march toward a championship with the Mystics, that wasn't at all what transpired. Without Elena Delle Donne and myriad injuries in 2021, Charles had to be Charles. Will she take a step back this time?

But if Nygaard lets Charles be herself, will chaos ensue? It might. She had the second-highest usage rate in league history, and she'll join two players in Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner who also were in the top 20. But also, what will happen to potential Defensive Player of the Year Brianna Turner? Does her DPOY campaign become a Sixth Player of the Year campaign instead?

Also in addition to Charles, how is a first-year head coach supposed to just know how to manage some of the most vibrant personalities in the league in Taurasi, Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diamond DeShields? While Sophie Cunningham acknowledged that there's a benefit to having big personalities on a competitive team, Nygaard might need to start a crash course in personality management before training camp.

Loser: Jordin Canada 

Why? While Canada will make more money in 2022, the two-time WNBA champion will have a tougher road to winning.

Also: Canada, an L.A. native, is returning home. To celebrate her new WNBA contract with the Sparks, she posted some photos on her Instagram from childhood from her memories going to Sparks games and playing as a young person at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center).

She signed a protected one-year deal worth $98,000, which some believed was above her current value. In 2021, she made $70,400 in the final year of her rookie deal, so for Canada this contract is a win.

But does her skill set really fit on the Sparks? Will she even start? With Carter now in L.A., the young guard has the talent to start, facilitate and create. Canada, however, can also facilitate and distribute but can't create or shoot at a high clip. 

Also, she leaves a team that had one of the better point guards (Sue Bird), power forwards (Breanna Stewart) and shooting guards (Jewell Loyd) in the world.

She's joining one of the best centers in Cambage, but she'll be learning an entirely different system and playing next to unfamiliar players. Does that translate to a lot of winning? Shrug emoji?

Winner: Layshia Clarendon

Why: While Clarendon (who uses they, she and he pronouns) took less money, what mattered most to them was returning to a better team that is bound to have success in 2022.

Also: Clarendon has been in the league for five seasons more than Canada but will earn less, signing a one-year unprotected deal at $90,000, per Richard Cohen of Her Hoop Stats. Her salary decreases by 25 percent after she earned $120,000 in 2021, after being waived by the New York Liberty in May.

The reason for this decrease isn't a function of how Clarendon played last year. They were responsible for a lot of Minnesota's success in 2021, but instead the Lynx's cap wasn't forgiving, with six players' salaries taking up almost 60 percent of the total cap space. 

Head coach and GM Cheryl Reeve trusts Clarendon to run the Lynx offense, as the latter has established chemistry with center Sylvia Fowles. Clarendon also has experience playing alongside new acquisition Angel McCoughtry as both players were on the Atlanta Dream in 2016. 

With Fowles, McCoughtry, one of the league's best shooters in Kayla McBride, the explosive Aerial Powers and one of the best to coach in the W in Reeve in Minnesota, Clarendon has signaled he is confident about a group that will be winning a lot.

Loser: Marianne Stanley

Why? Tamika Catchings' departure from the Indiana Fever immediately puts Stanley on the hot seat. 

Also: On Monday, the Indiana Fever announced that Tamika Catchings, the team's vice president of basketball operations and general manager, had stepped down. Catchings had been a part of the organization as both a legendary player and a member of the front office for a combined 20 years and leaves head coach Marianne Stanley with a lot of work to do. 

When Catchings hired Stanley leading up to the 2020 season, the pair's vision was to get the Fever back to the playoffs after three straight losing campaigns. But after the team overpaid role-playing veterans during 2020's free-agency period and drafted two straight lottery picks in Lauren Cox and Kysre Gondrezick whom it would end up waiving, that dream to escape the draft lottery was deferred. 

The vision for Catchings and Stanley was about returning to the postseason rather than any specific style of play, and that was clearly a flawed approach.

But weeks before Catchings' resignation was announced, the Fever made some sound basketball moves, decisions signaled a rebuild rather than the denial communicated from Catchings earlier. Trading Julie Allemand, picking up versatile guard/wing Jazmine Jones off waivers and acquiring multiple picks in the upcoming two drafts signals buy-in to the rebuild. 

The timing and departure from Catchings' previous vision raises the question: Did she actually make these moves? Regardless, Indiana is set up to execute this rebuild the right way and without shortcuts. 

But the question remains: Does Stanley have a shot at her job this season and beyond when the person who hired her is no longer with the organization? Whether or not the blame should be put on Stanley for the Fever's 12-42 record under her leadership might not matter once Indiana finds the executive who will replace interim GM Lin Dunn. 

Her future with Indiana is anything but certain.