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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.