WNBA Offseason Preview

The Chicago Sky have won their first Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) title in franchise history, and the offseason is about to begin. Here are some key events that are must-follows for the upcoming WNBA offseason.

WNBA Draft Lottory

The draft lottery this season will contain 4 teams, the Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, and the Dallas Wings, who have acquired their pick via trade with the Los Angeles Sparks. The Fever have the highest chance to land the #1 overall pick, with a 44% chance. The Dream follows at 27%, with the Mystics right behind them at 17%. This leaves the Wings, who finished 14-18 this season and made the playoffs, with a 10% chance to land the #1 overall pick.

WNBA Draft

This WNBA draft class is headlined by Kentucky small forward Rhyne Howard. Howard had a remarkable junior season in 2021, averaging 20+ points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 and a half steals on a nightly basis.

This class also has a pair of towering 6″5 young centers in Shakira Austin and Jessika Carter. Austin and Carter are both five inches above the average WNBA player’s height.

The three of these players are core pieces that may make this draft class one of the best in WNBA history.

WNBA Free Agency

This offseasons free agency pool contains a swamp of stars who will hit the open market. The biggest name to watch is Sue Bird, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason following an impressive 21-11 season. However, it should be noted that the team failed to win a game in the playoffs. Other big names this offseason include Liz Cambridge, Tina Charles, A’ja Wilson, Briana Stewart, and Courtney Williams.

Another storyline to watch is the many free agents the reigning champion Chicago Sky has to resign. This includes Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Stefanie Dolson, Diamond DeShields, and Kahleah Copper.

The large amount of star-level free agents and the quality of this year’s draft class, make this an offseason worth watching.