W fans, are your heads still spinning from all that’s already gone down in free agency over the past week?
From Candace Parker and Alysha Clark joining the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to Breanna Stewart and Allie Quigley heading to the Big Apple to accompany Sabrina Ionescu on the Liberty, it feels like there’s some huge, league-altering move every other day.
And while it may appear the free agency period has given us all we can handle, quietly, there are still several impactful players left on the market — some restricted and some unrestricted.
As we wind down the first week of the free agency period and rosters begin to take shape, we take a look at the four best remaining players who are without a team.
1
Tina Charles (Forward) - Unrestricted
The 2022 season was an eventful one for the 2012 WNBA MVP as she had a short stint in Phoenix that ended abruptly before heading to Seattle and playing a complementary role with the Storm. But don’t let the weirdness of the last season full you. Charles is still one of the most offensively gifted post players in the W and is just one season removed from averaging a career-best 23.4 points per game.
Given Charles’ last three teams, which were all championship contenders at the time of her signing, it seems like a similar decision could be made this off-season. But with the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty stacked with super teams, where could Charles land?
2
Marina Mabrey (Guard) - Restricted
If you’ve watched Marina Mabrey play basketball, you know how quickly she can make game-changing plays on the offensive end. Whether it’s her dribble to create spaces and knockdown shots or getting chippy with opponents, Mabrey has a knack for sticking out positively on the basketball court. Additionally, she fits like a glove next to her running mate Arike Ogunbowale who she’s shared the backcourt with since their days at Notre Dame, and it seems unlikely that the Dallas Wings would be ready to break up that duo at this time.
With the aforementioned Ogunbowale in uniform and the newly acquired Allisha Gray, bringing back Mabrey could help Dallas build on a good 2022 season.
3
Emma Messeman (Forward) - Unrestricted
After sitting out the 2021 WNBA season, 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman returned to the W in 2022 with the Chicago Sky, where she has a solid season. Her role as the floor-spacing big with playmaking skills likely won’t change when she puts a WNBA uniform on in 2023, but the question is which uniform it’ll be. The Sky have overhauled their roster and both the Aces and Liberty are loaded with talent. Where can Meesseman go and make an impact?
4
Gabby Williams (Forward) - Restricted
Prioritization and financial gains are things that Gabby Williams has been open about when it comes to playing overseas vs. in the WNBA. Regardless of what she ultimately chooses to do this upcoming season, she’ll thrive in either situation. The last time we saw Williams, she was still as athletic as ever, still incredible on defense and even took a bit of a leap as a passer. She’ll provide a huge boost of energy, defense and competitiveness that any team would be lucky to have.
