The Golden State Valkyries are the new kids on the block.

There’s no history of past failures hanging over the organization as they enter their first free agency period. They’re a blank canvas for predictions and expectations. Still, there are two routes that the expansion team can take. Here’s a look at where the Valkyries stand entering free agency, as well as the two big questions the team must consider as they navigate the free agency period:

Facts and figures*

Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)

• Stephanie Talbot (protected veteran; $125,000)
• Kayla Thornton (protected veteran; $112,000)
• Kate Martin (unprotected; $68,595)

Free agents (type; 2024 salary)

• Monique Billings (unrestricted)
• Veronica Burton (reserved)
• Julie Vanloo (reserved)
• Cecilia Zandalasini (reserved)
• Temi Fagbenle (restricted)
• Maria Conde (suspended-contract expired)
• Iliana Rupert (suspended-contract expired)

Total salary of free agents: $305,595

Total team salary: $1,463,200

Cap space: $1,201,505

Unsigned draftees (2025 salary)

2025 WNBA Draft picks (2025 salary)

• Round 1, No. 5 ($75,643)
• Round 2, No. 17 ($69,267)
• Round 3, No. 30 ($66,079)

1. Take it slow?

This is a hard thought exercise because, apart from the depth at the guard positions, there’s plenty to like about the Valkyries roster.

If the team can land a promising playmaker in the 2025 WNBA Draft, fans should be fine with a patient approach, allowing the team to feel things out for a year or two. There’s just one problem. Once it’s the Valkyries’ turn to pick at No. 5 overall, the two best playmakers in the draft, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, will most likely be gone. Julie Vanloo would be an awesome teacher for both, but she also might turn out to be a great teacher for South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao as well, who could fall to Golden State in the draft.

That’s why bringing in a veteran playmaker, like Courtney Vandersloot from the New York Liberty, Erica Wheeler from the Indiana Fever or Kia Nurse from the Los Angeles Sparks, doesn’t make a lot of sense if the Valkyries plan to feel things out.

But if they decide to go all-in, it should depend on landing one big name.

2. Or win now?

Photo by Brandon Todd/NBAE via Getty Images

Kelsey Plum would be the perfect face of this new franchise.

She was born and raised in California. She was coached by Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase when she was an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces. And Plum, with two WNBA titles, has nothing to prove on a team level.

Individually though, she could want to show that she can carry a team as the primary scoring option at the WNBA level. Would she like to see just how far she can take a roster built around her? That may be tempting. Plum could also play next to Kate Martin, who she already knows and appreciates.

With Plum in place, it then makes ton of sense to make a run for a veteran, All-Star-level frontcourt player, such as the Connecticut Sun’s Brionna Jones or Dallas Wings’ Natasha Howard. Or both. Imagine landing all three and adding Gabby Williams from the Seattle Storm into the mix on the wing.

With Carla Leite, Veronica Burton and Temi Fagbenle ready to come off the bench at any moment, the Valkyries could be a serious contender. To be honest, they’ll become one if they’re just able to add Plum.

*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all roster information and salary numbers.

In recent seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), where new Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko had been in charge since 2002, players were identified not as guards, forwards or centers on the team’s official roster. All players were shooters.

The Dream, which finished the 2024 season ranked ninth in 3-point attempts per game and 11th in 3-point percentage, are not a team of shooters. At least not yet. Atlanta’s goal during the 2025 free agency period should be to construct a squad of shooters.

The lack of outside shooting explains the struggles of the Dream’s league-worst offense in 2024. All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray enjoyed little space to operate on the offensive end, which often resulted in offensive possessions devolving into tough shot attempts from the pair or Tina Charles. While Smesko’s more sophisticated offensive schemes certainly will help Atlanta alleviate their offensive ills, the right roster is needed for the coach’s ideas to be fully actualized and optimized.

That should mean, with the exception of Howard, Gray and Jordin Canada, the Dream front office is open to any and all moves needed to create a more fruitful offensive environment. That includes not prioritizing any of the team’s current free agents, nor being afraid to trade young players who remain under contract. However, making such moves is easier said that done, especially in the league that, like Atlanta, increasingly is recognizing the value add of four-out and five-out offensive alignments. In other words, the Dream will not be the only team searching for shooting.

So, what options might emerge for Atlanta? Can they great creative in order to equip Smesko with a stable of shooters? Here’s a look the current state of the Dream’s roster and finances, followed by a break down of three strategies for Smesko-fitting the Dream:

Facts and figures*

Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)

• Laeticia Amihere (unprotected; $79,999)
• Jordin Canada (protected veteran; $190,000)
• Nia Coffey (protected veteran; $150,000)
• Allisha Gray (protected veteran; $190,000)
• Naz Hillmon (protected rookie scale; $80,823)
• Rhyne Howard (protected rookie scale; $91,981)
• Haley Jones (unprotected; $79,999)

Free agent (type; 2024 salary)

• Maya Caldwell (reserved; $36,841)
• Tina Charles (unrestricted; $130,000)
• Lorela Cubaj (reserved; $64,154)
• Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (unrestricted; $200,000)
• Aerial Powers (unrestricted; $155,000)

Total salary of free agents: $585,995

Total team salary: $862,802

Cap space: $644,298

Unsigned draftees (2025 salary)

• Nyadiew Puoch ($71,753)
• Isobel Borlase ($68,595)
• Matilde Villa ($65,438)

2025 WNBA Draft picks (2025 salary)

• Round 2, No. 18 ($69,267)
• Round 3, No. 36 ($66,079)

1. Call the best shooters on the market—if they’re out there

The class of 2025 unrestricted free agents is short on dead-bang shooters. One name stands out: Alysha Clark.

The 2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year is a career 38.3 percent 3-point shooter. In her two seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, she attempted 5.4 and 4.7 triples per 36 minutes. Although almost strictly a spot-shooter, rather than a movement shooter who also can fire away when running off screens, she would offer the combination of accuracy and volume Atlanta needs to create space for the team’s offensive initiators. With the native Tennessean participating in Athletes Unlimited in her home state, might she be interested in sticking in the South and suiting up for the Dream?

Atlanta should also scour the market for a stretch big or two. But, they might be left searching, as the unrestricted free agent class features few actual, instead of just theoretical, stretch bigs. The direction to begin looking is Dallas, where unrestricted free agents Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard both have indicated that they have worn a Wings uniform for the last time.

Sabally is a long shot, yet one worth shooting. She is a forward with a credible 3-point stroke, in addition to more than credible on-ball chops. She’s called “The Unicorn” for a reason, and quite possibly is the most desirable player on the market. As Dallas likely will core her, Atlanta will have to try to acquire her via trade. She also might have to cite the ATL as her preferred destination to make it happen. Maybe Howard, Gray or Canada can shove Sabrina Ionescu, Sabally’s best bud and former (and hoped-for future?) teammate, into the backseat of a car with a bag of balls and corner Sabally during some Unrivaled down time to convince her to force her way to Atlanta?

While likely more gettable, Howard is a trickier on-court fit. She has experimented behind the arc, but most opponents comfortably will allow her to fire away, just as they would with Atlanta’s own unrestricted free agent bigs, Tina Charles and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, both of whom have likewise been encouraged to venture beyond the 3-point line with mixed success. (This reality makes it all the more curious that the Dream left Iliana Rupert, who has shooting potential at 6-foot-4 and 23 years old, unprotected in the Golden State expansion draft; she was scooped up by the Valkyries.)

2. Make some Mystical moves

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images

So, could Atlanta trade for a stretch big? Maybe?

That the team that employs the most intriguing option already owns the Dream’s 2025 first-round draft pick makes things a bit tricky. However, as our Josh Felton put it, the Washington Mystics are at a crossroads, and seemingly leaning toward a full rebuild, which Albert Lee also has covered at Bullets Forever. Quite possibly, they’d be interesting in sending out some of their prime-age vets for younger flyers from Atlanta, whether that be recent first-round selections Haley Jones and Laeticia Amihere, or the team’s even younger unsigned draftees in Nyadiew Puoch and Isobel Borlase.

The target in DC then has to be Stefanie Dolson, who is under contract through the 2025 season. Although she’s unlikely to replicate 2024’s career-best shooting season, when she drained 46.5 percent of her four 3-point attempts per game, Dolson is established enough as a deep threat that a defense cannot totally ignore her, which potentially makes her the kind of piece that could unlock Smesko’s offensive vision. Washington, which often favored spacing-centric lineups under former head coach Eric Thibault, also rosters a few other players who could be of interest to Atlanta, such as guard Karlie Samuelson, a career 39.7 percent 3-point shooter who is under contract for 2025, or wing Emily Engstler, a restricted free agent who began to flash a more confident outside stroke last season.

And while Atlanta is poking around DC, it’d be wise to also place a call to Elena Delle Donne, a now not-cored unrestricted free agent who would be a Dream offensive fit.

3. Star power > shooting?

Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Getty Images

After emphasizing the importance of Atlanta acquiring bigs that can shoot from distance, it might seem quite crazy to suggest that the Dream should be open to signing Alyssa Thomas, who, with two busted shoulders, possesses no semblance of an outside shot.

Although she will turn 33 before the 2025 season, Thomas remains one of the league’s most talented players. And elite talent is more valuable than plus shooting. Even if her offensive skillset is antithetical to Smesko’s shoot-heavy strategy, it would be interesting to see what an innovative head coach could unleash with a player like Thomas. This is not to say that adding the Connecticut Sun stalwart (and, in all likelihood, her partner DeWanna Bonner) is likely. It’s highly unlikely. Rather, the Thomas example serves to underscore that Atlanta should be open to a star chase, even if that player is an imperfect fit.

Considering most free agents will be signing one-year contracts in anticipation of the ratification of a new CBA before the 2026 season, 2025 is not the ideal offseason for beginning to build a team tailored to Smesko’s vision. The league is likely to experience significant shifts after the 2025 season. So, 2025 could end up being a one-year experiment, where it’s worth asking if an appealing unrestricted free agent star, such as the Seattle Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike or the Sun’s Brionna Jones, would be willing to come to Atlanta and not only lift the team into respectability, but also help the organization gather more information about the kind of longer-term, sustainable team to build around the Howard-Gray-Canada core once the new league landscape is established in 2026.

*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all roster information and salary numbers.

Women’s basketball might be rising in popularity in a major way right now, but for plenty of people, it’s always been the hottest sport around.

When husband-and-wife duo Dominic James and Angela Phillips, a Marquette University Hall of Famer with 10 years of overseas basketball experience and a four-year Division I starting point guard for Indiana State and Kentucky, respectively, decided to put together a girl’s basketball camp in Knoxville, TN, they immediately knew they had to bring in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Positioned prominently downtown, the Hall of Fame honors the best of the best in women’s basketball, from athletes to coaches to other contributors to the sport. That recognition of the spectrum of the sport aligned with James’ and Phillips’ vision. “We saw a need for educating players and parents on a deeper level than what most camps [in our area] offer,” they explained to Swish Appeal. “There is so much more visibility now for women’s basketball thanks to media coverage. Little girls are now about to see very special women’s basketball players and will want to follow in their footsteps.”

The result was the Call to Hall Futures Camp, a one-day girls’ camp held in Knoxville on Dec. 27, 2024.

The process of preparing the next generation

James and Phillips also knew they wanted to bring in experts from across women’s sports: mental health professionals, former WNBA players, scouts and evaluators, and domestic and international trainers. Alexis Hornbuckle, a former Tennessee Lady Vol who was drafted No. 4 overall by the Detroit Shock in the 2008 WNBA Draft, shared that she joined the camp to “add value to young athletes with their mental training and skill development.”

“Everyone knows the importance of putting in the time and the reps for their physical health,” Hornbuckle continued, “but oftentimes, we neglect the mental reps we need to put in as well. It’s imperative to give back to the game and to be a blessing to other young girls to help grow the women’s game—and to help these girls get one step closer to their dreams.”

Dr. Kelly Ownby, a therapist board-certified in addiction medicine and psychiatry, echoed Hornbuckle’s emphasis on mental health as a reason she was all too happy to participate in the program. “For so many years there has been so much stigma about mental health, but that is changing thanks to the transparency of so many current athletes,” she said. “By understanding, normalizing, and seeking help for mental health issues, I hope that more athletes will be able to maximize their potential by being better equipped to overcome adversity. There is more pressure in the game than ever before, and knowing how to handle it is half the battle.”

Phillips and James also invited ESPN HoopGurlz scout Kenneth Pannell, who was joined by his colleague Tenishia Benson. Pannell cited the “opportunity to share knowledge with young ladies who have a passion to elevate their game” as the biggest reason he joined. “Communicating what evaluators and college coaches are looking for when watching athletes is an important part of the process.”

GuRoo Creative.

Parents attended the day’s events along with their daughters and had the opportunity to speak to the entire panel of guests. International basketball trainer and 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame nominee Tremaine Dalton told parents it’s important to support their kids, but also to talk to kids and teach kids the competitive nature of the game. “Make it about growing, educating and learning,” he said, “instead of taking a shortcut.”

“I wanted to help these young ladies out,” Dalton told Swish Appeal. He hosted a 2v2 clinic intending to make the game competitive and fun. “I think the competitive nature of basketball is the most important thing, and these are the types of opportunities that I feel women and girls who play need more of.”

Get to know the next generation

The individual stories of each athlete who attended the camp also were elevated. Several players were eager to work on not only their game on the court, but also their media and social media game off of it—including a few who spoke to Swish Appeal.

Azariah, who is 13, has been playing basketball since she was four years old. Her dad, who is also her coach and trainer, was the first to put a ball in her hands, and she also plays AAU basketball. Playing for her school and playing AAU are two different experiences, she told Swish Appeal, but she likes them both. She cited Kobe Bryant as her favorite basketball player. “I just like how he played and his intensity,” she said. Like Bryant, Azariah is clear on her goals and intentions when it comes to her own game. “I want to play in the WNBA,” she said without hesitation, and to get there she hopes to play Division I under the one and only coach: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.

Jordan, also 13, was just as focused. Unlike a lot of her fellow camp attendees, she only began playing basketball two or three years ago. (Before that, she was into martial arts, and tae kwon do, specifically.) Her favorite basketball player right now is Kaleena Smith, a sophomore in California who has been gaining national attention this season. “I really like her game—how calm it is, how she really knows how to work her way around the defense, and how she can score from pretty much anywhere on the floor.”

Like Smith, Jordan cited her own scoring ability as her biggest strength, which is why she admires the sophomore so much. Jordan also has her eye on the biggest schools in NCAA women’s basketball, including UConn and USC—“pretty much where everyone wants to go to”—and Staley also is her dream coach.

Mark Cooper.

10-year-old Jincey comes by the game honestly. Her mom and dad are James and Phillips, and Jincey told Swish Appeal she was “basically born in a gym” and began playing when she was five. Jincey, who wants to play for the University of Kentucky one day, is also an aspiring journalist and regularly hosts basketball coaches and players on her Instagram account for her show, Jincey InHerViews.

To round things out, 12-year-old Ace told Swish Appeal that, like a lot of the girls at the camp, her goal are to continue to grow and ultimately “play at a high level.” She began playing basketball in kindergarten, but “got serious” about the sport the following year when she realized how much she loved the game. Her favorite basketball players are Caitlin Clark, who she admires for her ability and her personality, and JuJu Watkins for her aggressiveness.

Both the WNBA and Unrivaled have emphasized that the two professional leagues are not rivals. Rather, Unrivaled has been presented as a complement to the W. As Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier has stressed, the league is an alternative option to playing overseas during the WNBA offseason.

Individual WNBA teams, however, might see the new 3×3 professional league as an unfriendly rival, especially if, as already looks to be the case, the atmosphere encourages players’ eyes to wander toward other WNBA teams.

Unrivaled could unravel an organization’s best laid free agency plans.

That might be happening for the Dallas Wings. On Friday afternoon, speaking in Phantom BC’s press conference, Satou Sabally, an unrestricted free agent, revealed that, “I’m working with [the Wings organization] to find a next home for me, because I’ve already played my last game in Dallas,”

Sabally expressed her appreciation for the organization, sharing, “I’ve already communicated with Dallas how grateful I am because they’ve made this home for me for the past years,” before further adding:

Obviously, at first they were still trying, but I think what is most effective is working with the player and listening to their wishes and hearing out how we can find a best solution for each other So, there was always great communication and more on the agent front right now because I need to focus on Unrivaled and I will. So I’m trusting the people that I have on my staff and the front office… I have good communication with that.

On Thursday, new Wings general manager Curt Miller praised Sabally’s talent, albeit while being unclear as to whether or not she would be part of his team’s future, stating, “You have to compliment Satou’s career to this point. When healthy, she is an elite player and is a difference maker. You realize the talent she is.”

As our Beckett Harrison noted in his Wings free agency preview, re-signing Sabally, possibly through the core designation, should have been Dallas’ top priority. Instead, it seems more likely that the organization will core Sabally, using the designation to ensure the team can trade her and receive compensation in return, rather than watching her walk away as an unrestricted free agent.

When prognosticating about Sabally’s next WNBA destination, the eyes of fans and analysts naturally turned to New York and the defending-champion Liberty. At Unrivaled, Sabally is reunited with Sabrina Ionescu, with the former Oregon teammates both suiting up for Phantom. Sabally’s younger sister Nyara, of course, also plays for New York, with Satou sharing that “in the future” she “would love” to play with her sister. Does that future start in 2025?

In her comments, Sabally also implied that the Unrivaled experience could influence her free agency decision, as she noted:

And I’m just excited. I’m excited for free agency. I’m able to talk to a lot of players outside the league because I have not played on a different team yet and I’m excited to get to know them more on a personal level—but also knowing how they approach the game. And I just love having basketball conversations and high level basketball IQ conversations about the game to I know here I fit best in the future.

These revelations certainly put Sabally at the center at WNBA’s coming free agency storm. (Her insistence on departing Dallas also could spark further speculation as to whether or not presumptive No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers will look to angle her way to her preferred WNBA home ahead of the 2025 WNBA Draft in April.)

Dallas, however, is not the only organization potentially side-eyeing the Unrivaled ongoings. Alyssa Thomas, who has spent all 11 years of her WNBA career with the Connecticut Sun, was noncommittal about her future in Uncasville, stating, “Right now you get to play with different players that aren’t your usual teammates. Free agency is free agency. You have to separate the two. Who knows what’s going to happen in these upcoming weeks.”

Tiffany Hayes, a teammate of Thomas on Laces BC who is fresh off a Sixth Player of the Year season with the Las Vegas Aces, similarly was hesitant to reveal any free agency leanings, simply saying, “I’m really just focused on being here. It’s a privilege and honor to be able to play in a league like this.” DiJonai Carrington, an impending restricted free agent with the Sun who is playing for Mist BC in Unrivaled, adopted the same posture, only sharing, “My focus right now is to continue to develop my game and my skills. Hopefully teams will see that and my team obviously knows that. We’ll see where it takes us.”

The future of another Mist player, Jewell Loyd, already had attracted much attention after the longtime Seattle Storm star had requested a trade following the conclusion of the investigation into alleged mistreatment of players by the Storm coaching staff. Loyd, however, resisted adding any fuel to the trade speculations fires by choosing not to comment on her WNBA future.

Another Mist player also appears in for an interesting offseason: Courtney Vandersloot. The Liberty point guard, who was relegated to a bench role for the duration of New York’s run to the 2024 championship, shared comments that suggest she is open to finding a new team, saying:

I want to be valued. I want to be competitive, obviously. That’s why you come into this league—you want to be competing for championships. And a place that takes care of me, wants me to be there and…sees what I can bring to the team. That’s most important. I want to have the ball in my hands and be able to create the way that I can. And just be in a place that is comfortable for me and my family.

Vandersloot further explained:

I’m going to go through free agency and see the best situation for me and my family. Obviously New York is where I was currently [and I] feel like I’m part of the New York Liberty and coming off a championship. But I’m gonna go through free agency and just see what’s best for me.

Quite possibly, implicated WNBA organizations were well prepared for their players’ comments.

However, the conditions of Unrivaled, where all players have access to top-notch facilities and superstar treatment, in addition to ample opportunities to form alliances and affinities with players from other WNBA teams, could result in players developing new W dreams and, in turn, disrupting even the most disciplined and detailed organization’s offseason plans.

The Chicago Sky are in a delicate position.

After a 13-27 season and the abrupt firing of then-head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, the Sky could have a difficult time making their case to prospective free agents. Considering their recent revolving door of coaches and players, the perception almost meets reality.

The presence of Angel Reese and Kamila Cardoso, along with new head coach Tyler Marsh, whose background in player development has won him praise, won’t be enough. The organization must keep together a solid core and build from there.

Here’s where the Sky stand entering free agency, followed by a discussion of the one player who could determine the success or failure of Chicago’s offseason:

Facts and figures*

Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)

• Lindsay Allen (unprotected; $90,000)
• Rachel Banham (protected veteran; $95,000)
• Kamilla Cardoso (unprotected; $78,066)
• Moriah Jefferson (protected veteran; $145,000)
• Angel Reese (unprotected; $74,909)
• Elizabeth Williams (unprotected; $100,000)

Free agent (type; 2024 salary)

• Chennedy Carter (restricted; $76,535)
• Diamond DeShields (unrestricted; $100,000)
• Dana Evans (restricted; $78,469)
• Isabelle Harrison (unrestricted; $160,000)
• Michaela Onyenwere (restricted; $85,690)
• Brianna Tuner (unrestricted; $150,000)

Total salary of free agents: $650,694

Total team salary: $583,475

Cap space: $923,625

2025 WNBA Draft picks (2025 salary)

• Round 1, No. 3 ($78,831)
• Round 1, No. 10 ($72,455)

It all starts with Chennedy

Along with the many rumblings about who the Sky could pick up with the hopes of making a difference, from the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Lloyd to Tiffany Mitchell and DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun, there is one name who could make all the difference: Chennedy Carter.

The restricted free agent just completed the best season of her four-year WNBA career. After coming off the bench at the beginning of the year, Carter found herself in the starting rotation and, in turn, became an explosive offensive weapon. Carter averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and three assists per game. She also shot 48 percent from the field, the highest of her career. She demonstrated herself to be a leader on the floor, guiding the team through treacherous periods. She is currently averaging 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists playing for Wuhan in the WCBA.

Given her status as a restricted free agent, the Sky own her rights, but another team could come along and make her an offer. She fits the mold of what Marsh is looking for in terms of shooting, which the Sky must improve upon. She also is a favorite among the Chicago fan base.

If the Sky can keep Carter, then the team will be in a better position to harness the talent they have, fulfill the needs of the new coach and potentially bring in some additional talent. Carter’s familiarity with both Reese and Cardoso, in particular, is a plus, especially as they work on expanding their games.

The next moves for the Sky to consider

Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

If Carter stays, then Michaela Onyenwere, an emerging talent who also is a restricted free agent, would likely stay. Carter makes Onyenwere a more viable presence on the wing, as Onyenwere saw her numbers and minutes rise last season while playing alongside Carter.

Carter’s strength in transition could also do wonders in helping guards Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham, both of whom were acquired midseason from the Sun and are known as solid shooters, find open opportunities from the beyond the arc or score on the break.

There are questions about whether Carter staying would jeopardize the future of point guard Dana Evans. Evans, the only remaining member of the 2021 championship team, was replaced by Carter as the starting point guard last June. Evans returned to the spot later in the season when Carter was out due to illness. In turn, Evans became one of the leading scorers. There are rumors of Evans’ discontent with the team, but if she is able to stay and work in tandem with Carter, it could put all those rumors to rest.

Then, if Chicago is able to get a player of Carrington’s status, such a player could form a solid one-two combination with Carter. Carrington, who is a restricted free agent, is known for being an effective defender, with the turnovers she forces then allowing Carter to push the tempo in transition.

But, it all comes back to Carter

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

The free agent market will look different this year in large part to the WNBPA opting out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). As a result, contracts for free agents will likely be one-year deals, which could effect the ability of the Sky to entice veteran talents to sign with the team.

Carter has indicated she would consider staying in Chicago, but it remains uncertain as to whether she chooses to stay. She is the caliber of player and leader a team could rely on. While Marsh is understandably focused on the current roster, it would be unwise to not try to do everything within reason to convince Carter to stay considering all the tangibles she can bring to the team.

Either way, the Sky’s future and what the 2025 season roster will look like begins with the future of the player known as “Hollywood”.

*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all roster information and salary numbers.