The WNBA’s off-season 2021 started off well in the early days of the free agency, but things slowed down considerably after many of the big names left the board. But on Wednesday, almost half the league conspired to spur action with a series of impressive negotiations.
Within just a few hours, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2021 WNBA Draft changed hands several times and seven players were sent to new teams. There were so many moves made together that for a brief period of time it wasn’t even clear where everyone was going.
But now the dust has settled and we have all the details. So let’s break it down and assess the involvement of each team.
Seattle Storm: C-
To receive:
- Katie Lou Samuelson
- Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
- Stephanie Talbot
- 2022 choice of second round (via Dallas)
- Choice of the second round of 2022 (via New York)
We’ll start with Storm because they were the most active team on Wednesday, executing four separate deals to move all of their pieces. In the first deal, they sent Howard to Liberty for overall choice 1 in this year’s draft, a first round choice in 2022 (via Phoenix) and a second round choice in 2022. Then, they sent the first choice 2022 shift (via Phoenix) for Lynx in exchange for Herbert Harrigan. They then switched from Whitcomb to Liberty in exchange for Talbot, and finally changed general choice No. 1 for the Wings to Samuelson and a 2022 choice in the second round.
Wow, ok.
This was an … interesting off-season for the Storm. Alysha Clark has already left for Washington on a free agency, and with Howard and Whitcomb now heading to New York, they lost three important members of their 2018 and 2020 title teams. The substitutions they brought are not the most inspiring.
Samuelson is now on his third team in three seasons after being the fourth overall choice in 2019, Herbert Harrigan showed some flashes as a rookie last season, but is still very young and Talbot is a solid role player, but not much more . There is definitely potential there, especially with Samuelson and Herbert Harrigan, so it is possible that things will work out in the long run. But Storm is now worse off than on the last day of last season, and that will make defending the title quite difficult.
New York Liberty: A-
To receive:
- Natasha Howard
- Sami Whitcomb
- No. 6 general choice in the 2021 WNBA Draft (via Phoenix)
Liberty participated in three negotiations on Wednesday, and first sent Kia Nurse and Megan Walker to Mercury in exchange for overall choice No. 6 in the 2021 Draft and in the first round of 2022. From there, they sent general No. 1 choice and the choice of the first 2022 shift from Mercury to the Storm in exchange for Natasha Howard and a 2022 choice of the second shift. Finally, they sent Stephanie Talbot to Storm in exchange for Sami Whitcomb in a separate transaction.
Due to injuries and an extremely young squad, 2020 was essentially a lost year for Liberty. With these negotiations, they assured that it would not happen again. In Howard, they got a great versatile and athletic guy who was by far the best player involved in these negotiations, and in Whitcomb, they got a sniper who can help increase the space in his heavy 3 point offensive scheme.
They had to give up a decent amount to do this, and there is always a risk when you give up on the first choice. But they were much, much better in the short term and have a good chance of ending the worst playoff drought in the franchise, which dates back to 2017.
Phoenix Mercury: B +
To receive:
Mercury decided that one exchange was enough for them and sent overall choice 6 in this year’s draft and their choice of 2022 first round to Liberty for Kia Nurse and Megan Walker.
Phoenix entered the off-season with a slightly tight pay cap, and rehiring Diana Taurasi was the only significant change in that department. An exchange would always be their only way to make a meaningful addition, and they certainly got one.
The nurse actually struggled in the bubble last summer, but she was playing injured for much of the season and was asked to carry a bad team on the offensive side – something she is not really prepared to do. In a reduced role, she must thrive in Phoenix, where she can play against Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith. They needed depth in the ward and the nanny would make them better. Walker could, too, but it’s much more of a project coming from a disappointing debut season.
Dallas Wings: A +
To receive:
- General choice # 1 in the 2021 WNBA Draft (via New York)
The Wings’ involvement in this entire saga was an exchange with Storm. They sent Katie Lou Samuelson and a 2022 second-round pick in exchange for overall number 1 pick in this year’s draft. Already having choice # 2 through the draft lottery, they are now the first team in WNBA history to have the first two choices in a draft.
This was a brilliant deal for the Wings. Samuelson is talented, to be sure, but she hasn’t found her way into the WNBA so far and has been redundant on a list that already features Satou Sabally, Bella Alarie, Astou Ndour and Isabelle Harrison. Now they have the No. 1 overall pick and can add not just another talented player, but a better fit around Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale – two of the league’s brightest young stars.
Dallas was a big winner here.
Minnesota Lynx: B
To receive:
- 2022 choice of first round (via Phoenix)
Minnesota played only a small role on Wednesday, sending Mikiah Herbert Harrigan to Storm in exchange for a first round pick in 2022 (via Phoenix).
Herbert Harrigan, her first-round pick in last year’s draft, showed a bit here and there as a rookie, but she realized she was on the edge of rotation this season after Minnesota added Kayla McBride, Aerial Powers and Natalie Achonwa for free agency . Instead of letting her just sit on the bench, Lynx will have another chance at next year’s project.