2027 WNBA Free Agent Big Board Features Star Power in Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Plum, More

A historic 2026 WNBA season has come to a close, with the Golden State Valkyries winning the title in just their second year as a franchise. A recent expansion team achieving this feat reflects the explosion of talent in today's game; it's an exciting time for the league, and the first year of the new collective bargaining agreement has to be considered a massive success for all involved.

With 2026 in the rearview mirror and the draft months away, WNBA teams will soon begin their offseason by looking at free agency to shore up their rosters. Though the 2027 class isn't as stacked as 2026's historic group (when almost every veteran in the league was an unrestricted free agent), plenty of franchise-changing players are still available.

There are four bona fide, All-WNBA-caliber players on the market. Behind them are a handful of restricted free agents who could be on the cusp of stardom. Of course, several impactful role players round out this crop; the most savvy teams will find value there.

Taking all of this into consideration, let's look at the 10 best free agents on the board, what makes them special, and where they might end up.

After an uneven start to her career in Indiana and Dallas, Smith found her footing in Vegas next to A'ja Wilson. The 6'4 " forward and former No. 2 overall pick fit like a glove in Becky Hammon's system, helping the Aces win the title in 2025.

Before her Aces stint, Smith struggled with shot selection, efficiency, and defensive effort. Those areas have all improved dramatically in Vegas. That's allowed Smith's imposing physicality and rebounding prowess to shine. Last season, Smith put it all together and became one of the most impactful power forwards in the WNBA.

Unfortunately, Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury in August (likely an ACL tear). This couldn't have come at a worse time, as Smith was set to cash in for a potentially large payday in unrestricted free agency. Even with the injury, Smith should be a hot commodity in a relatively weak market. Playing alongside A'ja Wilson is a situation Smith might not want to leave, but plenty of teams could benefit from her services.

Thornton is one of the most steady veterans in the league. She took her game to a new level in Golden State. The 34-year-old wing made the All-Star team in 2025, the first selection of her career. Sadly, she underwent knee surgery shortly after, ending her season prematurely. Despite taking a step back in 2026, Thornton still has plenty of winning attributes that contending teams covet.

Though often billed as a classic three-and-D wing, Thornton is a streaky shooter (career 32.4% from three). But she takes and makes enough to provide some spacing while affecting the game in other ways. Thornton is a smart cutter and off-ball mover. She can leverage her strength to attack closeouts.

Most of Thornton's value comes on the other end, where she's long been one of the better wing defenders in the league. Thornton doesn't generate a ton of steals or blocks, but she's a strong individual and team defender you can trust to guard up and down the lineup. Any contending team needs a Kayla Thornton, and if she gets squeezed out of Golden State's plans, there will be plenty of other offers available. Dallas, Indiana, and Vegas are all playoff hopefuls who could be good fits.

Another Valkyries wing hits the free-agent market, albeit in restricted status. It's hard to imagine Golden State letting Thornton or Zandalasini walk, but it's possible a team throws a big enough bag to force the issue.

Zandalasini would likely be the more coveted player, despite her restricted status. She is one of the best wing shooters in the league (her uncharacteristic 32% mark from three in 2026 can be entirely dismissed) and does some fun things with the ball in her hands at 6'2".

Zandalasini has improved defensively, too. Over the last two years in Golden State, the Valkyries have posted a 99.0 defensive rating with Zandalasini on the floor, compared to a 101.6 mark with her off.

Again, with Zandalasini restricted, Golden State will most likely bring her back. But she is due for a large pay raise. With Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaun, Kaila Charles, and Kayla Thornton all on the wing, Golden State might not be willing to pay up. If Zandalasini leaves, she'd fit on almost any team that can afford her.

Dream Unrivaled Trios We'd Like to See 🤩

Burrell had a career season in 2026 and became one of the Sparks' most important players. The 6'2 wing averaged a career-high 14.2 points and doubled her three-point volume, shooting 38% on more than four attempts per game. Burrell is a special athlete with great burst and quickness. She has a rare combination of skills for her size, especially given her shooting improvement.

Burrell's next step is to make more of an impact on defense. For someone with her athletic tools, she isn't very good on that end; her modest steal and block totals (1.4 combined last season) reflect this. Burrell often gets lost off-ball, too, which is indicative of another issue with her game: poor feel.

Even with the issues, Burrell is a very good player who took a meaningful step forward last season. The Sparks would probably like to keep her around, but if someone throws a big offer sheet her way, it might not be worth matching. Teams like New York, Chicago, and Houston come to mind as potential suitors.

Engstler was one of many Fire players to enjoy a breakout season in 2026, averaging career highs in every statistical category. Fire coach Alex Sarama seemed to unlock the potential that Engstler always had, turning her into a two-way force.

Seriously, few players can give you 10 points and six rebounds, shoot 37% from three on solid volume, and add 2.8 steals + blocks per game. Engstler was the ultimate Swiss Army knife in 2026 and is entering restricted free agency, due for a large pay bump.

Based on Engstler's comments, staying in Portland seems most likely. The Fire also has the most cap space in the league, so retaining her shouldn't be an issue, even if she commands a large offer sheet from rival teams. But those teams should absolutely force Portland to pay up, because Engstler is a winning player who seems to have found herself in year five.

Perhaps no WNBA player raised her free-agent stock in 2026 more than Awak Kuier. Originally drafted second overall as a raw 19-year-old in 2021, Kuier struggled mightily in the league for her first three seasons. She took 2024 and 2025 off, playing full-time in Europe and developing in a context that gave her more opportunities to grow.

Kuier returned last season and became a crucial component of the Wings' historic turnaround. Coach Jose Fernandez demanded a lot from Kuier and was sporadic with her minutes, but that tough love paid off in the long run; Kuier ended the season on a tear, averaging 3.7 blocks per game over the Wings' final 10 contests.

It's impossible to overstate Kuier's impact on the Wings' defense. Prior to 2026, Dallas had never even been a league-average defensive team. Kuier helped change that. The Wings posted a stingy 102.9 defensive rating in her minutes. The physical tools Kuier possesses are nuts. Her 6'6 frame is complemented by a massive wingspan and impressive lateral quickness.

Kuier also made strides offensively; she became a reliable spot-up shooter from three, improved as a decision-maker off the roll, and flashed some intriguing creation ability. It feels like Kuier's been around forever, but she's still just 25 years old. With that in mind, she'll draw near-max offers from suitors in restricted free agency. It would be insane for Dallas to let her go, but teams like Portland, Golden State, and Toronto could try to pry her away.

Plum represents a tier shift in this year's free agent class. The top four free agents are all perennial All-WNBA candidates. They are all unrestricted. Plum kicks that group off, as she's in an interesting spot in her career.

The Mercury, far out of the playoff picture at the time, shocked the world by trading for Plum at the deadline last season. They gave up a valuable 2027 first-round pick and promising guard Monique Akoa Makani in the deal, which is a steep price to pay for an impending unrestricted free agent. Phoenix hoped Plum would help them make a late-season run and sneak into the playoffs, igniting a run toward a long-shot championship.

It didn't work out that way. Now, the Mercury has to re-sign Plum to avoid a complete disaster. Funny enough, a big reason Phoenix missed the playoffs was that Plum played just five games after the trade because of an injury. Though Plum has been mostly healthy over the last few seasons, she did tear her Achilles in 2020. It's fair to wonder how much longer the 32-year-old guard can perform at an elite level, especially since she relies a lot on burst and quickness to get downhill.

Still, Phoenix can't afford to let Plum walk. Even with her age and injury concerns, she'll likely command a long-term max deal. The biggest threat to Phoenix would likely be the Valkyries, who could use an offensive engine to make life easier.

Fresh off her second straight All-WNBA First Team selection, Mitchell enters unrestricted free agency for the first time. If we're reading the tea leaves, it seems very possible that Mitchell could be on the move. Comments from her exit interview hinted at possible exasperation with the chaotic environment surrounding the Fever, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Mitchell sign elsewhere.

Whoever lands Mitchell is getting one of the greatest offensive players in the game's history. In 2026, Mitchell put up the most efficient scoring season ever, averaging a staggering 24.7 points per game on 64% true shooting. Her combination of speed and shooting touch is unmatched. Mitchell is still at the peak of her powers.

There's no doubt Mitchell has greatly benefited from Caitlin Clark's gravity and playmaking over the last few years. At the same time, she's proven over and over again that she can perform at a similar level without Clark on the floor. While Mitchell's defense leaves a lot to be desired, it's hard to find a more complete offensive player in this league. Wherever Mitchell goes, she'll demand a long-term max deal. Mitchell fits on every team, but it would be cool to see her go somewhere like Seattle or Los Angeles and help a rebuilding team take the next step.

Young gets the nod over Mitchell on this list for being two years younger and offering far more defensive utility. The 6'0 wing is coming off a typical Jackie Young season, stuffing the stat sheet and earning All-WNBA Second Team honors.

It's remarkable how Young has consistently improved throughout her career. She's gone from a complete non-shooter to a genuine threat from three. In 2026, she took another playmaking leap. Young averaged a career-high 6.8 assists per game (2.4 turnovers), fourth in the league. This is a complete player who does everything on both ends of the floor at the prime of her career.

Young has enjoyed an enormous amount of success in Vegas as the Robin to A'ja Wilson's Batman, winning three titles. Here's the big question: does Young want to step out from behind Wilson's shadow? Does she want to prove that she can be the alpha, 1A player on her own team? Do those kinds of narratives matter to her at all?

If the answer to those questions is "yes" and Young entertained leaving Vegas, she would certainly be able to pick her next destination. Whichever team she wants to go to would move heaven and Earth to add her.

Make no mistake about it– Napheesa Collier is the top free agent of the 2027 class. Though her 2026 season was marred by injury and playoff failure, Collier is still one of the best three players in the league. It's easy to forget that just a year ago, Collier had a legitimate MVP case against prime A'ja Wilson.

When healthy, Collier is likely the best (non-Wilson) two-way player in the WNBA. Collier won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and has made five All-Defense teams. Though 2026 was considered a "down" year, Collier flirted with a 50/40/90 shooting season while scoring 17 points per game. You can pretty much bet that Collier is good for a 21/8/3 line with elite defense for the next handful of years.

Collier raised eyebrows last season when she opted for a one-year, supermax contract to return to Minnesota instead of agreeing to a long-term deal. After how last season ended, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Lynx move on and go all in on Olivia Miles.

While Collier and Miles are certainly talented enough to figure things out together, their playstyles are a bit incongruous. Miles wants to run a heavy amount of spread pick-and-roll, while Collier prefers a more methodical attack, working from the elbows and letting the offense flow from there. It just seems like both parties may decide it's best to go their separate ways. If that happens, Dallas, New York, and Phoenix could all be compelling fits.