WNBA free agency is hot right now! Here we go!
Chelsea Gray also leaves the Sparks. She’s reportedly going to the Aces.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Gregory Payan/AP
The WNBA free agency period begins on Monday, February 1. But that doesn’t mean that players can’t come to agreements with teams. The ink on the contract will be put on Monday at the earliest. In the meantime…
CHELSEA GRAY reportedly agrees to a deal with the LAS VEGAS ACES.
Report initially from The Next.
This is the second core player from the Sparks that decided to bolt. We know about Candace Parker leaving for the Chicago Sky.
The Aces did lose Kayla McBride but they gain a premier point guard. She joins MVP A’ja Wilson, Liz Cambage, Angel McCoughtry, Kelsey Plum, and two-time 6th Woman of the Year winner Dearica Hamby, which sounds like a devastating squad on paper. Remember that the Aces made the WNBA Finals last season.
Gray was part of the 2016 WNBA champion Sparks before she blossomed into an elite point guard. She made the All-WNBA Second Team in 2017 and then the First Team in 2019. Man, that Aces team looks loaded even after losing McBride.
AERIAL POWERS reportedly is going to sign with the MINNESOTA LYNX.
Chris Haynes from Yahoo! Sports reported this deal. Man, the Lynx were semifinalists last season and they add two excellent scorers in McBride and now Aerial Powers (who has one of the best sports names of all-time).
Powers averaged 16.3 points last season in 6 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in the Wubble. She was an excellent bench scorer for the Washington Mystics in their championship run in 2019.
As if the Minnesota Lynx needed more offense, right? My gosh.
ALYSHA CLARK is reportedly going to the WASHINGTON MYSTICS.
Per the report by the excellent Rachel Galligan of WInsidr.
This is a big loss for the defending champion Seattle Storm.
Alysha Clark transformed herself into an elite defensive player in the W. She has spent all 9 years of her WNBA career with the Seattle Storm. She was an integral part of the 2018 and 2020 WNBA championship runs with the Storm. We even remember her gritty putback against the Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Semis last season.
Now she joins the team that the Storm beat in 2018, the Washington Mystics. She is really going to help the Mystics lock down some opponents next season.
ALLISHA GRAY reportedly stays with the DALLAS WINGS.
B. Terrell from WInsidr had this report.
The Wings needed to keep Gray, who was clearly their third best player last season after Arika Ogunbowale (who led the league in scoring) and Satou Sabally (the #2 pick of last year’s draft). Gray, who won an NCAA championship at South Carolina along with A’ja Wilson, will continue to provide scoring and veteran leadership for this Dallas team.
Allisha Gray averaged 13.1 points and 4.2 boards last season.
JASMINE THOMAS has reportedly agreed to stay with the CONNECTICUT SUN.
Jasmine Thomas has been with the Sun since 2015. She has been their starting point guard since she got there and has been an important part in their playoff runs. Thomas helped them get to the WNBA Finals in 2019 and scored a career-best 31 points in the WNBA Semis against Las Vegas.
The Sun need all the troops they can because Alyssa Thomas tore her Achilles (get better soon!) a few weeks ago.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else. GG.