2022 WNBA Mock Free Agency Podcast Summary

Details of the second annual edition of our Mock Offseason podcast, including how you can listen or watch, and the deals that went down

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also buy Her Hoop Stats gear, such as laptop stickers, mugs, and shirts!

Haven’t subscribed to the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter yet?

---

In reality, WNBA free agency begins on January 1, when teams can begin to send out qualifying offers and make core decisions. Players can then start discussing deals from January 15, and sign contracts from February 1. We here at Her Hoop Stats beat them to it. For the second time, we handed the reins of each franchise over to a group of knowledgeable WNBA writers and simulated the offseason in podcast form (with thanks for the inspiration still due to the Dunc’d On Podcast’s NBA variant). Following all the official league rules, and using the accurate team and player salary data you can find on our Cap Sheets, we went through all the negotiations and haggling that you’d expect in reality - with the same mathematical constraints and hurdles that the real GMs have to struggle with.

Gabe Ibrahim hosted and served as the player agent, looking for the best opportunities and deals for each player; Kevin Pelton of ESPN played GM of the Seattle Storm and Dallas Wings; Sabreena Merchant of SB Nation handled the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury; Richard Cohen controlled the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever; Alford Corriette took on the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces; Jacqueline LeBlanc managed the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun; and Aaron Barzilai rounded out the group with the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx. Jacob Mox of Her Hoop Stats was also on the call as the league office to help keep track and make sure that everyone stayed within the rules.

For all the twists and turns of GMs making decisions and deals while battling each other for different players, you’ll have to listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (Part I, Part II, Part III), Spotify (Part I, Part II, Part III), or wherever you get your podcasts. This year, if you’re so inclined, you can even watch how events unfolded on YouTube (Part I, Part II, Part III). However, for a basic summary of the moves and contracts you can check out the lists below. There will also be more coverage of the results of the Mock Offseason to come soon.

Core designations applied:

• Tiffany Hayes cored by Atlanta

• Kahleah Copper cored by Chicago

• Jonquel Jones cored by Connecticut

• Liz Cambage cored by Las Vegas

• Breanna Stewart cored by Seattle

Unrestricted Free Agent Contracts signed:

• Jewell Loyd re-signed with Seattle, 4yrs/$953,431 ($228,094/$234,936/$241,779/$248,622)

• Sylvia Fowles re-signed with Minnesota, 2yrs/$463,030 ($228,094/$234,936)

• Breanna Stewart re-signed with Seattle, 1yr/$228,094

• Liz Cambage re-signed with Las Vegas, 1yr/$228,094

• Tiffany Hayes re-signed with Atlanta, 1yr/$228,094

• Jonquel Jones re-signed with Connecticut, 1yr/$228,094

• Kahleah Copper re-signed with Chicago, 4yrs/$877,800 ($210,000/$216,300/$222,600/$228,900)

• Courtney Vandersloot re-signed with Chicago, 4yrs/$800,000 ($200,000/$200,000/$200,000/$200,000)

• Emma Meesseman signed with New York, 3yrs/$606,463 ($196,267/$202,154/$208,042)

• Sue Bird re-signed with Seattle, 1yr/$170,000

• Tina Charles signed with Seattle, 1yr/$170,000

• Allie Quigley re-signed with Chicago, 1yr/$150,000

• Nia Coffey signed with Indiana, 2yrs/$274,050 ($135,000/$139,050)

• Elizabeth Williams re-signed with Atlanta, 1yr/$130,000

• Layshia Clarendon re-signed with Minnesota, 1yr/$125,000

• Stefanie Dolson signed with Atlanta, 2yrs/$243,600 ($120,000/$123,600)

• Courtney Williams signed with Chicago, 1yr/$120,000

• Riquna Williams signed with Seattle, 2yrs/$203,000 ($100,000/$103,000)

• Angel McCoughtry signed with Seattle, 1yr/$100,000

• Briann January re-signed with Connecticut, 2yrs/$181,685 ($89,500/$92,185)

• Sophie Cunningham re-signed with Phoenix, 1yr/$85,000

• Crystal Bradford signed with Phoenix, 1yr/$80,000

• Rebecca Allen signed with Washington, 1yr/$93,000

• Kiah Stokes re-signed with Las Vegas, 1yr/$72,141

Restricted Free Agent Contracts signed:

• Myisha Hines-Allen signed with Washington, 3yrs/$606,463 ($196,267/$202,154/$208,042)

• A’ja Wilson re-signed with Las Vegas, 1yr/$196,267

• Mercedes Russell signed with New York, 3yrs/$525,300 ($170,000/$175,100/$180,200)

• Diamond DeShields signed with Atlanta, 2yrs/$253,750 ($125,000/$128,750)

• Jordin Canada re-signed with Seattle, 3yrs/$355,350 ($115,000/$118,450/$121,900)

Suspended-Contract Expired player signed:

• Marine Johannes signed with Indiana, 1yr/$115,000

Trades:

• Atlanta traded Cheyenne Parker to Dallas for Isabelle Harrison and Charli Collier

• Los Angeles traded Kristi Toliver to Dallas for Moriah Jefferson and the 2021 #7 pick

• New York traded the rights to Marine Johannes to Indiana for the 2021 #25 pick

Significant players waived:

• Kia Vaughn by Phoenix

• Sydney Wiese by Washington

• Erica McCall by Washington

• Epiphanny Prince by Seattle

• Mikiah Herbert Harrigan by Seattle

• Kennedy Burke by Seattle

• Asia Durr by New York

• Han Xu by New York

Notable players we didn’t get to:

• Monique Billings

• Odyssey Sims

• Lindsay Allen

• Stephanie Talbot

• Rachel Banham

• Shatori Walker-Kimbrough

• Jessica Breland

• Bridget Carleton

• Maria Vadeeva

• Te'a Cooper

• Temi Fagbenle

• JiSu Park

• Karlie Samuelson

• Victoria Vivians

• Julie Allemand

• Cecilia Zandalasini

• Emma Cannon

• Asia Durr

• Kia Vaughn

• Epiphanny Prince

• Sydney Wiese

• Erica McCall

• Han Xu

• Kennedy Burke

• Mikiah Herbert Harrigan

We hope you enjoyed our 2nd annual Mock Free Agency Podcast! If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or feedback, please leave them in the comments. If not, hope you enjoy free agency. We’re looking forward to it as well as continuing our tradition of the Mock Free Agency Podcast next year.

---

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.