Seattle Storm Free Agency: Time to Recruit - Part 1

The Storm have money to spend, who should they bring in?

Free Agents in the WNBA can sign contracts on February 1st, but players can officially begin negotiating new contracts on January 15th. Thanks to the incredible work from the team at HerHoopStats.com we have a really good idea of each team’s contract status and how much salary cap they can spend in free agency.

Ever since the new CBA went into effect prior to the 2020 WNBA season, free agency has been quite the rollercoaster. Over the past two years we’ve seen Tina Charles traded from New York to Washington, Skylar Diggins-Smith traded from Dallas to Phoenix, Angel McCoughtry leaving the Atlanta Dream for the Las Vegas Aces, DeWanna Bonner getting traded to the Connecticut Sun, Seimone Augustus even left the Minnesota Lynx to join their arch-rivals the Los Angeles Sparks. And that was all in 2020.

Then in 2021, we saw Candace Parker leave Los Angeles to head home to Chicago, Alysha Clark left Seattle, Washington for Washington D.C. The New York Liberty traded for Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb while trading Kia Nurse away to the Phoenix Mercury. While those were all trades, they were trades made because their former teams either couldn’t afford to retain them or didn’t want to sign them to long-term extensions. Chelsea Gray left the Sparks to join the Aces as did Riquna Williams. Betnjiah Laney took her career to a new level after signing with the New York Liberty.

Needless to say, between trades and free agency the player movement in the WNBA over the past two seasons has been incredible. And we should expect even more movement during the 2022 off-season with some incredible superstars and excellent role players available in free agency. If you’re curious both Bleacher Report and ESPN have put out their lists of the top WNBA free agents this year. Three recent league MVPs are all free agents this year in Jonquel Jones (2021), A’ja Wilson (2020), and Breanna Stewart (2018).

For the Storm specifically, their Big 3 of Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart are all unrestricted free agents this off-season. And while the team can afford to retain all three that certainly isn’t a guarantee. What we do know is that Sue Bird is coming back to play in the WNBA in 2022. Bird announced last Friday via her Instagram that she would come back to play another year. The Seattle sports legend was mulling retirement after the team was eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the WNBA Playoffs this past season.

While Bird is technically an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team. At this point of her career, she’s only going to play for Seattle. I think it’s safe to say we can pencil Bird’s salary into the Storm’s available salary cap and go from there to predict what type of free agency moves Seattle can make this off-season.

There are a lot of talented players available to sign this off-season. Throughout the rest of this article, I’ll take a look at some dream scenarios and some more realistic options that Seattle’s front office can make to build a championship squad in 2022.

The salary cap in the WNBA for 2022 is $1,379,200. That means teams can’t spend more than that and they need to have at least 11 players on the roster per the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).

Within the new CBA player salaries were increased significantly more than the actual salary cap was. This creates additional problems as players want to get paid significantly more but General Managers are limited in the number of large contracts they can payout. Minnesota’s Coach and GM Cheryl Reeve spoke on this recently and was quoted in this New York Times article.

“The $300,000 increase in the salary cap was not significant. It was highly lauded that we were doing better for the players. And, yeah, for the supermax players, there’s separation now.” said Cheryl Reeve.

Currently, the Storm have five players under contract totaling $392,964. That means Seattle has $986,236 to spend on free agency this year. While that may sound like a lot, it really isn’t when factoring in that Seattle will likely spend over $600,000 on Bird, Loyd, and Stewart if they are able to retain all three. The team would then have less than $400,000 remaining for 3-4 more players to complete the roster. One of those spots could go to their 1st round pick which would cost them roughly $66,000.

Another factor is that all five players currently under contract are all signed to unprotected deals, meaning the Storm can cut any of the five to free up more cap space to bring on a bigger name player. With that said, only Epiphanny Prince has a contract above $100,000. The other four players (Ezi Magbegor, Katie Lou Samuelson, Kennedy Burke, and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan) are all on rookie team-friendly deals ranging from $60,000-$75,000 per player. If the team is going to have 3-4 players that are all making around $200,000 or more then they are going to need several players signed in that $60,000-$90,000 range.

What happens if the Storm re-sign Bird, Loyd, and Stewart?

Sue Bird’s last two contracts were for $215,000 (2020) and $221,450 (2021). Bird may be willing to take slightly less if it means both Loyd and Stewart are back but I would still expect her to make around $200,000 in 2022.

If Seattle is going to keep Stewart and Loyd the Storm will need to offer them each the Supermax contract worth $228,094 per year. That means between the three players the Storm will likely be paying over $650,000. That will certainly limit what the team can do with outside free agents. And may also limit their ability to bring back their restricted free agents (Jordin Canada, Mercedes Russell, and Stephanie Talbot).

In this scenario, the team would have roughly used up $1,115,152 of their available $1,379,200 in cap space on nine players. The current five under contract - Epiphanny Prince, Ezi Magbegor, Katie Lou Samuelson, Kennedy Burke, and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. Plus Seattle’s Big 3 of Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd, and Breanna Stewart and potentially their 2022 1st round draft pick. That would give the front office roughly $264,048 to sign 2-3 more players.

They could use that money to try and retain Canada, Russell, and Talbot but would likely only be able to afford two of them. Alternatively, they could also look to fill those remaining spots with a higher-priced free agent ($170,000-$200,000) and a player on a minimum type deal. That cost-effective player could be someone like Karlie Samuelson, Cierra Burdick, an outside free agent on a minimum deal, or another draft pick.

If the team is not able to bring back all of the Big 3 then they will have at least an extra $200,000 to spend in free agency to recruit another A-Tier free agent or pick up two solid depth pieces.

Free Agents

Jonquel Jones has already been given the core tag per Rachel Galligan. I would expect the Aces to do the same with A’ja Wilson. I’d be surprised if the Storm don’t use their tag on either Jewell Loyd or Breanna Stewart (they can only tag one). If the Chicago Sky use the core tag I believe they’d favor using it on Kahleah Copper over Courtney Vandersloot.

While I certainly wouldn’t hate the idea of Vandersloot coming home to finish her career in Seattle (Vandersloot played high school and college in the state of WA). It’s hard to imagine that would happen unless Seattle managed to get both Vandersloot and her wife, Allie Quigley. That seems unlikely and more or less impossible as long as Sue Bird is still playing with the Storm.

Let’s dive into some of the top and mid-tier free agents available that the Storm could consider trying to sign this off-season. With the list of players below, I won’t be including Seattle’s own free agents because I covered them in the previous article written last week.

In this article, I’ll cover the post players and in Part 2 we’ll go over the Wings and Guards that are available.

Post Players

This free agent class of post players (Power Forwards, Centers) is very strong. Even beyond the recent MVP players like Stewart, Wilson, and Jonquel Jones, we have players like Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles, Liz Cambage, Myisha Hines-Allen, Stefanie Dolson, and Elizabeth Williams.

Sylvia Fowles

Free Agent Status: UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent)
Previous Salary: $117,894
16.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.8 BPG

After a disappointing injury-plagued season in 2020, Sylvia Fowles returned stronger than ever winning the Defensive Player of the Year award while also averaging a double-double for the season. Fowles is still a dominant presence in the low post and would be a huge asset to any team.

I fully expected Fowles to return to Minnesota and I still think that’s the most likely scenario. But with Napheesa Collier set to miss the entire 2022 season on maternity leave and Fowles nearing retirement, would she consider signing with a team that may have a better chance at winning the title in 2022?

Seattle would fit that bill and she would be a huge piece for the Storm. Fowles could team up with long-time Olympic teammate, Sue Bird, as they both go for one last WNBA Championship in their careers.

However, signing Fowles would almost certainly mean the team would have to lose out on re-signing Mercedes Russell. Is one season with Fowles worth losing Mercedes Russell? That’s a tough question to answer. It’s also likely that Fowles will need a large increase in pay. Fowles's previous contract was all under the previous CBA where her max earnings were less than $120,000 per year. She deserves more than that and likely will command somewhere between $175,000-$220,000.

Tina Charles

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $175,000
23.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 BPG

Tina Charles has been a player that Coach Noelle Quinn has always thought of in high regard. Charles has also killed Seattle in multiple games over the years whether she’s with the Washington Mystics or the New York Liberty. Coach Quinn wants another big that can stretch the floor. Charles shot 37% from three-point range this past season which is something she’s really developed in the latter part of her career.

Charles led the WNBA in scoring last season and can really take over a game with her offensive ability. The questions for the Storm regarding Charles would be 1) Is she willing to take on a lesser role behind Stewart and presumably Loyd. 2) Would she be willing to play for less money (between $150-175K)? 3) How aggressive will the Washington Mystics be in retaining Charles?

That last question will be interesting because the Mystics will have some tough choices to make. Whether they want to try and retain Myisha Hines-Allen or Charles. Also, will they be able to convince Emma Meesseman to come back? If they do, Charles is likely going elsewhere.

Adding Charles to an offense that already includes Stewart and Loyd would make life for opposing defenses absolutely miserable. Stewart and Charles would both benefit as teams would be limited in their ability to double team either if they’re both out on the hardwood together. And Stewart and Charles are both able to play inside or out on the perimeter which should eliminate any issues with spacing on the court.

Liz Cambage

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $221,450
14.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Liz Cambage is probably the most interesting free agent story to follow this off-season outside of Jewell Loyd. All eyes are on Loyd and whether she wants to return to the Storm or start a new chapter somewhere else. For Cambage, it’s unclear but seems doubtful that she will be back with the Las Vegas Aces. The combination of Cambage and Wilson has not worked and I suspect the Aces are ready to move in a new direction.

Vegas has had enough talent on their rosters to win the WNBA Championship the past three years and they haven’t accomplished that goal. The only season they made it to the WNBA Finals was in 2020 when Cambage sat out which allowed A’ja Wilson to flourish into the league’s MVP.

Cambage is extremely talented but it’s hard to know what you’re going to get with her. She sat out many seasons instead of playing in Oklahoma with the Tulsa Shock. She also sat out the 2020 pandemic Wubble season (many other players did as well).

There are other issues. Her personality seems to rub some people the wrong way. Whether fair or unfair she has been labeled as a Diva that is difficult to work with. Beyond that, recently she was kicked off the Australian National Team just days before the Tokyo Olympics due to an incident with the Nigerian players during an exhibition game in Las Vegas. Not only was she kicked off the Olympic team for that incident she was not invited to participate in the 2022 World Cup team which is being hosted by her native country of Australia.

On top of all that, with Cambage’s talent comes a very high price tag. She was making the supermax $221,450 last season. I don’t expect any team is going to be able to sign Cambage for significantly less. She may not get the supermax but I would expect her to get at least $175,000-$200,000 on any deal she signs. Like Brittney Griner, Cambage can be a dominant force in the low post. She can completely take over a game when she gets things rolling. We’ve seen it a number of times including when she set the all-time scoring record in a game with 53 points against the New York Liberty in 2018.

Looking over the rosters if she doesn’t return to Las Vegas I’m really not certain where she ends up. New York would have been an option but now that Sandy Brondello has taken over as the head coach of the Liberty that may be a non-starter. Brondello is the coach who (presumably) kicked Cambage off the Australian National team. I can’t imagine Cambage would go back to Dallas after she essentially forced her way out of that organization. And I have a hard time picturing her playing in Indiana.

Atlanta might be a possibility and they certainly have the money to attract a big-time free agent. Los Angeles could make some sense but they have limited cap space unless Chiney Ogwumike or Kristi Toliver retires.

That could leave Seattle as a potential option. Especially if she was willing to come in and play for less money. She’s not necessarily an ideal fit with Seattle’s up and down high-paced offense. However, she can stretch the floor and hit the three. And maybe, more importantly, Breanna Stewart can stretch the floor much better than A’ja Wilson can. This would allow Cambage to dominate the paint down low.

While Cambage certainly isn’t an excellent defensive player she does affect shots down low. The size of her and Stewart would be an intimidating frontcourt against a lot of teams in this league.

Myisha Hines-Allen

Free Agent Status: RFA (Restricted Free Agent)
Previous Salary: $70,040
12.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG

Myisha Hines-Allen had a breakout season for Washington in 2020 where she averaged 17.0 PPG and 8.9 RPG and was named All-WNBA Second Team and was a finalist for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. With a reduced role in 2021, she still put up impressive numbers and should be in line for a pretty good bump in her salary this year.

She is a restricted free agent which means the Mystics will have the opportunity to match any other offer she receives from different teams. However, Hines-Allen may price herself out of where Washington is comfortable paying. In that situation, the team may look to trade her or just let her sign with another team.

Hines-Allen plays bigger than her 6’1” height would indicate. She is a physical presence down low and I think she would pair pretty well with Stewie. I don’t think she would be Seattle’s top choice and as a restricted free agent she is less likely to sign a deal than some of these other unrestricted free agents. However, she is very talented and would be a big pick-up for any team that signs her including Seattle.

Stefanie Dolson

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $175,000
7.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 BPG

One thing Coach Noelle Quinn stated after the season was over was that she’d like the team to get another big who can shoot the three. Dolson, like Liz Cambage, would fit that bill.

Dolson got into the best shape of her life and was a key player in helping the Chicago Sky win its first championship in 2021. Her clutch baskets late in Game 4 helped seal the victory for Chicago.

I don’t necessarily believe Dolson is the best fit in Seattle unless they were able to get her for much cheaper than what she made in 2021. It’ll be interesting to see where Dolson goes or if she re-signs with Chicago. I think there’s a good chance the Sky won’t be able to afford to retain her while keeping some higher priority players. If that is the case maybe Seattle could get her on a more team-friendly deal.

Dolson has good size at 6’ 5” and she’s able to hold her own against the biggest centers in the league. Her ability to stretch the floor with her perimeter shot is definitely an asset and something highly valued in Seattle. She also has some chemistry playing with Breanna Stewart in college and with Katie Lou Samuelson on the Olympic 3x3 team this past year.

Elizabeth Williams

Free Agent Status: UFA
Previous Salary: $119,000
5.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.3 BPG

Elizabeth Williams is a player I’ve always liked coming out of college. Back during the 2015 WNBA Draft, I thought the Storm should have taken Williams with the 3rd overall pick instead of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. KML felt like a redundant pick with the team already taking Loyd number one overall. In retrospect, they probably should have selected Dearica Hamby 3rd overall. But then again, maybe if they had taken Williams or Hamby they wouldn’t have had the chance to get Stewie #1 overall in 2016.

Williams is a player that is somewhat limited offensively but has always been a strong defensive presence. She would be a good option if the team wasn’t able to sign a higher-tier player like Fowles, Cambage, or Charles.

Williams likely wouldn’t cost much more than she made last year at around $120,000. She might even take a slight pay cut to play for a more competitive team instead of staying in Atlanta.

Breanna Stewart plays especially well when paired with a defensive center as we saw with Natasha Howard in 2018 and 2020. While Williams doesn’t have the same athleticism that Howard does she could definitely be a strong asset to the Storm. Her ability to defend the opposing team’s best post player would allow Stewart to conserve more energy on the defensive end and take advantage of more opportunities to score on the offensive side of the ball.

Williams could be a low-key big addition to the Storm.

The most exciting thing about this off-season is the Storm could run it back with almost the exact same roster as 2021 or they could really look to change things up and bring in some different pieces to try and win their 5th WNBA Championship. And with this likely being Sue Bird’s final season how might that impact their decision-making? Will they go all-in at the cost of future seasons? We are about to find out!

Final Notes: Free Agency is going to be incredibly exciting! It’ll be interesting to see if the Storm’s front office can work their magic to retain their best players and bring in some quality other pieces. I also want to hear from you! Add your comments on which players you think the Storm should make a run at in free agency!

Keep an eye out for Part 2 that will come out later this week as I take a look at the available Wings/Guards and some other scenarios. As always a huge thanks to my subscribers for all of your support! And once again, a big shout out to HerHoopStats for providing the data on player salaries, stats, and more that allows me to write more informative articles like this one.