The regular season is over, and while the 2024 WNBA playoffs are underway, it’s also time to turn our attention to how teams should approach the offseason.
A lot of answers are still to come. The league has yet to announce a date for the draft lottery, which was held in December last year. And in addition to April’s WNBA draft, the league will hold an expansion draft as the Golden State Valkyries join the league ahead of the 2025 season. Per league sources, it will take place before the January start of free agency, but the WNBA has yet to announce a date or rules for the Golden State expansion draft.
The Los Angeles Sparks, one of four teams that didn’t reach the playoffs this season, have the best odds for the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, at 44.2%.
In the meantime, we’re breaking down potential moves for each eliminated WNBA franchise, including a look at the state of each roster, team needs and priorities for each front office.
2024 record: 15-25 (8th)
Free agents: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (unrestricted), Aerial Powers (unrestricted), Tina Charles (unrestricted), Lorela Cubaj (reserved), Maya Caldwell (reserved)
2025 draft capital: The 16th and 28th overall selections
2024 recap: Atlanta’s season might have been saved by the Olympic break. The Dream lost eight in a row before the WNBA halted play in July and were three games out of a playoff spot. Three wins over eventual playoff teams immediately followed the return to action, and the season was saved. There were still separate four- and three-game losing streaks, but an 8-8 finish was good enough for a second straight postseason appearance. Much of the first-half struggles can be attributed to injuries. Rhyne Howard missed 10 games just before the pause, and Jordin Canada had two stints on the sidelines that totaled 18 games. Howard was especially good in the second half of the season, averaging 19 points per game and hitting the 30-point mark four times.
State of the roster: At this point of her career — and because she’s already had one retirement — Charles’ playing days must be considered a year-to-year proposition. The Dream would certainly welcome her back, perhaps on another one-year deal. The core of Howard, Canada and Allisha Gray, the Dream’s most consistent player, are under contract for 2025. That’s a good place to start, but there are questions after that. Injuries limited Powers to 17 games, and the production of Parker-Tyus fell off significantly. Both ended the season injured as well. It’s hard to imagine both being re-signed. Haley Jones, Naz Hillmon and Nia Coffey all have cap-friendly salaries, but none are making the impact the Dream need. Atlanta was near the bottom of the league in all the shooting and scoring metrics and was last in points and assists per game.
Biggest priority: Adding a power player who can score efficiently.
Biggest offseason question: If Charles doesn’t come back, what’s the plan? Even if the WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles elects to return, the Dream need to be better offensively. Of Atlanta’s top six scorers, Charles had the highest shooting percentage at 45.6%. Without a first-round pick (traded away to acquire Gray), the path to improving the offense is more difficult. The front office will either have to do something creative in free agency and/or the trade market, or Canada, Gray and Howard will have to become far more efficient. — Charlie Creme