What's Going On With The WNBA

Toronto Tempo make WNBA history with Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes 7-figure contract signings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Tempo aren't holding back.

The WNBA expansion team is leaning in to putting together a talented roster for its first year of existence, and that looks like it'll start in the backcourt with Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes.

On Friday, ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported that Mabrey and Sykes have each agreed to two-year max contracts with the Tempo. That makes them "the first known million dollar backcourt pairing," according to Philippou.

The new CBA agreed to this offseason allows for deals up to $1.4 million per year, and while it's not clear whether Mabrey and Sykes met the exact criteria for that total, any "max" deal under the new collective bargaining agreement will reach seven figures.

MORE: WNBA free agency live grades

Toronto may not have been the team many expected to have the first seven-figure guard duo, but the Tempo assessed what was available to them and found the money to make it happen.

Mabrey and Sykes were once rivals in the ACC at Notre Dame and Syracuse, respectively. Now they're teammates in the WNBA.

Mabrey is one of the league's most talented shooters. In 2025 for the Connecticut Sun, she averaged 14.4 points and 4.0 assists per game, although her 3-point percentage was the worst of her career at just 27%. Just a season earlier, she had been at 42.4% from beyond the arc, and for her career is 34.7% from deep.

Sykes is a bucket getter and a pest of a defender. Splitting 2025 between Seattle and Washington, she averaged 14.1 points, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game while making it to her first All-Star Game.

The Tempo had selected Mabrey's rights in the WNBA expansion draft and were able to keep her on board. Sykes was a free agent and simply chose to come join Toronto.

It can be tricky for expansion teams to compete right away, but having so much of the WNBA in free agency this offseason likely increases their chances. It certainly won't hurt to have a veteran backcourt that can both score the ball and make plays for others.

Mabrey and Sykes will be well compensated, and now their job is to create good vibes around the Tempo right from the outset.

The Toronto Tempo are coming out swinging in their very first WNBA free agency, signing the WNBA’s first million-dollar backcourt. Per ESPN, the Tempo are signing Marina Mabrey (who they cored this week) as well as Brittney Sykes to 2-year, max contracts.

As the core player for the Tempo, Mabrey was eligible for $1.4 million this year, but likely negotiated a 2-year contract at the regular max of $1.19 million in year one with a slight bump up in 2027. The Tempo chose her from the Connecticut Sun in the expansion draft with the intention to core her.

Sykes comes to Toronto by way of Seattle, where she was traded midseason in 2025. She’s a strong two-way shooting guard, a WNBA All-Star, and a 4x WNBA All-Defense selection. Her veteran presence was significant on the Washington Mystics at the beginning of last season, which is likely a big reason Toronto had sought her out.

For a team that started from zero on a compact timeline, the Tempo have been taking big swings. The idea of coming out competitively in year one is an intriguing experiment for an expansion franchise, something Golden State did well in 2o25. Right now, the Tempo have the 11th-best title odds in the WNBA in 2026, at +150,000, according to our friends at FanDuel, but they were always unlikely to win a championship in year one. These signings are about setting a standard of professionalism for a new franchise, and growing a culture to build upon.

Bringing in Sykes as a veteran leader is definitely a good move to build culture on a new team, and pairing her with an instant fan-fav like Mabrey is just fun.

Right now, the Tempo’s roster is still very small and very guard-heavy. The idea of spending a max contract on Sykes when you possibly could have spent that money on a solid frontcourt player raises eyebrows and creates a little bit of risk, but it’s still early in free agency. There is still a good chunk of money and lots of good players left on the market for Toronto to get the depth they need. Overall, the Sykes move is very fun for the new Toronto team, and both of these players should quickly become fan favorites in the new WNBA city.

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE: THIS IS NOW A SEATTLE STORM BLOG.

As confirmed by ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, former Marquette Golden Eagles guard Natisha Hiedmean will be signing a two year free agent contract with the Seattle Storm. The deal ends her two year run in Minnesota and will keep her in the WNBA for an eighth and ninth season.

Hiedman averaged a career best 9.1 points per game last season for the Lynx while coming off the bench for 18.9 minutes per game for the WNBA’s best regular season team. She also added 1.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while getting back to a quality number behind the three-point line. Hiedeman was well off of her career average in 2024, connecting on just 28% of her three-point attempts, but she was back up to 37.1% on 2.8 attempts per game, right in line with her career average of 37.6%.

Seattle finished 23-21 last season, which was good enough to earn the #7 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. They lost 2-1 to eventual champions Las Vegas in the first round, so it’s safe to say that they’ll be looking to improve on that campaign this year. The Storm did not lose anyone to Portland or Toronto in the expansion draft, but it’s hard to nail down exactly how Seattle might shape up this season because there are so many players who timed their contracts to end in concert with the start of the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement. Amongst those players are Seattle’s top three scorers from last season, and one of them, Nneka Ogwumike, has already signaled that she will not be returning to the Storm.

One true loss as a result of this signing? The likely end of the StudBudz, Hiedeman’s streaming partnership with Minnesota Lynx teammate Courtney Williams. It’s possible that the last time we see the StudBudz together in a meaningful way will have been at the 2026 NCAA Final Four, as they partnered up with ESPN on the alternate broadcast from courtside.

No matter what, Natisha Hiedeman remains the only Marquette player to ever appear in the WNBA, and until that changes, the tone and tenor of this website will float and flutter in the breeze as her contract situation dictates.

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The season ends Sunday in Toronto vs the Raptors. The Nets are hoping for the best which is really the worst possible regular season record. Right now, barring some surprises, the Nets should finish top three with a 52.1% chance of a top four pick and a 14.0% chance at the overall No. 1.

The Draft Lottery will be held on May 10, a month from Friday, but in the meantime, there will be activity. Sean Marks and Jordi Fernandez will talk to the media and prospects will start to arrive at HSS Training Center for workouts and interviews. With the Nets likely to be picking high, it’s hard to imagine anyone turning down a chance to show their wares to the Brooklyn brass. Indeed, it’s entirely possible that process could begin as early as Monday.

Bottom line: the next couple of months will be as consequential as the Summer of 2019 when they signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan and drafted Nic Claxton (in the second round, it should be noted, with the Knicks pick.)

So, here…we… go!

—April 12: NBA regular season ends. The Nets lottery position will finally be known. Watch out for ties. If there is a three-way tie for 3rd, 4th and 5th spots, the Nets could drop to as low as 9th. The Nets two second round slots will also be known. Their own second will be determined by regular season records. The Nets also have the Clippers pick which is hovering at No. 42 but could move down.

—April 13: Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3:00 p.m. ET)

—April 13: The Nets annual end-of-season review which will feature Sean Marks, Jordi Fernandez and select players. Whether the early morning session — think 10:00 a.m. ET — will be fed live on the Nets official site is TBA.

—April 13: First prospects arrive at HSS Training Center for workouts and interviews. Expect upwards of 75 prospects to get the call.

—April 13: WNBA Draft. Liberty have only one pick at No. 41 in the third round, having previously traded away their first and second round picks. Draft is also big for trades.

—April 15-17: The Portsmouth Invitational, the first of the draft combines, will be held in Virginia. It’s basically an opportunity for college seniors to attract attention not just for the NBA Draft, but the for the G League Draft and ultimately Summer League and training camp invitations.

—April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament

—April 18: NBA Playoffs begin

—April 19: WNBA training camps open. Chris DeMarco, the Liberty’s new coach, gets started.

—April 25: New York Liberty first preseason game at Barclays Center vs. the Indiana Pacers and Caitlin Clark. Game time: 3:00 p.m. ET. It’ll be Clark’s first action since an injured groin ended her season on January 25.

—May 3: New York Liberty’s second preseason game, this one vs. the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville. Another afternoon start at 3:00 p.m. ET.

—May 8-10: NBA G League Combine in Chicago. NBA and G League executives and scouts will be on hand.

—May 8: WNBA Regular Season Tip-Off. New York Liberty hosts the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center. All WNBA dates of course assume that the league and players union have a deal on a new CBA by this date.

—May 10: NBA Draft Lottery. Biggest day in franchise history since … the Clean Sweep back in 2019, KD’s departure in 2023? Breathe in, breathe out. The actual selection will take place at halftime of a playoff game. Details TBA.

—May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Teams will be watching prospects get measured, participate in skills competitions, etc. and talking to them as well.

—June 1-17: WNBA Commissioner’s Cup tournament.

—June 5-7: Adidas Camp in Treviso, Italy, not far from Venice. The overseas equivalent of the NBA combine.

—June 24-25: Likely dates for the first and second round of the NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Sean Marks has made moves within 48 hours of the Draft nine times in his 10-year tenure as GM. No reason to think he won’t be active again this year.

—June 30: WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship

—July 1: Teams can approach free agents at 12:00 p.m. ET. Rumors of deals start to get reported at 12:01 p.m. Nets are currently projected to have as much as $50 million in cap space entering free agency, likely in top two or three.

—July 6: Free agent contracts can be signed, starting at 12:oo p.m. ET.

—July 6: Michael Porter Jr. eligible for a four-year $234 million extension starting in 2027-28. The final agreement is likely to be a bit smaller, but bigger than the $40.8 million he will make in 2026-27. One suggestion posed by Yossi Gozlan of capsheets.com is a contract starting at round $49 million then decreasing over the course of four years, offering the Nets more flexibility with cap space going forward.

—July 9-19: NBA Summer League, Las Vegas. Big outing for whoever the Nets take at the Draft, assuming he is healthy. Also expect

—July 24-25: WNBA All-Star Weekend (Chicago)

—August 31 – September 16: FIBA World Cup break for WNBA players, coaches.

—September 24: Last day of WNBA regular season.

—September 27: WNBA Playoffs begin.

Nneka Ogwumike is headed back to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Ogwumike spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Los Angeles after she was drafted No. 1 by the team in 2012. She won the MVP in 2016 and helped the franchise win the WNBA championship that season.

The veteran forward posted on social media a 45-second video that showed her intentions to return to the Sparks, which her agent confirmed was accurate. Free agents can't sign until Saturday.

“It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon…” Ogwumike wrote in the post. The video showed highlights of her time in Los Angeles.

The 35-year-old Ogwumike averaged 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds for Seattle last season — her second with the Storm.

It's been a busy offseason for Ogwumike. She presided over collective bargaining negotiations as president of the union and helped get a transformational new deal that saw average salaries rise nearly four-times what they were in the previous CBA.

The Sparks have a talented group to go with Ogwumike as the team gave the franchise tag to guard Kelsey Plum, who is also on the union's executive committee, as well as young star Cameron Brink.

This is the busiest offseason in WNBA history with 80% of the players in the league being free agents.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Caitlin Clark gets the best $1.4 million Fever free agent news originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Caitlin Clark must be smiling on Friday.

Her Indiana Fever got the best possible $1.4 million news in WNBA free agency.

The scoop: Kelsey Mitchell is signing a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract to return to Indiana, according to Chiney Ogwumike.

Clark and the Fever get her most talented backcourt mate back for another year.

Mitchell has signed the new maximum salary in the WNBA after the new collective bargaining agreement, too, so it's an awesome day for the star guard from Ohio State.

MORE: Live analysis of the biggest WNBA free agent signings and trades

While Clark missed much of the 2025 season with injury, Mitchell proved just how much of a superstar she can be.

She averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game and finished fifth in league MVP voting.

Mitchell also dished out 3.4 assists per game and snatched 0.9 steals per contest.

She shot a blistering 39.4% from 3-point range on high volume, and she has shot 39% or better from deep in each of the past four seasons.

When Clark has been on the floor with Mitchell, they've proven capable of co-existing at a high level. They're both impressive shooters and playmakers, and they both have the basketball IQ to move off the ball when the other one has it.

Mitchell was part of a massive class of top-tier WNBA free agents, so it wasn't a given that she would be the big-money signing coming to Indiana this offseason, but in the end, the Fever have latched on to the familiar. 

Given the talent level that Mitchell brings to join Clark and company, it could work out quite nicely for all involved.

Ten-time WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike will rejoin the Los Angeles Sparks after two seasons with the Seattle Storm, a source close to the decision confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. The move was first reported by Ogwumike’s sister Chiney, who is an analyst for ESPN.

The WNBA’s free-agent negotiation period began on Wednesday, and signings can be made official on Saturday. Ogwumike also visited Minnesota, the source said, but ultimately she landed on a return to the Sparks as she enters her 15th season.

The veteran forward played the first 12 seasons of her career with Los Angeles but moved to Seattle in free agency ahead of the 2024 season. When Ogwumike announced her departure from the franchise in early 2024, she said that she hoped it wasn’t goodbye but instead “see you later.” That later has now come.

Ogwumike has been one of the most consistent players in the league over the last decade, averaging 30 minutes a game during her career. Last season, while playing 31 minutes a game, she averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists while shooting 51 percent from the floor.

During her 12 seasons in Los Angeles, Ogwumike played under six different coaches as the franchise struggled to find consistency. Even so, in her fifth season, the Sparks won the 2016 WNBA championship and Ogwumike was the league MVP. She averaged career bests in points, rebounds, assists and shooting percentage that year.

Entering 2026, Ogwumike will be a particularly important piece of Los Angeles’ puzzle under second-year coach Lynne Roberts. The Sparks had already cored guard Kelsey Plum, and without a first-round draft pick, it seems as though the direction of this franchise will skew more veteran. That could include 12-year veteran Dearica Hamby, who has played the last three seasons in Los Angeles, and potentially eight-year veteran Ariel Atkins, who reportedly could be traded to the Sparks in exchange for Rickea Jackson, who’s entering her third year in the league.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA

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The 2026 WNBA season is heating up as attention turns toward the MVP race, but all eyes are also on the long-awaited return of Caitlin Clark as she prepares to rejoin the Indiana Fever this year.

Clark’s comeback instantly reshapes the league landscape, adding a new layer of intrigue to the MVP conversation and playoff picture.

While stars like A'ja Wilson continues to make her case with dominant scoring and standout performances, Clark’s return injects another elite-level force back into the mix—one capable of shifting momentum, elevating Indiana’s ceiling, and redefining the race down the stretch.

Let's take a look at the WNBA odds market with storylines already shaping the MVP picture.  

Team

Caitlin Clark	+250
A'ja Wilson	+250
Napheesa Collier	+500
Breanna Stewart	+1500
Alyssa Thomas	+1500
Rhyne Howard	+2500
Allisha Gray	+2500
Kelsey Plum	+3000
Sabrina Ionescu	+3000
Paige Bueckers	+3000

Odds as of April 6, 2026.

A healthy and fully rested Caitlin Clark enters the 2026 season with a legitimate path to the WNBA MVP award, even after a challenging stretch of injuries that included a season-ending groin issue and additional setbacks.

While durability concerns have briefly interrupted her early professional momentum, the underlying talent profile that made her a generational prospect remains unchanged—and arguably more dangerous with added motivation.

Clark’s elite playmaking, deep shooting range, and ability to dictate pace immediately elevate the Indiana Fever’s offensive ceiling.

When she’s on the floor, she functions as both a primary scorer and a system-level engine, generating efficient looks for teammates while forcing defenses to extend far beyond the arc. That dual impact is exactly what MVP voters tend to reward: not just volume production, but transformative influence on team success.

After a dominant 2025 campaign that reaffirmed her status as the league’s most unstoppable force, A'ja Wilson enters 2026 with a clear and compelling case to capture her fifth WNBA MVP award.

Anchoring the Las Vegas Aces on both ends of the floor, Wilson continues to define what sustained greatness looks like. Her two-way impact remains unmatched — serving as a primary scoring option in the half court while also controlling games defensively as an elite rim protector and rebounder.

Even in seasons where opponents scheme specifically to slow her down, she consistently finds ways to dictate tempo, draw attention, and elevate the efficiency of everyone around her.

What separates Wilson’s MVP résumé is not just peak performance, but repeat dominance. Coming off a season where she fully asserted herself as the league’s most reliable superstar, the expectation isn’t regression—it’s continuation.

If she maintains that level of production while leading Las Vegas back into title contention, the narrative for a fifth MVP becomes not just plausible, but unavoidable.

Even as she navigates recovery from an offseason ankle surgery that could influence her early-season availability, Napheesa Collier remains firmly in the 2026 WNBA MVP conversation and cannot be overlooked.

When healthy, Collier is one of the league’s most complete two-way forces—capable of anchoring a defense while also carrying a significant offensive workload for the Minnesota Lynx.

The concern, of course, is timing. Any lingering effects from surgery or a cautious ramp-up could temporarily limit her minutes or explosiveness early in the season.

But MVP races are rarely decided in one or two months alone — they’re shaped by sustained excellence over the course of the year. If Collier returns to form by midseason and regains her usual dominance, her two-way impact and leadership on a contending team will quickly reestablish her as a top-tier candidate.

In a crowded field, durability matters; but so does peak performance. And if Collier finds her rhythm, she has every tool needed to reinsert herself into the center of the MVP race.

Barring injuries, this award looks like Napheesa Collier’s to lose. After back-to-back standout seasons, her path has been repeatedly interrupted—whether by untimely setbacks or falling just short in postseason runs—keeping her from capturing a long-awaited MVP despite consistently playing at an elite level for the Minnesota Lynx.

Her MVP chase has felt like a series of “almosts,” but 2026 could finally be different. From her leadership role in league-wide conversations to earning major accolades in other competitions and showcase events, Collier has established herself as one of the most dominant forces in the game. If she returns fully healthy following surgery recovery, this season could be the moment she finally claims the WNBA’s top individual honor.

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Understanding WNBA MVP odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above.  If a player becomes a very strong favorite, their odds will be listed with a minus (-) sign ahead of the number. 

A'ja Wilson -110

The (-) means that Wilson is an odds-on favorite, and a bettor needs to wager $110 to win $100. Other contenders in the MVP race have plus (+) odds to win.

Breanna Stewart +300

Here, a bettor stands to profit $300 for a $100 wager on Stewart if she wins the award. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

WNBA MVP odds trends

Here are some trends you'll want to keep in mind when betting on WNBA MVP odds:

WNBA MVP has historically been a big woman's award. Diana Taurasi (2009) is the only pure guard to win since Cynthia Cooper (1997, '98).

Repeat winners are quite common, with eight players having won two or more MVP trophies in the award's 27-year history.

Seeding had been of increasing importance recently, with six of the previous seven MVP winners having being from the league's No. 1 overall seed. However, Wilson's unanimous 2024 win came from the 4-seed.

Popular basketball futures oddsWNBA championship oddsNBA championship oddsNBA Rookie of the Year oddsNBA Defensive Player of the Year odds

WNBA MVP history

A quick look at the last 10 WNBA MVPs, their position, and the team they played for. Stewart's 2023 win joins A'ja Wilson and Elena Delle Donne as repeat winners this decade. 

YearPlayerTeamPosition

2024	A'ja Wilson	Las Vegas	Center
2023	Breanna Stewart	New York	Forward
2022	A'ja Wilson	Las Vegas	Center
2021	Jonquel Jones	Connecticut	Forward
2020	A'ja Wilson	Las Vegas	Center
2019	Elena Delle Donne	Washington	Forward
2018	Breanna Stewart	Seattle	Forward
2017	Sylvia Fowles	Minnesota	Center
2016	Nneka Ogwumike	Los Angeles	Forward
2015	Elena Delle Donne	Chicago	Forward

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