MEDLEY, Fla. — On the eve of WNBA free agency, which begins last Tuesday, several of the league's decision makers gathered under the same roof.
Inside Wayfair Arena at Unrivaled, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon sits next to the basket post, with team president Nicky Fergus to her left, watching the end of the opening weekend of the 3×3 league. was. Members of the Dallas Wings' front office observed the game from across the court. Seattle Storm brass sat off the floor in a corner of the show court, while Los Angeles Sparks representatives were a few rows up. Representatives from the Atlanta Dream watched the game near center court.
WNBA teams were on hand to support their players and change their historic offseason routines to help launch a new league that could keep more star players in the U.S. during the offseason. . But there was another job in Florida. Free agent negotiations officially began on Tuesday.
Convenient scheduling has made Unrivaled the epicenter of all chatter, gossip, and deals.
“This is a great place to recruit free agents,” said Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud, who plays for the unrivaled Phantom Basketball Club.
Collapsing with WNBA free agency in the early stages of Unrivaled was not one of the league's original goals, co-founder Nafeesa Collier said. But it definitely added to the initial buzz — Sato Sabally, for example, used his first Unrivaled media access to tell reporters he wanted to be traded to the Wings. — and made it more convenient for free agents, coaches and GMs.
Courtney Vandersloot is an unrestricted free agent in the WNBA and plays for the Unrivaled Mist Basketball Club. Her first true free agent experience came after the Chicago Sky's 2021 title win. That offseason, she played for UMMC Yekaterinburg in Russia, attending evening meetings remotely after long practice days. “It was late at night. You're relying on technology, hoping the internet works,” Vandersloot said. “It doesn't feel very unique.”
now?
WNBA teams are stationed at hotels in the Miami area, scheduling meetings after unrivaled practices and around players' schedules.
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Eight WNBA free agents, including core players and restricted players, are on the Unrivaled roster. Sabally, Vandersloot, Alyssa Thomas, Dijonai Carrington and Brittney Griner are on the list. Other companies may also move through trade. Jewell Lloyd, a member of Unrivaled's Mist Basketball Club, is moving to the Aces in a deal that is likely to have a domino effect across the league.
Heading into Unrivaled's opening weekend, multiple players seemed light-hearted about what it means to be together in the same place during free agency. Vandersloot said whoever gave her a pack of IPA “may get a head start” in hiring her. Sabally joked that he had already received a few cups of coffee.
Cloud said he wants what's best for Sabally. But she added: “If it's Phoenix, I'm literally going to tell her I'll give up my apartment if she wants that too.”
As the Feb. 1 date for the deal's announcement approached, the reality of the negotiations set in and the cynicism faded.
“It's been a complete change. People are staying in the hallways and having real conversations,” said one player, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the recruiting process. “It's not a joke anymore.”
The WNBA is gearing up for its 28th season, but free agent recruiting is still a relatively new part of the winter. Ace guard Chelsea Gray said this in the 2020 free agency mini-documentary Uninterrupted: Why can't we let this happen to women as well? Why not have people say, 'We have to get her out on a plane?' ”
Two years ago, in the offseason, Istanbul, Turkey, became a crossroads in the cycle as the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, Minnesota Lynx and Storm tried to compete in the Brianna Stewart sweepstakes. Teams traveling abroad expressed interest in building relationships.
Currently, Unrivaled is a crossroads in the world of free agency, where players can conveniently form relationships with each other. Peer connections are the benefit of having everyone in one place.
“You can talk directly to other players and understand what kind of resources are out there and how important their team is to the owners. If you have a team owner who doesn't prioritize the women's team, They'll talk about it, and that's a place I'm not likely to go,” Sabally said.
Players can communicate their thoughts about the facility to each other. Multiple Unrivaled players, both free agents and signed players, said the topic came up in the dining room, sauna and weight room.
“It was fun hearing about players trying to get certain players on their team. It's like being able to hear other people's experiences as well,” said New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu. Ta.
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Not all franchises flocked to Florida right away. Minnesota Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve and assistant coach Eric Thibault were spotted at last Wednesday's EuroLeague game between Fenerbahce and Umana Layer Venezia. Free agent bigs Emma Messeman and Tina Charles are playing for the Turkish club, as is former Minnesota forward Nina Milic.
But by Friday night's Unrivaled action, they had arrived in Florida.
Lynx guard Courtney Williams said he has no plans to sign a free agent. But Williams acknowledged that could change in an instant.
“When (Cheryl) calls me, we start chatting,” Williams said.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic;Photo: Carmen Mandert/Getty Images)
