The 2025 WNBA offseason has arrived and there will be a number of trades and free-agent signings that impact the league. These moves also have an effect on fantasy women's basketball rosters.
The flurry of activity began with the blockbuster deal that sent Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, followed by Alyssa Thomas being traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Phoenix Mercury and former Mercury center Brittney Griner signing with the Atlanta Dream, all in a three-day span.
While there's still plenty of time before the WNBA draft in April, our fantasy analysts will break down the biggest offseason moves right here. Check back often for the latest analysis, as well our initial fantasy women's basketball rankings for the 2025 season.
Brittney Griner agrees to one-year deal with Atlanta Dream
Moody: Griner was one of two players to average 15.0 points per game while shooting at least 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range last season (albeit on only 18 attempts from deep). The 34-year-old, 10-time All-Star remains an impactful player, leaving Phoenix as the franchise career leader in blocks (812), rebounds (2,322) and field goal percentage (56.2%).
Griner averaged 17.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 1.5 BPG for the Mercury in 2024. She also averaged 14.0 field goal attempts per game, the seventh-highest mark in the league and shot a league-best 71% in the paint. Griner should provide a huge boost to a Dream offense that shot just 51% in the paint last season, the second-worst mark of any team.
Expect Griner to be an immediate contributor in Atlanta, playing alongside Rhyne Howard -- a two-time All-Star and the 2022 Rookie of the Year -- and veteran guard Allisha Gray. Atlanta should rely more on post play this season with Griner in the frontcourt, as she led the league with 357 post-ups last year, per Second Spectrum.
Griner remains a top-35 fantasy player and one of the best centers, ranking just behind A'ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Aliyah Boston, Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor.
Trade: Alyssa Thomas, Tyasha Harris to Mercury, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen to Sun
Moody: The Phoenix Mercury acquire five-time All-Star forward Thomas from the Connecticut Sun. The trade also sends Cloud, Allen and the No. 12 pick in the 2025 draft to Connecticut with Harris headed to Phoenix.
Thomas has spent her entire 10-year career with the Sun and averaged 10.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG and 7.9 APG last season. She leaves Connecticut as the most accomplished player in franchise history, holding records for the most games played, assists, rebounds and steals, while ranking second in scoring behind Nykesha Sales. Thomas also leads the WNBA in career triple-doubles. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 draft finished top 5 in MVP voting in each of the past two seasons.
Thomas is widely regarded as one of the league's most complete players and a top-tier defender, earning six All-WNBA Defensive Team selections. She led the league last season with 876 passes that created shot attempts, making her a highly effective facilitator. This skill set will greatly benefit the Mercury, who averaged just 66.1 passes per game leading to a shot attempt -- the fourth fewest in the league. Thomas will elevate Phoenix's ball movement and offensive efficiency.
She is an ideal fit for head coach Nate Tibbetts' spread offense, a system that prioritizes spacing, fast tempo and quick ball movement. This style creates driving lanes and open perimeter shots, exploiting mismatches and putting defenses on their heels. While Thomas isn't known for elite scoring, she has the ability to elevate her teammates, which now includes Kahleah Copper and Sophie Cunningham, and her presence should strengthen the Mercury on both ends of the court.
As for the Sun, Thomas' departure pushes Connecticut into a rebuilding phase. Former head coach Stephanie White left for the Indiana Fever, and the Sun had just four players under contract for 2025 before adding Cloud and Allen in the deal. With Thomas gone, it's unlikely veterans like DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones will stick around.
However, one player that stands to benefit from all the change is Marina Mabrey, who averaged 14.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 3.4 APG last season and could emerge as a key contributor for the Sun in 2025.
Kelsey Plum joins Sparks, Jewell Loyd joins Aces in blockbuster trade
Snellings: Plum's fantasy value goes through the roof with this trade. The Sparks are a team that has exciting young talent in the frontcourt, but that had huge holes in the backcourt. They were last in the WNBA in team offensive rating last season, 10th in team assists (19.7 APG), 11th in turnovers (15.0 TO) and 10th in 3-point percentage (32.0 3P%). Plum brings them one of the best backcourt offense-generators in the WNBA, and on top of that comes from a team overcrowded with creators to one where she should get all of the touches and opportunities she can handle.
With the Aces, Plum was tenth in the WNBA in scoring (17.8 PPG) while playing next to the leading scorer in the league in A'ja Wilson (26.9 PPG). She was 13th in the league in assists (4.2 APG) while playing with two other teammates in the top 10 in (Jackie Young 5.3 APG, Chelsea Gray 4.9 APG). Plum's usage should be much higher this season, with the likelihood of new career-highs in scoring (current career-high 20.2 PPG), assists (5.1 APG) and 3-pointers (3.1 3PG) all on deck.
I had Plum ranked 21st in my Way Too Early rankings last fall, but with this trade she moves up to the back of the top-10.
Courtney Vandersloot expected to return to the Chicago Sky
Moody: Vandersloot will make her Chicago homecoming after spending the past two seasons with the New York Liberty, where she helped them win their first WNBA title in 2024.
The veteran guard spent 12 seasons with the Sky after being drafted third overall, helping them secure their first and only championship in 2021 alongside Candace Parker and Allie Quigley. Vandersloot is a five-time WNBA All-Star and a five-time All-WNBA selection and remains the Sky's all-time leader in assists.
Last season, she came off the bench for the Liberty, averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.8 APG in just 22.3 MPG. Looking for a team that values her contributions, Vandersloot will have the opportunity to maximize the years she has left in the league with Chicago. She's likely to step into a starting role and help launch a new era of Sky basketball alongside young stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
From a fantasy perspective, Vandersloot provides points and assists, and is just 385 assists away from surpassing Sue Bird as the WNBA's all-time leader. However, she is not a reliable three-point shooter, which remains a key area the Sky must address this offseason.
Vandersloot ranks just inside the top 50 and is best drafted as a second or third guard, depending on roster construction.