WNBA free agency is always a time of surprises, and this year is shaping up to be no different. Right now teams are able to make qualifying offers and core their players, and in a week can begin direct negotiations with players they want to bring on to their rosters.
Satou Sabally has already indicated she intends to leave the Wings, and she could be the leader the Valkyries need. Sabally is playing in Unrivaled with Valkyries guard Kate Martin — but so are a few other players who are free agents this year and who could be great additions to the Bay Area team.
There's no way to know if Martin is attempting to sway any of her Unrivaled teammates to the Valkyries, but if she is, here's who we'd love to see join.
Tiffany Hayes
Hayes is a standout guard from the Aces who entered free agency this year. Her 2024 contract was $88,000, well within the Valkyries' negotiable potential. Hayes was drafted as the number 14 pick by the Dream in the 2012 draft and was traded to the Sun in 2023. She retired that year only to sign with the Aces for the 2024 season.
She's also Martin's teammate on the Laces BC in Unrivaled, which gives the young guard a lot of possible opportunities to sway Hayes Bay-side. The Valkyries are in need of a guard who can step up and lead the team, and with that kind of WNBA experience Hayes could fit the bill.
Alyssa Thomas
Thomas is also on the Laces BC in Unrivaled — and she's recently expressed significant dissatisfaction with her home team, the Connecticut Sun. This month Thomas told reporters at Unrivaled, "I'm focused on Unrivaled right now. They have everything you possibly need here. They don't really have a lot of those things in Connecticut. I've been trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can."
Thomas previously called out the Sun after the team was forced to share their court with a toddler's birthday party ahead of playoffs. She's been a top-five finisher in the MVP race three years in a row and was second in the league in assists per game in 2023 and 2024. She's a formidable athlete on the court and has been a major reason why the Sun has continued to make the semifinals six years in a row.
Courtney Vandersloot
Liberty guard Vandersloot has also made it clear she's open to receiving offers from competing team, despite having been part of the squad that helped the Liberty win a championship for the first time in franchise history last year. Vandersloot will play on Mist BC alongside Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart.
As she told reporters during Unrivaled media interviews on Jan. 8, "Free agency is around the quarter, and I’ve been thinking about that for a few weeks now."
"It’s just about balancing – what a great opportunity for everyone to be right here," Vandersloot added. "I’m sure there will be a lot of people in town we can meet with. I see free agents in the hallways. I think it’s a great place to be if you’re a free agent."