🫨 Layup Lines: Head-spinning spring

Happy Monday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

• It’s been a bonkers week of news and we’re swimming in a sea of offseason information, so consider this newsletter your quick catch up before tonight’s 2026 WNBA Draft (7pm ET on ESPN).

This 722 word newsletter should take less than 3 minutes to read.

🔥 The 10 biggest free agency moves (so far)

• The macro news of the last week is that most of the league’s top free agents are staying put with fat new contracts. Of the Athletic’s top 20 free agents, 17 have either re-signed or are expected to do so.

  • That means one big move could end up swinging the 2026 championship. Here are my 10 biggest non-resign moves of the off-season so far:

1. Satou Sabally leaving Phoenix to join Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu in New York as maybe the most talented big four in the history of the league.

2. The Dream trading two first round picks for Angel Reese to create a terrifying pick-and-roll combo with Allisha Gray.

3. Chicago doing a complete revamp by trading away Reese, for Rickea Jackson and Jacy Sheldon, then signing Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington and Azura Stevens.

4. The Wings atoning for the future defensive sins of Arike Ogunbowale by signing Alanna Smith from Minnesota.

5. The Sparks convincing Nneka Ogwumike to return to L.A. after a couple years in Seattle.

6. Gabby Williams, arguably the best defensive wing in the league, joining Golden State, arguably its best defensive team.

7. Toronto officially signing its first overall pick in the expansion draft, Marina Mabrey, while also adding backcourt partner Brittney Sykes. 

8. The Fire trying to build a new roster around No. 1 expansion pick Bridget Carleton, who is a nice player but also scored 6.5 points per game for Minnesota last year.

9. The Fever re-signing its core while essentially replacing Natasha Howard (Minnesota) with the younger, faster Monique Billings.

10. The Lynx keeping Courtney Williams, Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride but losing essentially the rest of their 2025 team, including Natisha Hiedeman to Seattle and Jessica Shepard + Smith to Dallas.

🎙️ Mock draft

• For the first time in years, almost every WNBA mock draft out there has a different player going first overall.

  • Front offices have been managing this draft, an expansion draft and free agency, so expect chaos. Case in point: Half of the 2026 first round pick slots were already traded before tonight. My best guesses at the top 10:

1. Dallas: Azzi Fudd, G, UConn. Played horribly in the NCAA Tournament, but hard to pass on pairing Fudd with former teammate / current partner Paige Bueckers.

2. Minnesota: Lauren Betts, C, UCLA. Win-now team goes for high-floor center after getting ransacked in free agency.

3. Seattle: Olivia Miles, PG, TCU. Best guard in the draft.

4. Washington: Awa Fam, C, Spain. The Mystics have six first-round picks over the next three years and are drafting for upside here.

5. Chicago: Kiki Rice, G, UCLA. Perfect talent to develop behind Diggins.

6. Toronto: Flau'jae Johnson, G, LSU. Star power and offense are good things for expansion franchises.

7. Portland: Iyana Martín, G, Spain. The Fire aren’t going to compete this year. Might as well make bets on young, international talent.

8. Golden State: Gabriela Jaquez, G, UCLA. Perfect culture fit and could start as a rookie.

9. Washington: Nell Angloma, SF, France. If one of Fam or Angloma work out next to Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, this team is competing for multiple titles.

10. Indiana: Raven Johnson, G, South Carolina. Trying to score on a backcourt of Johnson, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham would not be very fun. Then imagine having to run back to guard Caitlin Clark.

🥵 Practice facility to go

• Another day, another release of the renderings an incredible new practice facility.

  • The Fever’s new 108,000-square-foot, three-story facility in downtown Indianapolis is expected to cost $78 million and be ready in time for the 2027 WNBA season.

  • For a team that wants to employ Clark for as long as possible, including a golf simulator is brilliant.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. AI tools help with the visuals. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you back here later in the week for a draft recap!

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor