Winners & Losers of the WNBA Offseason

Sabreena and Chantel take you inside Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles’ introductory press conferences in Dallas and Minnesota, and in particular - an awkward moment where Azzi was asked about her status with Paige. Then, they dive into the latest entries and commitments from the NCAA transfer portal. Next, it’s onto Winners & Losers of the WNBA Offseason, through the lens of how money is changing the landscape of women’s hoops. They break down A’ja Wilson’s historic contract, the smart free agency moves of Dallas and Indiana, why the Lynx are both winners and losers, and why international talent is flocking to the W more and more. Plus, Sabreena and Chantel’s favorite training camp contracts. No Offseason is a part of The Athletic Podcast Network: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/ 00:00 Intro 00:46 - Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles Intro Press Conferences 04:58 - Azzi Fudd asked about relationship status with Paige Bueckers 07:13 - The Latest from the NCAA Transfer Portal 11:15 - Offseason Winners & Losers in the WNBA 11:29 - The Impact of the New WNBA Salary Cap on Free Agency 14:23 - The Details Behind A’ja Wilson’s Historic 3yr/$5M Contract 18:01 - How does more money impact the competitive balance of the league? 20:15 - How Rookie Contracts Create More Financial Freedom for the Fever and Wings 25:51 - Why the Minnesota Lynx are Winners and Losers 28:27 - Why International Talent is Flocking to the WNBA 33:32 - Teams are Holding Out for the 2027 Draft Class 35:25 - The Toronto Tempo: Shakira Austin, Nice Weather, and a Canadian Star 37:41 - Our Favorite Training Camp Contracts Related links and articles: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7200805/2026/04/16/wnba-offseason-winners-losers-aja-wilson-paige-bueckers/ by Sabreena Merchant and Chantel Jennings https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7129650/2026/04/15/aja-wilson-wnba-contract-history-aces/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7196630/2026/04/15/wnba-draft-2027-class-prospects-watkins-hidalgo/ by Sabreena Merchant https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/newsletters/no-offseason/ #wnba #wbb #ajawilson #azzifudd #dallaswings #lynx Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Get in touch! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com Show Links: -YouTube: @No-Offseason -Instagram: @tanooffseason [https://www.instagram.com/tanooffseason] -TikTok: @no_offseason [https://www.tiktok.com/@no_offseason] Credits: -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings -Produced by Taneka Burrell -Executive Produced by Andrea B. Scott Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1 Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm7txmok7cpMB3YlgkwrT2E0 Shorts Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5UWQzuMYdm72uhBjsd24rsh5teZtgUpS Thumbnail: Christian Petersen / Staff / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images Kevin C. Cox / Staff / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images