WNBA free agency 2022 grades

WNBA free agency has become almost a season of its own for a few weeks every February since salary changes in the collective bargaining agreement in 2020 enhanced player movement.

Most of the moves have been made now, with one major exception: Free agent guard Courtney Vandersloot of the 2021 champion Chicago Sky has yet to indicate her plans for 2022. Will she return to the only team that she has played for in the WNBA after being drafted third overall in 2011? Will she go elsewhere? Or will she sit out the season after overseas play?

With a hard salary cap, teams sometimes have to be creative and/or hope that certain players might take less than their market value in order to have a chance at a championship or to play somewhere they just want to be. Planning ahead, gambling with draft picks and figuring out how best to build a culture takes a lot of skill, and it can all be undone by injuries.

But for where things stand now, we grade each franchise based on its moves so far in the offseason, with both signings and trades.

The Mercury were very disappointed after coming close to the franchise’s fourth title last season but losing in the WNBA Finals to Chicago. Diana Taurasi turns 40 in June and is under contract for this season. Presuming that Taurasi is coming back, Phoenix wanted to give her as good a chance as possible to get another championship. The Mercury have done that.

They signed free agent center Tina Charles — reportedly for well under her market value — who is coming off an outstanding season at Washington (23.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG). At 33, Charles is seeking her first WNBA championship. Phoenix traded guard Bria Hartley and draft picks to get guard Diamond DeShields in a three-way deal with Chicago and Indiana.

DeShields has had…