Wed Jan 29 01:30:00 UTC 2025: ## WNBA Free Agency Frenzy: Bonner, Ogwumike, and Griner Headline a Star-Studded Market
**NEW YORK, NY –** The 2025 WNBA season is officially underway, and the league is buzzing with excitement as a wave of top talent hits the free agency market. The upcoming free agency period promises significant roster shakeups, as players like two-time champion DeWanna Bonner, veteran superstar and 2016 champion Nneka Ogwumike, and 2014 champion Brittney Griner are all unrestricted free agents.
This year’s free agency period, beginning January 21st, is complicated by the league’s specific rules and terminology. Understanding the differences between Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), who can negotiate with any team, and Restricted Free Agents (RFAs), who receive a qualifying offer from their previous team and grant that team a right of first refusal on any offer, is crucial. The deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers to RFAs was January 20th.
The WNBA also utilizes a “Core Designation,” allowing teams to prioritize one veteran player with a fully guaranteed one-year maximum contract. This impacts negotiations, though players can still be involved in sign-and-trade deals. Reserved players, those with three years or less of service, have their rights held exclusively by their previous team unless that team chooses to release them.
Teams must maintain rosters between 11 and 12 players, with exceptions granted for injuries. The 2025 WNBA regular season is set to begin shortly, making this free agency period a critical time for teams to build their rosters for the year. The impact of these high-profile free agents promises to reshape the league’s competitive landscape.
First Piper 