With a new CBA, two expansion teams, tons of free agents and the college draft, a lot has happened around the WNBA just a few weeks.
Every WNBA team is either trying to retool, rebuild or run it back. However, not all moves placed teams in a position to accomplish their objective.
Here are the three decisions made by WNBA teams that are, at best, questionable—and maybe even regrettable. Take to the comments and let us know if you agree, while also sharing any moves that left you scratching your head.
The Sparks trade Rickea Jackson for Ariel Atkins
The Los Angeles Sparks trading Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Ariel Atkins is a perplexing win-now move for a franchise that hasn’t won anything since 2016.
In what world does it make sense to trade away your young talent for an older guard who has accumulated more injuries in recent seasons?
Sure, the numbers between these two players are comprable. Jackson averaged 14.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last year, and Atkins ended her 2026 campaign averaging 13.1 points per game and shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point range.
And sure, Atkins is a better defender, but she’ll have to have quite a return to form to not only outplay Jackson but make this trade a win for the Sparks. Simply put, this was poor asset management for LA, and any other rationale at this point is copium.
The Sky trade away Angel Reese
Only the Sky could pull off a great heist by turning Atkins into Jackson and then simultaneously trade away their franchise superstar Angel Reese for pennies on the dollar in the same offseason.
Okay, it was obvious that Angel Reese had to leave. The relationship between her and the Sky was so fractured at the end of last season that her return was unrealistic.
She was honest, fair but critical of the state of the team when she spoke with the Chicago Tribune, saying, “I’m not settling for the same s*** we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”
Reese further explained:
I am very vocal about what we need and what I want. I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.
So sure, she had to go, but for not a single promising player in return?
All you can get back for one of the best rebounders in the WNBA and a superstar athlete is a pair of first-round picks from a likely playoff team in the Atlanta Dream? That’s unacceptable.
The repercussions from this move will be felt for years to come.
The Storm losing most of their starting lineup
The last time the Seattle Storm played basketball, they lost 74-73 to the Las Vegas Aces in the opening round of the playoffs. The entire starting lineup they had in Game 3 is now gone, except for Ezi Magbegor.
Nneka Ogwumike returned to the Sparks, Sklar Diggins joined the Sky, Gabby Williams signed a multi-year deal with the Golden State Valkyries and Brittney Sykes is a Toronto Tempo.
That’s way too much change to create a successful environment in Seattle.
They still have Magbegor, who signed a three-year deal that totals $3.75 million. The Storm also have a top prospect in Dominique Malonga and just drafted Awa Fam with the No. 3 pick before trading for Flau’Jae Johnson—so the future is bright.
However, don’t expect many wins this season. It’s fine that Seattle is going into a rebuild, but letting everyone walk and not setting up a smooth transition seems like a rough way to go from a playoff team to a lottery-bound team.
We’ll see how it plays out, but with the Portland Fire also setting up shop in the Pacific Northwest, ideally, the Storm should be rolling out a better squad as they fight to keep attention in that region of the country. By making such a drastic change, they have opened themselves up to losing some of that market.
Time will tell if these moves are as bad as they currently seem. My guess is that these will be the moves WNBA fans talk about all season long, but for the wrong reasons.
However, Sparks, Sky and Storm fans, defend your team’s decisions and point out the mistakes made by other organizations. Or, share you sense of despair.
