WNBA Free Agency: Skylar Diggins-Smith to Seattle Storm, Natasha Cloud to Phoenix Mercury

Skylar Diggins-Smith is on her way to Seattle. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Thursday marked the first day WNBA free agents could officially sign with teams and some big-name players wasted no time finding new homes.

Skylar Diggins-Smith, the most sought after guard on the market, signed with the Seattle Storm Thursday, the team announced. The contract is a two-year deal, according to The Next’s Howard Megdal. The six-time All-Star joins the Storm after missing the entire 2023 WNBA season while on maternity leave. The signing also puts an end to a rocky tenure with the Phoenix Mercury.

“Joining the Seattle Storm is the ideal next step in my basketball journey,” Diggins-Smith said in a statement. “The organization’s dedication to its players and the progression of the league is commendable. I’m laser focused for the upcoming season.”

The Storm now have an all-Notre Dame starting backcourt. Diggins-Smith and Storm star guard Jewell Loyd will once again share the floor, like their days with the Fighting Irish during the 2012-13 NCAA season. The team, under the helm of head coach Noelle Quinn, hope that the star backcourt will help the team improve on a 13-27 season in 2023.

“Stepping onto the court alongside Jewell, benefitting from the leadership of Noelle Quinn and feeling the energy of the Seattle Storm fans is a combination that I am confident will lead to success,” Diggins-Smith said.

The addition of Diggins-Smith comes after Loyd averaged career-highs in points (24.7) and rebounds (4.7). Loyd was named to the WNBA Second Team in 2023. Her scoring average was the second-highest average in WNBA history behind Diana Taurasi’s 25.3 points per game in 2006.

The last time Diggins-Smith was on the court, she averaged 19.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds for the Mercury, which landed her a WNBA First Team selection in 2022. Diggins-Smith was selected to a WNBA First or Second Team six times in her career.

The second-most sought after guard on the market reportedly came off the board on Thursday. Natasha Cloud intends to sign with the Phoenix Mercury, a move first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV’s Khristina Williams. Cloud spent her entire eight-year career with the Washington Mystics. She played a crucial role as a starter in the team’s 2019 WNBA championship and is most known for her defensive toughness on the perimeter.

Her last game for the Mystics came in a gut-wrenching five-point elimination loss against the Liberty in Game 2 in the first round of the playoffs in 2023. She finished with 33 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. The guard averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 boards for the Mystics last season. Her 6.2 assists per game in 2023 ranked fifth in the league.

LIBERTY CAMP SIGNINGS

The Liberty announced they signed four players to training camp deals: Okako Adika, Ivana Dojkić, Leonie Fiebich and Stephanie Mawuli.

The Libs acquired Fiebich’s rights last season in a four-team trade that sent 2021 Rookie of the Year winner Michaela Onyenwere to the Mercury. The 6-4 wing is averaging 12.7 points and and 6.7 boards in Euroleague action with Casademont Zaragoza.

Guard Dojkić averaged 6.5 points and 2.8 assists in 23 games with the Storm last season. The 6-0 Adika was selected by the Liberty in the third round of last season’s draft out of USC. The Trojan product averaged 7.3 points and 4.9 boards in the 2022-23 NCAA season. Japanese forward Mawuli is averaging 9.3 points and 2.5 boards in 19 games with Spanish club Estudiantes.

OTHER NOTABLE SIGNINGS

Guard Jordin Canada is finalizing a contract with the Atlanta Dream via a sign-and-trade deal with the Los Angeles Sparks, according to ESPN’s Andraya Carter. The Sparks sent Canada and the No. 12 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft in exchange for Aari McDonald and the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, the teams announced. The move comes after the Sparks used a core designation on the guard following a career year. Canada averaged career-highs in points (13.3), assists (6.0), rebounds (3.1), steals (2.3) and three-point percentage (33.3%) after signing a training camp deal with the Sparks last offseason. She was also a WNBA First Team All Defense selection in 2023.

The Dream continued their busy offseason by signing eight-time All-Star Tina Charles and former Lynx wing Aerial Powers, the team announced. Tanisha Wright’s team also re-signed forward Nia Coffey.

Guard Courtney Williams is expected to sign a two-year guaranteed deal with the Minnesota Lynx, according to Girls Talk Sports TV. Williams averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 40 games with the Chicago Sky in 2023. Her assists average ranked fourth in the league in 2023 and will improve a Lynx team that already include MVP candidate Napheesa Collier and young star Diamond Miller.

Former Liberty forward DiDi Richards is signing with the Washington Mystics, the 24-year-old announced on her podcast with Terrika Foster-Brasby. Richards was a fan-favorite in her two seasons with the Liberty from 2021-22. The Liberty cut the Baylor product at the end of training camp last season. She later went on to play overseas with the Sydney Flames in the WNBL. Richards is averaging 12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists in 19 games with the Flames.

The Dallas Wings announced they reached a multi-year agreement with center Kalani Brown.

“I am so excited to be returning and making Dallas home,” said Brown. “I can’t wait to get back with my teammates and win a championship here in the future.”

The news of Browns’ return was first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV and The Athletic’s Dorothy J. Gentry reported the big turned down higher offers in order to stay with the Wings. Brown averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 boards in 16.4 minutes played with the Wings last season. The news of her return comes after the team announced 2023 Most Improved Player Satou Sabally re-signed with the Wings.

Back-to-back champions Las Vegas Aces re-signed center Kiah Stokes and signed center Megan Gustafson, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Both bigs join the Aces on two-year deals. The team also announced they re-signed guard Sydney Colson on Thursday.

“I’m excited to re-sign with the Aces because I love this organization and I truly feel like we’re a team in every sense of the word,” said Colson.

Morgan James will join the squad on a training camp deal, per the team.

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