Sue Bird Sheds Light on 'Unprecedented' WNBA Free Agency

There are 144 active roster spots in the WNBA, a number that will expand to 168 when the expansion Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo join the league in 2026. Of all players off rookie-scale contracts, only two -- Kalani Brown of the Phoenix Mercury and Lexie Brown of the Seattle Storm -- will not be eligible for free agency this offseason.

These "contract-timing decisions", as Torre calls them, didn't align by accident. Few are better qualified to talk about it than Bird, a member of the players union executive committee during the 2020 CBA negotiations and currently a part-time owner of the Seattle Storm.

"We signed that last CBA in like January of 2020," Bird reflected. "Every player understood, in that moment, we were gonna be opting out no matter what."

The current CBA was set to expire in 2027, but included an opt-out clause permitting early termination after the 2025 season. The WNBPA officially announced its decision to exercise that clause on Oct. 21, 2024 -- one day after the New York Liberty captured their first WNBA title.

"But even prior to that, two, three years ago, you started hearing players, started seeing the contracts they were signing -- everybody was understanding that our media deal was gonna be big," Bird continued. "And now, obviously, you enter Caitlin Clark, you enter Angel Reese, you enter this new wave of players, and it's like, 'oh, it's definitely gonna be big.'"

The media deal was secured in July 2024, just two months after Clark and Reese made their WNBA debuts. With viewership soaring and that growth carrying into 2025, the league appears poised for a significant jump in player salaries -- and the players are prepared to reap the benefits.

"For me and for the WNBA on the last CBA, we really tried to set it up where, come this CBA, we can just be talking about money," explained Bird.

Bird served as vice president under WNBPA president Nneke Ogwumike during 2020 CBA negotiations, helping the players secure upgraded benefits like enhanced travel standards and maternity leave. With Ogwumike still heading the executive committee in 2025, salary increases are now at the forefront of players' minds.

During the 2025 All-Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, the WNBA All-Stars warmed up in black t-shirts that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us."

The growth of the league, both in terms of viewership and revenue, is well documented, and the players are eager to see that reflected in their salaries.

The near-unanimous decision to enter free agency after the 2025 season leaves WNBA players well-positioned to capitalize on an expanded salary cap and sets the stage for one of the wildest offseasons in the history of professional sports.

"Here you have a true crossroads where the players are not even under contract," Torre remarked. "It's not that they have to sit out -- they might not sign."

That's not only a unique wrinkle in CBA negotiations, but also a potential catalyst for an offseason frenzy capable of reshaping numerous franchises. With a potentially skyrocketing salary cap, a flood of free agents, and two expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland, the opportunity for drastic, leaguewide change is at an all-time high.

Sue Bird Explains What 2025-26 WNBA Free Agency Could Look Like

Making specific team predictions is nearly impossible without any insight into the salary cap or roster guidelines.

One of the only guarantees is that all players on rookie-scale contracts -- including Clark, Reese, and 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers -- will have their salaries upgraded to the new league minimum.

Still, Bird has some ideas about how free agency as a whole will unfold.

"It's gonna take the first domino to fall," the Hall of Famer opined. "So some player will get signed to something, and it will set the market value for everybody."

Perhaps that means the league's biggest stars will come off the board first. After all, it's hard to start filling out a roster without first establishing the core talent that will anchor it.

Wielding roster and financial flexibility, virtually every WNBA GM will have the freedom to enact their vision.

"The GMs are about to earn every cent. It's really gonna separate some people," Rapinoe chuckled.

For the players, it could spell an interesting tug of war between franchise loyalty and financial responsibility.

Take a team like the Las Vegas Aces, for example, fresh off their third championship in four seasons. That success hasn't come without change -- most notably the departure of Kelsey Plum ahead of the 2025 season -- but their dynasty has largely been built on the same core, headlined by four-time MVP A'ja Wilson and head coach Becky Hammon.

Will there be enough cap space to preserve a formula that's delivered undeniable results, or will players be asked to take team-friendly deals at the risk of hurting market value for their peers?

Of course, this is all conjecture for now. Until a new deal is finalized, all dreams of a chaotic offseason remain just that.