The WNBA offseason has arrived with fewer upheavals than a year ago — no expansion teams, no labor battle, and no record free-agent class — but the league still faces a series of pivotal decisions before the 2027 season. The first major event is the 2027 WNBA Draft Lottery on November 15, which will set the stage for a winter of commissioner selection, star free-agent movement, front-office overhauls, and a franchise relocation.
Commissioner Search
Cathy Engelbert announced in September that she will retire at the end of 2026 after seven years as the WNBA's first commissioner. The league has not yet named a successor. Engelbert drew sharp criticism from players in recent years; Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier called the league's leadership the "worst in the world," and Engelbert was loudly booed while presenting the championship trophy. Despite the friction, viewership, attendance, and salaries surged under her tenure, and three expansion teams were added with three more planned by 2030. Reported leading candidates include Bethany Donaphin (WNBA Head of League Operations), NBA deputy commissioner Marc Tatum, New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, Valkyries president Jess Smith, Hall of Famer Swin Cash, and Nike executive Tanya Hvizdak. The league says it is proceeding with an "open mind."
2027 Draft Lottery
The lottery on November 15 will determine the No. 1 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft. With the addition of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the lottery now includes seven teams. The Tempo (2-24 finish in 2026) and the Houston Comets (22-66 over the past two seasons) share the best odds, each with a .250 winning percentage. USC standout JuJu Watkins is the prohibitive favorite to be selected first if she declares; the 6-foot-2 wing missed the 2026 season with a torn ACL and has not yet decided whether to return for the 2027-28 college season.
Top Free Agents
Four elite unrestricted free agents headline a thinner but star-studded class: Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Jackie Young (Aces), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), and Kelsey Plum (Mercury). Together they own 19 All-Star selections and 10 All-WNBA honors. Collier, Young, and Mitchell have spent their entire careers with their current clubs, while Plum appeared in only five games for the Mercury after a deadline trade. Their choices will reshape multiple rosters.
Indiana Fever General Manager Search
The Fever announced in quick succession that president Kelly Krauskopf had stepped down and general manager Amber Cox had been fired. Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, will oversee business operations without a direct presidential replacement. The search for a new GM is being led by Excel Search & Advisory, which is owned by Excel Sports Management — the agency that represents Caitlin Clark. The incoming GM faces immediate pressure to re-sign Mitchell, who just posted the best scoring season ever by a guard and has hinted at leaving, and to secure Clark on a long-term extension. Beyond that, the new GM must construct a championship-caliber roster around Clark, Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston while navigating a severe salary-cap crunch and repairing the organization's reputation after another turbulent year.
New York Liberty Coaching Change
Chris DeMarco was fired Tuesday after one season as head coach. He had been a bold hire by general manager Jonathan Kolb to replace Sandy Brondello, who led the Liberty to the 2024 title. DeMarco's only prior head-coaching experience was with the Jamaican men's national team. The Liberty battled injuries all year, and DeMarco struggled with rotations and made a critical timeout error in Game 2 of the semifinals against the Atlanta Dream. The team's core — Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu — declined to publicly endorse him. New York now seeks its third coach in three years. Stewart, Jones, and Ionescu are under contract through 2028, while Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are signed through 2027. The job is widely considered the league's most attractive, but it carries immense pressure to win immediately.
Los Angeles Sparks Coaching Search
The Sparks dismissed general manager Raegan Pebley and coach Lynne Roberts after another disappointing season. Ariana Andonian has been hired as GM, but the head-coaching vacancy remains. Los Angeles has cycled through four coaches in five seasons and has not reached the playoffs since the 2020 bubble — the longest active drought in the WNBA. Andonian says the organization will "cast a wide net" for an "excellent leader, an excellent communicator, someone who is collaborative and willing to come to work in the W and work with all of us," emphasizing talent development. The Sparks are building around Cameron Brink and two 2027 lottery picks. Complicating matters, Bloomberg reported last month that owner Mark Walters is exploring a sale of the franchise.
Houston Comets Relocation
The Connecticut Sun have officially relocated to Houston and reclaimed the Comets name, marking the first WNBA franchise move since the San Antonio Stars became the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. Key personnel — president Jennifer Rizzotti, general manager Morgan Tuck, and head coach Rachid Meziane — are moving with the team. The Sun struggled to attract free agents in recent years, posting a combined 22-66 record in 2025 and 2026. The Comets will play in the Toyota Center (shared with the NBA's Rockets), which is undergoing renovations to provide "expanded and modernized practice and training facilities, elite medical, recovery, and nutrition resources, and locker room facilities designed to provide a world-class player experience." Houston enters the offseason with significant cap space and a chance at the No. 1 draft pick. Whether the move transforms the franchise into a free-agent destination will be a key storyline this winter.
