5 WNBA teams that should sign Brittney Griner in free agency

For the first time in her WNBA career, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner is set to test free agency. Griner has been famously loyal to the Mercury franchise, saying in a statement after re-signing with the team in 2024 that "Phoenix is home."

But the Mercury are a team in flux right now, with veteran Diana Taurasi heavily rumored to be retiring after the season. With Taurasi potentially gone, Griner appears set to do something she's never done: entertain leaving.

If there's ever a year to test the waters, this is it. With players opting out of the current CBA, virtually every free agency deal this offseason will be a one-year contract in anticipation of a spike in the salary cap for 2026. Griner can leave Phoenix and only have to make a single-season commitment elsewhere.

Let's look at five teams that should pursue Griner in free agency.

Las Vegas Aces

There are rumors that the Aces and Kelsey Plum will part ways in free agency. Vegas used the core designation on Plum, so she won't be able to leave without the team getting something for her via a sign-and-trade.

There's a lot of variables at play here, but if Vegas trades Plum in a deal that leaves the team with enough cap space to go after Griner, the former Baylor star could be a very interesting fit beside A'ja Wilson.

Vegas has been running Kiah Stokes at the five with A'ja Wilson at the four. Becky Hammon has seemed hesitant to use Wilson at center full time, so why not go all the way on that one by signing an elite center and creating the best frontcourt in the league?

Griner would also help fill the scoring void left by Plum. It would require a major refocusing of how this team plays offense, but Griner is a physical presence inside who can eat up possessions. Her gravity could also allow Wilson to make more space to work outside of the paint.

Atlanta Dream

The Dream find themselves in an interesting spot. After making the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in 2023, the team took a step back last year, going 15-25 and backing into the final playoff spot.

There are the makings of a good team in Atlanta, led by Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, but the team still needs another piece or two if it wants to be contenders.

Last season, Atlanta turned to veteran Tina Charles at center. It went about as well as it could have. Despite sitting the 2023 season out, Charles picked up right where she left off as far as scoring went and Atlanta was significantly better with Charles on the floor (+1.07 net rating) vs. when she was off the floor (-14.42 net rating).

Charles is a free agent this offseason though, as is fellow frontcourt-mate Cheyenne Parker-Tyus. With the cap space available to sign Griner to a one-year max deal, the team can afford to lose one of those two players in free agency if it can convince Griner to come down to the ATL.

Dallas Wings

Alright, hear me out here. As the roster is currently constructed, Griner makes no sense on a Dallas team that has Teaira McCowan and Kalani Brown at center already.

But if Griner wants to return to the Lone Star State, the Wings can figure something out, trading one of the two players to create room for Griner to slide into the starting five.

Dallas might seem like an odd fit because the team is entering yet another rebuild after Satou Sabally's decision to leave the franchise, but with Arike Ogunbowale and potentially Paige Bueckers at guard, Griner would have a great duo to play off of. And if Taurasi does retire as expected, isn't Arike essentially the closest thing the league would have to Taurasi — a guard who sometimes struggles with efficiency but has a major knack for the big moment?

Let's also remember that Griner is a Texan. She was born in Houston. Played college basketball in Waco. Playing in Dallas wouldn't exactly be a homecoming, but it'd be the closest thing to it based on the current WNBA team composition.

Golden State Valkyries

On one hand, Brittney Griner shouldn't consider Golden State at all if her goal is to win a title in 2025. However, as mentioned in the intro, almost every free agent — especially the top free agents — will be signing a one-year deal, so Griner would have a shot in 2026 to go win a title somewhere.

For the Valkyries, pursuing Griner would give the team a star player to help launch the franchise. Right now, the team feels like a collection of disparate parts because...well, because that's what it is. You don't get to build your dream roster from an expansion draft.

Why would Griner go to Golden State? The team has a lot of off-court resources, including a new locker room and practice facility, and she'd get a chance to post huge numbers as the primary scoring option on the team. Griner could parlay that into a big contract in the new CBA.

Phoenix Mercury

What if Brittney Griner simply just went back to Phoenix?

While Griner reportedly unfollowed the team on Instagram, she hasn't publicly said she won't consider a return. What if Taurasi chooses to stick around for one more year, for example? Would Griner's loyalty to Taurasi lead to her staying with the Mercury for DT's retirement tour?

Or maybe Griner chooses to stay so she doesn't have to uproot her life for a one-year deal somewhere else. The time for figuring out where she wants to finish her WNBA career will come in 2026. Maybe, in the end, Griner will stick around Phoenix one more season and make a move in 2026, an offseason where we expect every team in the league to have the cap space to make splash moves.

From Phoenix's perspective, bringing back Griner is obvious. Phoenix disappointed relative to expectations last year, but even if Taurasi does retire, a core of Griner, Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and Sophie Cunningham is a group that can make some noise. Not a title contender, but definitely a playoff team.