It's still relatively early in the WNBA season, but we're starting to at least get a sense of how new players are fitting in on their new teams. For some, it's gone super well! For others, it's been a struggle.
While it's too soon for a complete grade on if these signings were successful or not, we can at least get a sense of where they're at now and why.
DeWanna Bonner, Indiana Fever
DeWanna Bonner's move to Indiana always felt like a bit of a weird fit. With Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt, the volume of scoring opportunities just wouldn't be there. Couple that with a reluctance to eliminate the "long two" from her game and inconsistent shooting from 3-point range, and the pro-Bonner argument basically became, "Well, she's a good basketball player, they'll make it work."
But those on-court fit issues are winning out. Bonner is averaging just 7.3 points per game on 33.3 percent shooting, and that number is inflated by her past two games, as she scored 21 points against the Mystics and then 13 against the Sun, shooting over 50 percent in both games.
The problem? Those were games with Clark sidelined. Until we see Bonner putting up strong numbers with Clark on the court, it's hard to get excited about the trajectory of this move.
Grade: D+
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury needed Alyssa Thomas to be an elite point forward like she was for the latter part of her time in Connecticut, and that's what she's been, posting averages of 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per contest.
Aside from a slight dip in rebounding numbers, Thomas looks like the player who has finished in the top five in MVP voting in three consecutive seasons. Phoenix is 5-2 despite missing Kahleah Copper, and Thomas has been the primary driver of that success.
Grade: A
Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
Thomas wasn't the only big name that Phoenix added this offseason, as the team worked out a sign-and-trade deal with the Wings for Satou Sabally.
While Thomas is the engine in Phoenix, Sabally has been...I don't know, the gas pedal, or the wheels? Or maybe Thomas is the transmission, which does all the heavy lifting, and Sabally is the engine that does engine things. I've lost track of the metaphor. The point here is that Sabally has really scored the ball well.
Through seven games, Sabally ranks sixth in the league in scoring at 21.3 points per game, as well as 10th in rebounds and fifth in steals. She could theoretically be shooting the ball a bit better, so I'll ding her a half-letter for her 26.2 percent mark from 3-point range.
Grade: A-
Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream
Let's talk about these two as a unit, because most preseason discussion about them seemed to lump them together for one key reason: both were paint-bound bigs playing in a new system that emphasizes 3-point shooting.
So far, though, the results are good. Griner's missed a couple of games, and both players are really struggling from deep, which will probably start to hurt the team at some point since they're combining to shoot 3.2 3-point attempts per game while both shooting under 17 percent on those looks.
Also an issue: in 94 minutes together, the Dream have a net rating of +0.08, so essentially the minutes with both on the floor are a wash. Atlanta is doing well because it's winning the minutes where Jones plays alone by a wide margin, but can that keep up? Some of this success feels a little tenuous, but they earn a solid B for now simply because Atlanta is exceeding expectations.
Grade: B
Tiffany Hayes - Golden State Valkyries
Tiffany Hayes has only played in half of Golden State's games because of a nose injury, so she isn't getting a grade yet. She still has coursework to complete.
But her progress report isn't super appealing. Expected to basically shoulder the scoring load for the expansion Valkyries, Hayes has averaged just 10.0 points per game and is shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, which would be the lowest mark of her WNBA career.
Hayes, who retired last offseason before unretiring to join the Aces, won Sixth Woman of the Year in 2024 and looked poised to treat this season as a kind of swan song, a last chance to post big numbers while also mentoring a young team. But the team isn't quite as young as expected — none of its 2025 draft picks are on the roster — and Hayes just isn't getting the volume that everyone expected.
Grade: Incomplete
Kelsey Plum - Los Angeles Sparks
On an individual level, Kelsey Plum is playing well, averaging 22.9 points per game on 37.1 percent shooting. If this grade were just about individual play, then Plum would get an A, as she's proven she can be a lead scoring guard.
The problem, though, is that when this deal was made, adding Plum on a one-year deal while also trading away the No. 2 overall pick in the process, it was kind of short-sighted. Until we see Plum sign a multi-year extension in Los Angeles after the new CBA is signed this offseason, this move can't earn an A.
Because if this ends up being a one-year rental, it's going to look like such a bad move. Los Angeles is 2-6, so it's not like Plum was the piece that pushed the team over the top. There's still a chance that they traded the No. 2 pick away for nothing, though I'd hope Los Angeles had a pretty good sense that Plum would want to stick around long-term when they made the move. We'll see, I guess!
Grade: B-