Important contract information:

Salary Hard Cap: $1,463,200

Supermax: $241,984

Max: $208,219

Veteran’s Minimum: $76,535

Minimum: $64,154

This article needs to be prefaced by stating that the WNBA and the number value on the contract is insurmountably less than the impact women’s basketball plays in society. The players are leaders in their community. Most have overcame societal hurdles and strive to make the world a better place. In the business of WNBA, there is a balancing act of talent, salary and future draft picks. This piece is assessing GM’s team building capabilities and player fluctuations. Let’s start a dialog.

Atlanta Dream

Best: Rhyne Howard – G/F – $75,556

Worst: Nia Coffey – C/F – $150,000

The Dream’s Rhyne Howard is one of the best wings if the entire league. She’s a volume sniper from deep, a switchable defender 2-4 that crashes the glass and is still on her rookie deal. Howard is only in her 3rd WNBA season while coming off of back-back All Star selections, a Rookie of the Year Award to add.

Nia, on the other hand, has never been known for her offensive prowess, but is averaging a measly 15% from the field, 5.0 points less (6.9 to 1.9), and career lows in blocks and boards. She also makes double than star Rhyne Howard.

Chicago Sky

Best: Chennedy Carter – G – $64,154

Worst: Brianna Turner – C/F – $150,000

Sky’s Chennedy Carter is barreling her way into every Sky conversation. Due to a year off from the WNBA her contract only qualified for the Minimum this season. She has seen a 7.5% increase to 52.5% from the field, but at the same time her 3-point percentage has taken an over 10% dip. She is settling in to her game as a slasher. During the WNBA offseason playing for China’s Heilongjieng Dragons, Carter averaged a league leading 28.9 points! Chennedy came in second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Crystal Dangerfield who had identical stats, but was more consistent and had a better team around her in the shortened Covid-19 Season. This season, was leading the 6th Player of the Year Award until earning the starting spot of Dana Evans.

Brianna Turner cannot crack the rotation while being the third highest paid player on the team. Out and injured Elizabeth Williams and hobbled Isabelle Harrison were looking to share minutes with her, but rookie sensations Angel Reese and Kamila Cardoso won’t let that happen. Turner is looking less fluid than ever and averaging career lows in every statistical category including minutes (7.0) and points (0.9). The Sky has the highest unused cap space with $165,378 to spare.

Connecticut Sun

Best: DiJonai Carrington – G – $64,457

Worst: Moriah Jefferson – G -$141,500

Sun’s defensive specialist DiJonai Carrington is coming out of her shell and increasing every measurable stat besides 3-point percentage. She is bringing energy on both ends and in transition that the aging Sun desperately need to keep teams honest. Last season, came in 2nd to WNBA Champion Alysha Clark in the 6th Player of the Year Award race. This season, she is starting and getting over 10 attempts per game.

Moriah Jefferson, ‘Mo Jeff’ as I have called her since her UConn days, is an incredibly smart, fast and decisive point guard. She is the fourth highest paid player on a potential championship roster, but cannot crack the lineup over guards paid half or less than what she makes. On top of the fight for minutes, she is battling an ankle injury that is sidelining her indefinitely. The speedster guard is coming off of two solid campaigns for two separate teams, Lynx and Mercury. She was the first player in Lynx history, 14th ever in WNBA, to record a triple-double with 13 points 10 assists 10 rebounds. Her stellar play netted a massive 3-year $424,500 deal with the Mercury and has since been traded. Jefferson’s lack of size on the defensive end casted her out of the rotation.

Dallas Wings

Best: Monique Billings – F – $55,697

Worst: Awak Kuier – C/F – $73,356

Wings’ Monique Billings is all alone on a roster than held four forwards who would’ve seen minutes over her. Two stars in Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard, and two potential wings of the future Maddy Siegrist and Jaelyn Brown. All are out with injuries and the early season buy-out player, via LA Sparks, has taken advantage of every opportunity as it has came. Billings has almost doubled her counting stats and tripled her assist totals, while boasting five double-doubles twelve games in. Billings has found a new home in Dallas after spending her entire 6-year career in Atlanta, and for a prorated Veteran’s minimum Monique is worth every penny!

Awak Kuier has been waived and is dead money on the books. The lanky project player Kuier is, wasn’t fitting the timeline of the rest of the team. The Wings are ‘win now’ and didn’t have time for a fourth big on the roster with minimal, overlapping offensive skills. The contract is especially bad due to the fact of Dallas being the only WNBA team over their hard cap. Heads of the front office, Greg Bibb and Travis Charles, mounted up the highest team salary in the League ($1,474,532). Though, only $11,332 over, only 67.2% of the money is guaranteed.

Indiana Fever

Best: Aliyah Boston – C – $77,823

Worst: Damaris Dantas – F – $98,550 and Erica Wheeler – G – $222,154

Fever’s Aliyah Boston has taken the WNBA by storm. She was tenth in MVP voting as well as being an All Star and winning Rookie of the Year, last season. Though averaging about the same numbers, Boston has grown confidence in her game and rounding out the skillset that makes her one of the League’s best bigs of the future. Her buzzer beating 3 over the outstretched arm of 6’6″ Jonquel Jones to send the Fever into an overtime was all of the evidence she needed to know that she can do anything on the court she puts her mind to. The overtime loss to the Liberty stung, but its made her more resilient and less tentative with the ball in her hands. Boston was announced WNBA Player of the Week with a stat line of 20.0 points 13 rebounds 3.7 assists and 2.0 blocks!

Damaris Dantas hasn’t played a WNBA minute in 2 seasons. The player that is struggling the most this season compared to season previous is Erica Wheeler. With the seventh highest contract in the W, Wheeler is the tenth highest scorer on the Fever at 3.9 pointer per game and shooting a baffling 20% from the 3-point line. As a good connector, her 17 minutes average and gigantic dip in production make her, potentially, the worst contract in the WNBA.

Las Vegas Aces

Best: A’ja Wilson – F/C – $200,000

Worst: None

Aces’ superstar is tied for 17th highest contract in the WNBA, which means A’ja may have the best contract in the entire WNBA. Between her being the best player and her deferring to earn less on her contract, makes her the best teammate too. The Aces are looking to be the first team to 3-peat a Championship since the Houston Comets 4-peated at the inception of the league. General Manager, Natalie Williams, has done an amazing job balancing the books with $279 to spare until the salary hard cap. No player appears to be over or under paid and the chemistry is immaculate.

Los Angeles Sparks

Best: Aari McDonald – G – $73,356

Worst: Azura Stevens – C/F – $192,500

Sparks’ Aari McDonald has earned her way into the starting point guard role over Lexie Brown. There was vacancy and lots of turnover the past couple seasons in her position. Between Chennedy Carter taking a gap year, Zia Cooke not panning out, and the trade of 1st Team All Defense Jordin Canada for McDonald, the Sparks have yet to find their floor general for the future. Hometown hero, Los Angeles Aari McDonald, is letting the city know the team is hers to lead. In her four WNBA seasons, she has improved from the field, 3-point line and assist totals.

Stevens as always been a great role player and release valve when teams hone-in on the primary options. All of her efficiency is fine and dandy, but she has always made fans feel like she’s leaving more on the table, this happened at UConn too. Stevens plays smaller than her listed height of 6’6″ and her talents do not warrant a near maximum contract ($208,219). That makes her tied for 25th for the highest paid contract in the W. She has yet to suit up for the Sparks this season and may be able to make a return from arm surgery after the Paris Olympics.

Minnesota Lynx

Best: Napheesa Collier – F – $184,172

Lynx’s top-3 MVP candidate is having her best career year, which is a lot to say for a former Rookie of the Year, three-time All Star and two-time top-5 MVP vote getter. Her team has plenty of size and shooting that help Phee’s in-between game flourish. She is the second highest paid player on the Lynx.

Worst: Jessica Shepard – F/C – $121,800

Shepard has not suited up for the Lynx this season, but not due to injury. According to reports, Shepard has become a naturalized citizen of Slovenia in order to play for their national team. Shepard is coming off of winning a Euro League Championship for Umana Reyer Venezia, in a 3-0 sweep, over former Lynx teammate Dorka Juhasz of the Familia Wuber Schio. Shepard is the sixth highest paid on the Lynx. The Lynx have the lowest guaranteed salary total at $541,893 or 38.6% of their salary cap.

New York Liberty

Best: Jonquel Jones – C/F – $192,500

Worst: Kayla Thornton – F – $111,000

Liberty’s star Jonquel Jones is playing along side elite level talent at every position. Their starting five is arguably the best collective starting lineup in the W. All this to say, former MIP, 6POY and MVP is ready to step up and be a number one option any night. Jones has increase her point production by 5.5 points this season and is looking closer to her MVP form than she did last.

Thornton has the only mid-level contract on the roster and is a solid role player. There is a collective problem on the Liberty and that is foot-speed on defense. She doesn’t add to or take away these problems. You would like to see the team add some young, athletic players to hustle for 50-50 balls against the other top teams and shutdown opposing star wings.

Phoenix Mercury

Best: Brittney Griner – C – $150,000

Worst: Brittney Griner – C – $150,000

Mercury’s Brittney Griner is joining the season late due to a preseason foot injury, but is on a hunt for MVP and the elusive WNBA Championship that she last held in 2014. In her five games back, she is averaging 21.4 points 7.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while attempting and making the most 3-point shots of her career. She is the sixth highest paid player on the Mercury. Griner is also the worst contract on the Mercury because she is an unrestricted free agent after this season which puts immense pressure on the Front Office to win-now and not lose her next offseason. Also, Mercury has highest guaranteed contract percentage in the W with 79.3%.

Seattle Storm

Best: Jordan Horston – F – $71,529

Worst: Sami Whitcomb – G – $143,750

Storm’s wing of the future is Jordan Horston. Horston offers everything you would want out of a forward besides spacing. She has room for improvement on her jumper, but her feel for the game and ability to take over on defense sets her apart from most. Horston has handle, great timing on blocking shots and a high vertical to crash the glass. She can fit on any team, especially on her rookie deal, but the best part about her is the years ahead. Learning behind new teammate, and former MVP, Nneka Ogwumike there are levels we have yet to see.

Similar to the Liberty’s issues with Kayla Thornton, Sami Whitcomb is the only mid-level deal on the Storm’s salary cap sheet. Last season, she started 45% of games yet still qualified to finish fourth in 6th Player of the Year Award voting. This season, Whitcomb is coming off of the bench behind Skylar Diggins-Smith and is down in every statistical category, including efficiency. She has yet to take a free throw in 14 games which shows a lack of aggression and rim pressure.

Washington Mystics

Best: Shakira Austin – C – $75,556 and Julie Vanloo – G – $64,154

Worst: Myisha Hines-Allen – F – $175,100

Mystics’ Shakira Austin has provided the team with energy, rim running ability and a knack for blocking shots. She has been dealing with injuries that have sidelined her the past two seasons, but is on her rookie deal and team looks to retain her as a restricted free agent next season. Julie Vanloo is a 31 year old rookie from Belgium. She has started 11 out of 14 of the games so far and has proven herself to be an elite playmaker and a consistent 3-point shooter. Vanloo has to work on her turnovers, but still maintains a 1.74 AST to TO ratio, despite the speed and length of the WNBA.

Myisha Hines-Allen has regressed beyond belief. In 2020, Hines-Allen was 10th in MVP voting with a stat line of 17 points 2.6 assists and 8.9 rebounds in 30 minutes. This season, she hasn’t started a game and has not made the most of her opportunities. There is a lack of initiative from her. In 17 minutes, Hines-Allen is averaging 7.1 points 2.1 assists 4.4 rebounds and has yet to record a block in 14 games. Deferring to her teammates on a lesser squad is not the role she should settle for.