The views on this page are personal opinions and do not reflect the league.

The 2024 Free Agency period has begun, and it feels as though every team in the association is in talks with the top players on the open market. 

While no significant signings can happen until February 1st yet outside of teams coring their free agents, as soon as the first domino falls, I’d anticipate a clean sweep and frenzy of moves.

Here are some of my top free agents and under-the-radar signings, as well as my favorite fits for them and what makes their game stand out!

Skylar Diggins-Smith

Diggins-Smith is the top of the top of this off-season’s free agents. While she didn’t play in 2023, that shouldn’t and won’t be a deterrent for her being a top priority for teams.

Her talent is undeniable; a sure-fire All-WNBA member. The point guard position is also one of the most sought-after and critical to any team’s success.

Can you defend your position well? Can you settle a team down in the halfcourt? Can you hit open shots? Can you attack the basket and score as well as create for others? Can you lead the break effectively?

Skylar answers all of those questions with gusto, filling every mold required of lead guards in a game that becomes increasingly defined by quickness, decisiveness, and being a constant threat while holding your own on the defensive end.

Whoever signs her is elevating their team unquestionably. Part of what makes her so enticing is that she fits practically anywhere given her skill set, but her fit in Connecticut is my favorite.

Diggins-Smith can create in the halfcourt while being an effective player off the ball when she’s not leading the offense, crucial for a team that runs an inverted offense with Alyssa Thomas as the de facto point. With Brionna Jones back in the mix and healthy, this team is a true lead guard away from making another run to the Finals.

Nneka Ogwumike

It’s so difficult to envision Nneka in a jersey that isn’t gold and purple. Add her Stanford success and no player has been as entrenched in the face of California basketball as Ogwumike.

But as announced by the Los Angeles Sparks and Ogwumike herself on social media, that’s changing this season.

A decade into her career, Ogwumike remains one of the very best frontcourt players in the sport. She has buttery touch around the basket, in the midrange, and is one of the most efficient in the league at posting up. Defensively, few have ever had as active of hands at the 4 position. She thrives playing in more aggressive coverages where she can pester with her immaculate defensive footwork and prodding hands.

It’s also worth noting that she brings a championship pedigree (2016 WNBA title), essential for rounding out a core. While Ogwumike has her pick of teams to head to, Seattle and Atlanta stand out for equal reasons. Both teams have elite guards and play with a balanced and spread floor. They often operate with dribble handoffs and bring their posts to the perimeter to make plays with the ball and screen.

Nneka could thrive playing off of the gravity of Jewell Loyd or Rhyne Howard, getting perhaps some of the cleanest looks she’s gotten in a while. Both teams could be amplified and elevated by her addition, and while it might not make them immediate title contenders, it’s all about what you can build off of that first move.

Natasha Cloud

Natasha Cloud defends her position well, hits open shots, attacks the basket, scores, and creates shots for her teammates like other lead guards, but the packaging is different. 

Cloud is adept at pressuring the rim, a force getting downhill. She is always looking to push the pace, attack in early offense, and draw the defense with her fleet feet on an aggressive rim run.

Her defensive motor is something to behold, showcased in the First Round matchup with the New York Liberty. She has a case as the best pound-for-pound defensive guard in the league. 

She’s strong in denial and chasing players through off-ball actions. She gets through and around screens at a high level. She can sit down and get stops in isolation, denying dribble penetration. In a pinch, she can switch onto larger players and hold her own. Off the ball, she is a headache for the opposition in passing lanes, oft taking the ball coast to coast on a lofty pass. 

Much like Ogwumike, Cloud also brings a bevy of playoff experience, a former champion with the Mystics in 2019. Any team looking to get more athletic, shore up their perimeter defense, and create more efficient offense should be in on Cloud; I enjoy the idea of her teaming up with Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor in Seattle.

Tianna Hawkins

Shifting to some of our more under-the-radar free agents, Hawkins deserves her flowers and then some for elevating her play in a career stretch this past season.

The Washington Mystics did not make the playoffs in 2023 without the all-around play of Tianna Hawkins. When Elena Delle Donne went down with a lower-body injury and was sidelined for most of the season, Hawkins stepped into the starting lineup, averaging 11.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while also averaging about 1.5 combined steals and blocks per game (21 starts). 

Hawkins is efficient, shooting over 51% from the field in those starts; she can post up and use her frame to play like a big, but also attack off the dribble and face up like a wing. Her passing is underrated, a high-quality decision-maker on the move, and from a standstill. 

She shot 34.4% from deep last year and that’s one of the biggest differentiators for her. Hawkins can have moments of being a bit hesitant to shoot, but when she lets it fly, it looks good and she makes defenses care. I’d love to see her keep getting the shot up on volume.

Defensively, she’s a bit of a skeleton key, capable of protecting the rim with strong positioning, hanging on the perimeter when needed, and hedging out to contain ballhandlers.

I’d love to see Hawkins in a more high-tempo offense than what she’s been in the past few years. The New York Liberty (Stefanie Dolson is a free agent) makes sense to me for her as the first big/forward off the bench depending on how the rest of free agency moves. She could fit in New York’s offense while giving them a different look on the defensive end and some added versatility.

Rebecca Allen

Rebecca Allen has been an integral part of the Connecticut Sun’s rotation, especially with the Sun’s shift to their five-out read-and-react offense. As a starter for the Sun, once Bri Jones was injured, she averaged nearly 3 combined steals and blocks per game, which somehow undersells her defensive impact. She’s a fierce player in the passing lanes and roaming the backline, using a lengthy wingspan and incredible timing to blow up plays before they can start. Playing alongside Alyssa Thomas just adds a layer of dynamism to the defense. 

She’s one of the best off-ball defenders in the sport and one the best off-ball players to have in your offense. This makes it easy to understand why the Sun have an interest in the possibility of Allen returning.

Few players with Allen’s size can cut and read the floor while moving as fluidly as she does without the ball in her hands. Her shooting percentages don’t relay how impactful a shooter she is; you will rarely see her unguarded, and if she is, it’s often a defensive lapse. She has a quick and high release, can shoot off movement (one of the rarest skills in the W), and can pull up as well. 

If she doesn’t have an open shot, she moves the ball and her body to get herself or a teammate a better look. She fits pretty much anywhere with her skillset, which is what makes her one of the best role players in the W.

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes columns on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at @MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams