Welcome to the 4th Annual Edition of Within the marginFree Agency summary and part-season preview. I look at the league’s roster and look at how team executives have done their work, using strict rules that the WNBA allows. Next, choose three players who signed a deal that appears to be of great value to their team, and those who can have a big impact on their team despite what their salary suggests. Previous editions of this series highlight something like a player Ahri Macdonald, Jordyn Canada, Tierra MacCowen.
Every year I write this article, I find it more difficult to do the practices that make the impact of these types of players more difficult, and 2025 is no exception. More veteran protection contracts appear to be moving forward in six figures, and in preseason it can be hard for teams to know their training camp contracts, who will be cuts, and who will stick.
Additionally, injured people play a major role in who could affect the team’s courts. Two years ago I had great hopes for Rebekah Gardner, but she unfortunately suffered a major injury early in the season and is now back in the league with New York Liberty. Already this preseason, we’ve seen injuries growing their ugly heads, Georgia Amoor and Megan Gustafson We’ve already lost the season.
Like previous versions of this series, I’m looking for contracts under $100,000 and someone who signed with the team during the offseason free agency.
Shaneice Swain
We’ve already pushed the rules up a bit with this. While Swain is technically signed Free agency periodher deal is a rookie scale deal with Los Angeles Sparks, who drafted her in 2023. This isn’t actually a free agent, but it can play a key role for Sparks in 2025.
Swain is a 21-year-old Australian who named himself in his native WNBL and played in the Sydney flames. She lighted the league last season, Leading the team with a score and a 3-pointer.
@thewnbl remembers the name – Chenice Swain. The 21 year old casually dropped 40 pieces on Wednesday night 😤#wearownbl @sydney flames @the los Angeles Sparks
Her confidence and ability to score anywhere in court will be a welcome sight in Los Angeles. The 2024 Sparks finished the regular season at the bottom of the ranking thanks to a disastrous offense that was ranked below 10th in key offensive categories such as team scoring, effective field goal percentages and true shooting rates.
Swain’s wide open and offensive game pairs well with her new coach, Lynne Roberts, who will become known for her team’s high octane offense and freedom to film beyond the ARC at the college level. Australia’s ability to handle the ball and manage the offense fits alongside scorers like Kelsey Plum and Ricketer Jackson, providing a variety of intervals and scoring to offenses who desperately needed the touch of a shooter last season.
Tiffany Mitchell
When Mitchell signed the Las Vegas ace this offseason, much of the attention on the deal focused on reuniting Mitchell with South Carolina gamecock Aja Wilson. A former South Carolina gamecock who played together for two seasons in Columbia. Mitchell and Wilson are on the same team again, but while I’ll talk a lot, it also omits the fact that Mitchell is really suited to Las Vegas. The new-looking ace has plenty of offensive firepower through the league’s recent advantage, and adding players like Seattle’s Jewel Lloyd will continue to offer that scoring punch. However, the team lacked contributions from the bench and struggled violently when one of the Big 3s fell injured.
Enter Mitchell, a savvy veteran who has been around the WNBA since 2016, play for several different teams and adapt to many situations at each destination she played. Her size and skill set allow her to fit in guard positions and protect multiple positions around her. The final stop with Connecticut saw only her average of 4.9 ppg, but she holds a career average of 8.8 ppg and can find a bucket of the team in a variety of ways.
@hoops.digest Tiffany Mitchell Contest Finish
She probably won’t try her hand at the Ace starter for a few minutes, but she positions herself to become a reliable option from the bench of a team that hasn’t won the bench in the past few seasons.
Sydney Colson
It’s a shame that we can’t quantify the “vibe” statistics created or maintained by teams, but if possible, Sid Colson could be the league leader. During his three seasons with Ace, Colson became famous for his viral shenanigans with his teammates who regularly conducted social media discussions in the WNBA. Her personality and good nature is believed to have supported the chemistry of the ACES team and teams, winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
However, Colson can play, which often gets lost in conversations about what she brings to the league. Although she hasn’t gotten minutes as a member of ACES, when she was in court she had a share of the moments that sparkled. In the Las Vegas 2023 Championship Run, he played a big few minutes in the WNBA Finals against New York Liberty after Gray collapsed from an injury. In Game 4, which decides the series, she won a basket of games in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining (more than the last five postseason games combined) without leaving the job.
@yeahshehoop syd syd colson from Deep
Colson is currently stepping into a team that has clarified their championship aspirations. Drawing Kate Linklark in the first draft pick in 2024 and watching her play in such a dominant way towards the honors of Rookie of the Year and All Wimba, Indiana Fever has been busy in past offseasons and has supported her successes in the future. The team re-signed another star player, Kessley Mitchell, to the core contract. They hired highly respected head coach Stephanie White and brought in some well-known players such as Dewanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham.
With the addition of Colson, teams make it clear that their championship dreams apply across the roster, and attracting people who will make their team better in a tangible and intangible way is part of their priorities. It worked pretty well in Las Vegas.
Each of the three players listed will fit the unique needs of the new team. Whether it’s on-court production or actually cultural building, these players show that each roster plays a key role in what they want to achieve each season. They may not get glow and big names of money, but their value is recognized throughout the league.
That means finding a small contract with a big deal this year. If there’s someone I missed, you can find me Blue skiing And tell us what your thoughts are.
One thing to note is the league’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Set to changethe WNBA player contract could look very different in 2026. Whatever changes, we look forward to seeing players share what is still worthy of their team over the next few years.
