The Dallas Wings are slated to lose two of their greatest gamers to free company this winter — Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally — and are coming into an offseason of uncertainty.
However, on Saturday, the group received free company began with the primary transactions of free company, extending qualifying affords to incoming second-year gamers Sevgi Uzun and Jaelyn Brown.
Uzun, a 27-year-old rookie out of Turkey, began practically half of Dallas’s video games final season, averaging 4.4 factors and three assists in 20.5 factors minutes.
Brown, a 6’1 guard, appeared in 14 video games, averaging 2.6 factors and 1.5 rebounds in 10.1 minutes.
What are qualifying affords?
Reserved gamers — gamers with three or fewer years of WNBA service who’re on an expiring contract — will be supplied qualifying hours forward of free company. That is non-guaranteed cash for the minimal base wage, so most groups lengthen qualifying affords to their reserved gamers.
The reserved participant is free to barter a contract with their very own staff with totally different phrases from the qualifying provide, however they might not negotiate with every other groups. The participant can negotiate a brand new contract or settle for the qualifying provide at any level, however could not signal a negotiated contract till February 1. If no reserved qualifying provide is prolonged, the participant turns into an unrestricted free agent on February 1.
There are 22 reserved gamers within the WNBA, and people who aren’t supplied qualifying affords instantly turn out to be free brokers.
The state of the Dallas Wings roster
Extending qualifying affords to Uzun and Brown was anticipated on Dallas’s finish. So far as the remainder of the roster goes, Arike Ogunbowale, Jacey Sheldon, Kalani Brown, Maddy Siegrist, Teiara McCowan, and Lou Lopez Senechal are all beneath contract.
Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard, the staff’s second and third main scorer final season, are each unrestricted free brokers. Each have expressed that they’re transferring on from the Wings group, with Sabally not too long ago telling reporters that she has knowledgeable Wings’ administration that she’s performed her final video games with the group.
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Photograph by Adam Hagy/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
“I’ve already communicated with Dallas how grateful I’m, as a result of they’ve made this a house for me for the previous years, and I’m working with them collectively and discovering a subsequent house for me,” Sabally mentioned throughout an Unmatched media availability. “I’ve already performed my final sport in Dallas.”
Sabally, who averaged 17.9 factors, 6.4 rebounds, and 5 assists final season, will doubtless be cored — and subsequently traded — whereas Howard will doubtless merely stroll. Howard averaged 17.6 factors and 6.7 rebound final yr, and was one of many staff’s most constant gamers.
The Wings have the No. 1 decide within the 2025 WNBA Draft, which they’ll presumably use to pick UConn standout guard Paige Bueckers. However, the group can have a tall job in changing Sabally and Howard, their high two forwards. As well as, ahead Monique Billings, who offered 8.8 factors of the bench for Dallas final season, was chosen by the Golden State Valkyries after being left unprotected within the enlargement draft.