Let’s take a look at what’s gone down in WNBA free agency over Feb. 9-10.
Chicago Sky re-sign F Jessica Breland
After battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma throughout her college career and bouncing around the WNBA while trying to regain her conditioning, Breland finally got her big break in 2014 when she signed with the Chicago Sky. She proved she was more than just a feel-good story, earning her first All-Star nomination and ranking among the league’s top 10 in blocked shots in each of the past two seasons.
The restricted free agent will be staying in Chicago, and it’s a great fit both for her and the Sky. A lanky 6’3”, Breland offers solid mid-range jump-shooting from the power-forward position and figures to be one of the Sky’s better options to pair with Elena Delle Donne in the frontcourt. She’s mobile and very active on the boards, and her length gives head coach Pokey Chatman lots of options defensively.
What the Sky need out of Breland in 2016 is more of the same: be a reliable role player who can make opponents pay for double-teaming Delle Donne, grab plenty of offensive rebounds, and provide energy and activity defensively. They also need her to stay healthy. While Breland hasn’t missed many games in her time with the Sky, she’s fought through many nagging injuries that have hampered her effectiveness. If she can stay on the floor, look for this to be one of the better signings of the offseason.
Seattle Storm re-sign F/C Crystal Langhorne and G Angel Goodrich
The veteran Langhorne first arrived in Seattle in 2014, when she was traded from the rebuilding Washington Mystics to the Storm in exchange for forward Tianna Hawkins and guard Bria Hartley. Since then, she’s done nothing but produce at her normal, steady rate, continuing to appear near the top of the WNBA in shooting percentage and games played (the last game Langhorne missed was in 2012).
Though she’s undersized (especially for a center, where she played for most of 2015), Langhorne remains a viable post option thanks to an array of low post moves and savvy off-ball movement. Langhorne will never block many shots, and her rebounding rate has decreased significantly since her time in Washington, but there are few post players in the league who are more consistent, and Langhorne will be asked to just keep doing what she’s been doing throughout her career to anchor a young and learning Seattle frontcourt.
Meanwhile, Goodrich’s spot may not be as guaranteed. Also undersized for her position, the crafty young point guard was picked up by Seattle midway through 2015 and performed competently. Though her playing time was inconsistent, she averaged close to seven assists per 36 minutes, and generally took very good care of the basketball while she was on the floor. However, her pass-first, pass-second, pass-third mentality may not translate as well if Seattle’s looking for a scoring point guard to back up Sue Bird. Goodrich will be battling for playing time with the newly acquired Monica Wright (who’s more of a combo guard and is going to look to shoot much more often) for the position, and even if she makes the roster out of training camp, the Storm may not have as dire of a need for her as they did last year.
Atlanta Dream re-sign G Matee Ajavon
The Dream bring back Ajavon for a third season in Atlanta after initially acquiring her from Washington in 2014. Like most Rutgers products, Ajavon excels in one-on-one situations, and had her best year for the Mystics in 2011, during which she scored nearly 15 points per game. She’s struggled to shoot the ball consistently since then, however, and her game tends to involve more dribbling than passing.
Despite this, Dream head coach Michael Cooper tried playing Ajavon at point guard last season, and she bounced back from a poor 2014 showing by putting up career highs in shooting percentage and assist rate. We might be seeing more of the same this season, as Atlanta still has yet to find a dependable long-term solution at the position. Though Ajavon would still undeniably be playing out of position, she’s been in the league for some time now, and Cooper may be relying on her to help bring order to a chaotic backcourt situation.