WNBA free agency is in full swing, and the Sky’s unrestricted free agents are getting active.
Stefanie Dolson shared to her Instagram that she was on the road before posting from the Barclays Center with New York Liberty guard Betnijah Laney.
A source confirmed to the Sun-Times that Dolson has met with the New York Liberty and will meet with the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream and the Sky over the next week. At this point in the process, Dolson is open-minded.
Dolson said it’s hard to imagine leaving Chicago following the Sky's championship season. She went as far as saying taking a team-friendly deal is not off the table.
“We’ve gone up in the amount that we’re paid,” Dolson said on an episode of Equal Play. “If you have to take a bit of a dock [in pay] to be on a good team, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”
This is the first time Dolson is fully experiencing free agency, similar to her championship teammate and close friend Courtney Vandersloot.
The most significant motivating factors in Dolson’s decision as a free agent are team culture and on-court success. This year Dolson added Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion to her two NCAA titles, so continuing that history of winning is a priority.
Dolson has been spending the offseason stateside, focused on her development. She opted not to travel overseas and has been working with trainers on aspects of her game that were underutilized in 2021, specifically her skill as a traditional big on the block.
Dolson shined as a pick and pop player in Sky coach/general manager James Wade’s system. She’s one of the best screeners in the WNBA, and that ability will be highly coveted, especially for a team like the Liberty, who has a deep pool of young, talented guards.
Dolson was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2014 draft and spent her first three years playing for Mike Thibault. She was part of the trade that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics in 2017. That deal also included WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, who Wade and the Sky cored last week.
In 2021, Dolson played 20 minutes a game and averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Her role all season extended far beyond any numbers she posted. Wade said her leadership and the locker room culture she created are invaluable to the Sky.
New ownership in the WNBA is contributing to a free agent market worthy of the players in the league. Gone are the days of blind loyalty to the franchise that drafted a player. In 2022, free agents are being courted unlike they ever have in the past leading more players to explore options.
Sky’s unrestricted free agents:
Courtney Vandersloot
Allie Quigley
Stefanie Dolson
Astou Ndour-Fall
Kahleah Copper, cored
Cap space (according to HerHoopStats.com): $908,215
