The 2025 WNBA offseason was a particularly active one, with big-name free agency signings and trades dominating the headlines. On paper, some of those moves looked good, and some looked questionable at best. But they couldn’t truly be judged until they were seen in action.

Now, more than half the season gone, we can officially say that these five moves have been good on paper and in practice:

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Mystics acquire No. 3 pick from Chicago for Ariel Atkins

Eight-year veteran guard Ariel Atkins was a key piece to Washington’s 2019 title run, but after going 14-16 in 2024, it was clear that Washington needed to do a full rebuild. Atkins was the last remaining player on the roster from that championship team. Washington was able to make a trade with Chicago in order to secure the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which they used to select Sonia Citron out of Notre Dame.

The trade is already proving fruitful for the Mystics as they build their team of the future. Citron, who was recently named an All-Star and competed in the 3-Point Contest, is a strong candidate for WNBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 13.6 points, 5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Citron is a versatile player who can be plugged into multiple positions and offensive systems, so she looks like a foundational piece the Mystics can build around, no matter how they build their roster in the future.

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Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally to Phoenix

With Diana Taurasi’s retirement and Brittney Griner heading to Atlanta, this season began a new era in Phoenix. The Mercury worked hard to snag Kahleah Copper, a former Finals MVP, out of Chicago last season, parting with Michaela Onyenwere, Brianna Turner, first-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts, and a second-round pick in the 2025 draft. Copper is a star, but not enough to win a title on her own. The Mercury needed to surround her with more top-tier talent, and they succeeded. By signing Alyssa Thomas, one of the best all-around players in the league, and Satou Sabally, an established scorer and rebounder who continues to improve year after year, the Mercury instantly put themselves in title contention.

The Mercury are currently 16-9, the third-best record in the league, with wins over defending champion New York and first-place squad Minnesota. Sabally and Thomas are thriving in Phoenix, with Sabally flirting with a career-high in points (18.0) and Thomas leading the league in assists with 9.4 per game. We also haven’t really seen Phoenix at its peak. All three superstar players have missed multiple games with injuries, so they are still building chemistry as a group. That’s a scary concept for the rest of the league.

Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones to Atlanta

Since drafting Rhyne Howard No. 1 overall in 2022 and trading for Allisha Gray in that same offseason, the Dream have been all set in the guard department. Howard has averaged at least 16 points per game in her four seasons, and her assist numbers have increased each year; she’s now averaging 4.5 per game. Meanwhile, Gray has become one of the league’s top scoring guards, averaging a career-high 18.7 points per game this season. Add in a playmaker like Jordin Canada, and you have a contending backcourt. But without a solid presence in the paint, it was not a contending team.

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The Dream were instantly elevated when they signed Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. In her 12th season in the league, Griner isn’t quite the player she was during her earlier seasons with the Mercury, but she still has a lot left to give. Griner is a presence on both offense and defense (11 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks per game). But perhaps even more important is her experience. Griner won a title with Phoenix in 2014, and the Mercury contended for most of her time there. The Dream, meanwhile, don’t know what it’s like to win at the highest level in the WNBA. Griner can help them adjust.

Jones knows how to win as well after competing in the WNBA Finals with Connecticut multiple times. She’s also in the prime of her career. The 29-year-old developed into one of the WNBA’s top bigs during her time with the Sun, and she’s proving her value in Atlanta. Jones is averaging 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. She and Griner can play in spurts, or alongside each other for a one-two post punch the Dream were desperately missing.

Natasha Cloud to Liberty

Despite winning the WNBA championship last season, the Liberty still managed to get better in the offseason. Securing Natasha Cloud in a trade with the Connecticut Sun was a major piece of that improvement. Former floor general Courtney Vandersloot will go down as one of the best point guards in WNBA history, but at this stage in their careers, Cloud is an upgrade. With players like Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu on the roster, the Liberty don’t need a scoring guard; they need someone who can make plays for others and take shots when they come. Cloud is the perfect fit. She can create offense with her ability to get downhill, averaging 5.9 assists per game, and score when the opportunity arises, averaging 10.4 points per game. Cloud is also an excellent defender and is enjoying one of her better 3-point shooting seasons, making 33.3% of her attempts.

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And in an added bonus, she also likely helped the Liberty sign Emma Meesseman out of Belgium. Meesseman played alongside Cloud in Washington when they won a title with the Mystics. That familiarity will help Meesseman get acclimated to the Liberty roster and style of play. Add that to the list of ways Cloud has made New York better.

Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles

The Sparks certainly aren’t going to compete for a title this year, but it’s clear that trading for Kelsey Plum was the right call for a team that’s building for the future. Plum more than proved herself during seven seasons with the Aces, with whom she won two WNBA championships. Now, Plum brings that winner’s mentality to a Los Angeles team that desperately needs it. The Sparks haven’t had a winning season since 2020, when Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray and Nneka Ogwumike were all still on their roster. Since then, they’ve cycled through coaches and players in search of a new identity. Plum, who is averaging 20.1 points and 5.9 assists per game, gives them a superstar to build around for years to come.