Aussies stars on the move in a crazy WNBA offseason

• Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix) and Bec Allen (Chicago) have both moved teams
• Sydney Flames star Shaneice Swain signed a rookie deal with LA Sparks, two years after being drafted
• Chloe Bibby signed by WNBA expansion franchise the Golden State Valkyries

The WNBA off-season has been dramatic to say the least!

Superstars have been traded for one another as Kelsey Plum landed in Los Angeles and Jewell Loyd headed to Las Vegas, Atlanta has loaded up their front court by adding Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, Phoenix acquired two special talents in Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, while Indiana added star veterans DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard.

Amongst the madness, Australians have found new homes in a flurry of moves in recent weeks — let’s look at what players have moved where in off-season deals.

Sami Whitcomb – Phoenix Mercury

She’s been dominating the WNBL all season long with her new team the Bendigo Spirit and change continues for Sami Whitcomb after signing with the re-tooled Phoenix Mercury.  

Following her second stint in Seattle, Whitcomb joins a Mercury team that clearly means business but still has the major question mark hanging over their heads of whether or not Diana Taurasi will play her 21 season in Phoenix. She still is yet to officially opt in or retire.

Phoenix boasts superstars across the board; they’ve enjoyed an unbelievable off-season by trading for two 2024 All-WNBA First Team members in Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, while 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper remains as the focal point of their offence.  

With so much star power, Whitcomb’s fit on the Mercury roster has the potential to be a game-changer. She’s the exact type of player that flourishes by complementing stars, just look at her roles on the Storm championship-winning squads in 2018 and 2020. She’s a floor-spacer because of the respect her shooting demands on the perimeter, still a pesky defender and is more than capable of handling the ball and facilitating the offence.

I expect her to play a key role in Phoenix’s march back up the standings.

Bec Allen – Chicago Sky

It’s been a whirlwind past couple of weeks for Bec Allen, who was involved in the Alyssa Thomas trade by landing back in Connecticut — where she had a great season in 2023 — before getting traded once more just days later to the Chicago Sky.

The Sky have their frontcourt of the future locked in with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso to build around and they’ve added key veteran players that will help fast track development of the squad. By bringing back two-time WNBA Champion and Sky legend Courtney Vandersloot, who last played for the Sky in 2022, along with additions Kia Nurse and Allen, suddenly Chicago have veterans who know what this league is all about.  

Allen has struggled with injury since the horrific partially collapsed lung and two broken ribs, which curtailed her 2022 FIBA World Cup campaign with the Opals.

She bravely fought through the injury to play key minutes in the following game but eventually succumb and since then has battled to find consistency in her body, exacerbated by her being a late omission from the Opals squad in last year’s Olympics.

When fit and healthy, Allen is a defensive star and one of the best shooters in the league. Her two-way ability adds a different dimension to any team she is on. Much like Whitcomb, Allen’s ability to space the floor will be vital for the Mercury, especially with two dominant bigs.

Shaneice Swain – Los Angeles Sparks

Two years after being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks, Shaneice Swain signed her rookie deal with the franchise and will head over for training camp. Swain’s offensive brilliance has catapulted the Sydney Flames into the finals and I can’t wait to see what she can do in the WNBA.

The Sparks have a talented young roster, highlighted by their 2024 first round selections in Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, while Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens are also two frontcourt pillars. Los Angeles made a splash over the off-season by trading for Kelsey Plum, who will transform their backcourt, and while many of their fans may not know it yet, the addition of Swain will add plenty of offensive spark.

Swain will be competing for backcourt minutes with Aari McDonald — who WNBL fans will know well from her time with Perth last season — as well as Julie Allemand, Lexie Brown and Odyssey Sims. All of those names have plenty of experience in the WNBA and overseas, so it won’t be easy for Swain to solidify her spot but as we’ve seen this WNBL season, she can truly change the course of a game with her scoring in a matter of possessions.  

Anneli Maley – Los Angeles Sparks

Anneli Maley returns to the WNBA fold after stints with the Chicago Sky in 2022, which saw her play four regular season games before being waived. She also signed a training camp deal with the Sky in 2023 but didn’t make the final roster.

Two years on, she now finds herself back in the league after signing a training camp deal with the Sparks, where she will fight to prove herself in hopes of making the final roster cut.

Anyone who has watched Maley play knows she is relentless on both sides of the ball and if there is a rebound to curtail, she will do everything in her power to grab it.

In her two years away from the league, Maley has continued to work on her game and this season with the Lynx she is shooting a career-best 36% from deep, up from 27% last season.  

This added string to her bow is a major difference to the player Maley was back in 2022 with the Sky and with a plethora of talented bigs on the Los Angeles roster, she will need to take and make threes in training camp and preseason to stake her claim for a roster spot.

The aforementioned Brink, Jackson, Hamby and Stevens have frontcourt spots locked up, while Rae Burrell is a versatile wing/forward who showed strong flashes last season for the Sparks.

There is clearly going to be plenty of competition for roster spots but Maley’s pure work rate and hustle gives her a great shot at making the team.

Chloe Bibby – Golden State Valkyries

Chloe Bibby just keeps on improving. Wherever she has been over the past couple of seasons, she has just dominated, highlighted by her winning the Polish League MVP last season and this year with Uni Girona in Spain, she is one of the best bigs in the EuroCup.

Shooting a ridiculous 50% from deep on almost five attempts per game in 10 EuroCup outings, Bibby (17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game) has been consistently unstoppable for Uni Girona and has a great opportunity in front of her at the Golden State Valkyries.  

The WNBA’s newest franchise, who will play their first season in 2025, has struggled to attract big name signings, so it will be all hands on deck to put a team on the hardwood that can compete night in, night out.  

Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely talent on the roster, including 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year Tiffany Hayes, 2024 WNBA Champion Kayla Thornton (who Southside fans will remember fondly), former Townsville Fire star Monique Billings, two imports dominating the WNBL in Veronica Burton and Laeticia Amihere and of course fellow Australian Steph Talbot.

They’ll be a team that does things by committee and Bibby’s long-range shooting sets her apart from many of the other bigs on the Valkyries roster.  

As mentioned above, Steph Talbot is also on the Valkyries roster. She was selected by Golden State in the expansion draft back in December. She has been around the league for years and knows a thing or two about big games on the international stage — ala her incredible block in the dying stages of the Opals’ bronze medal game against Belgium at last year’s Olympics — and will bring a steadying influence among the other veterans on the roster.

Ezi Magbegor (Seattle), Alanna Smith (Minnesota), Jade Melbourne (Washington), Kristy Wallace (Indiana) and Amy Atwell (Phoenix) are all still on the same rosters as last season, and as 2025 tip off approaches, we’ll be sure to dive into how their roles will look this year.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.