Free agency update

Sunday 12 February 2006

Lots of news to get through:

Vickie Johnson to San Antonio, Crystal Robinson to Washington

So the great exodus of New York begins. More coverage on that on a future Libs article.

VJ looks to be insurance for Ferdinand this season and will at least make SASS' perimeter D stronger. Robinson is an excellent signing for the Mystics and will give them better perimeter D, much needed outside shooting and will allow Milton-Jones to move back to the 4 full time.

San Antonio re-signs Dalma Ivanyi, signs Agnieszka Bibrzycka

Ivanyi is a star point guard in Europe but is no better than a backup in the WNBA. She can stick an open three but she's only effective in spurts at running a team in the WNBA. As for "Biba", well she's got size and is a decent shooter but is poor defensively and struggled with the physicality of the WNBA in her rookie season. Hughes has an interesting mish-mash of players at San Antonio and I'm curious to see how he puts it together.

New York Liberty signs Asjha Jones to a three year max offer sheet, Connecticut matches

Terms were "not disclosed" but the max offer was described in this thread. This is not surprising in the slightest and I don't think the Sun will have any cap problems out of this, considering Taj's impending retirement and I don't think Margo is going to last that long either. Whether Jones deserves a max contract at this stage of her career is another story but at this time, young players with upside (especially points and posts) will have offers matched and be overpaid.

The rest

Libs have signed Cathrine Kraayeveld and Ashley Battle - Kraayeveld is a good backup forward, Battle is training camp fodder

The Monarchs have signed Cisti Greenwalt and Dionnah Jackson. Greenwalt could stick as a post backup with Walker out and Scott gone but I don't expect her to make much of an impact on court. Jackson is more training camp fodder.

Indiana has signed Linda Frohlich. I've liked Frohlich's game since I saw her in college but she's never seemed to stick in the WNBA for whatever reason (probably because of dubious defensive skills and a tweener like game). She's been playing well in Europe as of late and it will be interesting to see how she goes this time.