The best WNBA free agent still available could save one team’s offseason
Emma Meesseman is one of the most dominant women’s basketball players in the world — and someone who could instantly elevate the Connecticut Sun.
Belgian forward Emma Meesseman didn’t play in the WNBA last season. But, the 6’4 star, who was the 2019 Finals MVP, could be returning to the league this Spring.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton reported that Meesseman won’t take meetings with WNBA teams until mid-February. But, if a WNBA team does land her, the move would instantly be one of the biggest wins of the offseason.
Emma Meesseman is one of women’s basketball's top players
Meesseman spent the first 8 years of her WNBA career with the Washington Mystics, a tenure that was punctuated by a championship in 2019. During that playoff run, she averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 58.2% shooting. She became the first European player in WNBA history to be named Finals MVP.
Since beginning her WNBA career in 2012, Meesseman has sat out of three WNBA seasons. In 2018 and 2021, she forewent WNBA play — and did the same in 2024. So there’s precedent for her to return to the U.S. after taking a break, and if she decides to once again do so, she’d be hugely impactful.
Currently, Meesseman is playing overseas in the EuroLeague for the Turkish club Fenerbahce, where she’s averaging 16.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on 59.8% shooting. On a team that includes WNBA players Gabby Williams, Tina Charles, Nyara Sabally, Sevgi Uzun, and Ariel Atkins, she’s been the biggest standout and most consistent player night in and night out.
Over the years, she’s prioritized the Belgian national team, and in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Meesseman was named to the All-Star Five of the tournament, posting the best points per game and efficiency of any women’s Olympic basketball player. Belgium didn’t medal, but one thing was clear: Meesseman was very much still one of the best basketball players in the world.
Could Emma Meesseman end up on the Connecticut Sun?
Meesseman could end up on several teams for the 2025 season — or, she could once again forego the WNBA and continue prioritizing overseas basketball. But, there’s one destination at first glance, appears to be a natural fit: the Connecticut Sun.
Notably, newly-hired Sun head coach Rachid Meziane has served as the Belgian national coach since 2022, coaching Meesseman for three years. If he could leverage his relationship with her to bring Connecticut, the Sun would instantly go from a team on the fringe of a rebuild to a near-playoff shoo-in — if not a potential contender.
Meesseman’s current Fenerbahce teammate, Tina Charles, signed with the Sun over the weekend, and a backcourt headlined by Natasha Cloud and Marina Mabrey is a high-powered one.
At 31 years old, Meesseman is very much still in her physical prime and could instantly elevate any team she chooses. If Meziane can recruit the Belgian star to Uncasville, an uncertain offseason that saw the Sun lose their entire starting lineup would suddenly look very different.