WNBA’s first preseason games wave during the weekend also brought the first big wave of cuts in the training camps list. Due to the limited number of points on the list in the WNBA teams and the salary limit restrictions, many attendees to the WNBA training field do not create equipment. The teams will sign between 18 and 21 years (ISH) players to camp and reduce their lists to 11-12 when the season begins.
Most teams will wait until after their first preseason game to start cutting their list, at least take a look at everyone before making decisions. A movement that gave him the trend was the premature cut for Shyanne’s sellers of Golden State Valkyries. After being projected to be recruited in the first round of the WNBA draft last month, the sellers fell to No. 17, where Golden State snatched it. However, she was cut from the list before having the opportunity to play in the first preseason game by Golden State.
Sellers was only one of the multiple cuts made during the weekend. On Friday, the Sparks cut Alyssa Ussby and Anneli Maley on their training camps list, while New York made their first cut by Waitlyn Davis. All these movements were made before their teams could see these players in a preseason game.
After sellers on Saturday, a wave of official cuts arrived through the WNBA transaction page on Sunday. After the Dallas Wings opened their year with a preseason game against Las Vegas on Friday, they renounced McKenzie Forbes and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. Chicago also played his first preseason game on Friday, facing the Brazilian national team in LSU. After that game, they decided to give up Arella Guirantes, Tilly Boler and Sammie Puísis.
None of the players have not resigned this weekend, apart from the sellers, who made final lists of the WNBA this season. It is only the nature of this Cutlero League: you must be at the elite level of talent to receive a chance. The situation seems to be improving a bit as the League expands, but the addition of the Valkyries this season is not solving this problem, as evidenced by the sellers moved.
Golden State has chosen to go with an extremely international list for its opening season. They used their expansion draft selections to acquire a ton of European talent, and used their 2025 selection No. 5 in the “Draft and Stash” European jocitus. With the sellers to resign, the only 2025 Draft selection that is still on the list is Kaitlyn Chen, who wrote 30º in general outside UCONN.
The consequences of giving up the online debate vendors about the expansion of the WNBA and what teams of players should prioritize with these new places in the list. Many expressed that they assumed that the expansion of the WNBA would mean that it would be a more promising talent raised in the NCAA in the WNBA, instead of bringing more players from Europe. That was called as a very “American” taking by other international fans.
I have contradictory opinions about the previous shots, being my basketball fan in Canada. On the one hand, I know how difficult it is that international talent is recognized at all: how there are so few opportunities to reach the WNBA. The Canadian on the edge and defensive in which 2025 has transformed me in which he immediately calls Americans for their perpetual certain mentality. However, a part of me also understands that the rhetoric that is being thrown in recent years was expansion = more chans so that the talent of the NCAA does. Now that this is not necessarily happening, since the teams choose to bring these experienced international players. It is fair that female university basketball fans feel a bit deceived.
In the end, I think that globalizing the game is a good thing. For years, international leagues have accepted US women’s basketball players in their lists when there are places for them in the WNBA, why not now return the favor? If it’s Americans about more talented players … well, that is not a great direction to lead the league. The result that these young university players are cut should not be to “prohibit Europeans”, but to create a system to develop young talents within the WNBA that will not only write them, allowing them to enjoy the training camp for a few days.
This is where more list points could come into play, with the current officer CAP of 12 is too small now that there is much more worldwide. Add the fact that WNBA’s hard salary limit means that most teams with 11 players, and the cut is deeper. The early wave of injuries in the WNBA has also exposed holes in the current CBA when it comes to salaries and list points. When Seattle Storm’s eaves, Katie Lou Samuelson, she was diagnosed with an ACL torn last week in the training camp, it means that she still gets her full season salary (which is good), but that money will still tell for the storm. That means that the storm has its salary against its budget, and Samuelson will take one of the 12 listing places available despite being out throughout the season with this injury.
All these are issues that will be addressed in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which the players union is already negotiating with the WNBA.
The preseason of the WNBA continues on Tuesday while Golden State plays his first extrathría game against the Sparks, Las Vegas plays Phoenix and Minnesota plays Chicago. Surely they will follow more list cuts, since the teams work to solidify their 11-12 players. The chart lists must be presented on May 15, the day before the regular season goes out on May 16.
Here are all those who have bones of training camps lists so far:
- My Hollingshed (Connecticut Sun)
- Abbey Hsu (Connecticut Sun)
- Jordyn Jenkins (Aces de Las Vegas)
- Kaitlyn Davis (Freedom of New York)
- Alyssa Ussby (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Anneli Maley (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Shyanne Sellers (Golden State Valkyries)
- Arella Guirantes (Chicago Sky)
- Tilly Boler (Chicago Sky)
- Sammi Puísis (Chicago Sky)
- McKenzie Forbes (Dallas Wings)
- Mikiah Herbert Hannigan (Dallas Wings)
- Morgan Jones (Washington Mystics)
- Jojo Lacey (Washington Mystics)
- Bree Hall (Indiana fever)
- Jillian Alleyne (Indiana fever)
- Deyona Gaston (Atlanta Dream)
