The WNBA season is just over a week away, and the time to cut down rosters is here. Wednesday saw a wave of waivers after Tuesday’s three-game preseason game schedule, as more teams get closer to their goal of 11-12 players for the regular season.
One of the biggest cuts of the day was Harmoni Turner from the Las Vegas Aces. Turner led Harvard to an Ivy League Championship this season, winning the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award before being drafted 35th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
An Olympian was also cut from the Indiana Fever — Yvonne Ejim from Canada went to the 2024 Paris Olympics with her national team while still a student a Gonzaga. She won the same Becky Hammon award in 2024, and is a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She was drafted 33rd overall by the Fever in the 2025 Draft.
The Minnesota Lynx made a sweep of cuts Wednesday as well, waiving Dalayah Daniels, Diamona Johnson, Camryn Taylor and Ajae Petty from training camp. The Phoenix Mercury waived Australian Shyla Heal as well as Anna Makurat from their roster. Along with Turner, Queen Egbo was also waived by the Las Vegas Aces. Thursday morning, the Connecticut Sun waived Caitlin Bickle and Kamila Borkowska.
Here is an updated list of all waived players since the beginning of training camp:
- Mya Hollingshed (Connecticut Sun)
- Abbey Hsu (Connecticut Sun)
- Jordyn Jenkins (Las Vegas Aces)
- Kaitlyn Davis (New York Liberty)
- Alyssa Utsby (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Anneli Maley (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Shyanne Sellers (Golden State Valkyries)
- Arella Guirantes (Chicago Sky)
- Tilly Boler (Chicago Sky)
- Sammi Puisis (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)
- Christyn Williams (Minnesota Lynx)
- Kiara Leslie (Minnesota Lynx)
- Aaronette Vonleh (Dallas Wings)
- Jordan Hobbs (Seattle Storm)
- Madison Conner (Seattle Storm)
- Harmoni Turner (Las Vegas Aces)
- Queen Egbo (Las Vegas Aces)
- Yvonne Ejim (Indiana Fever)
- Dalayah Daniels (Minnesota Lynx)
- Diamond Johnson (Minnesota Lynx)
- Camryn Taylor (Minnesota Lynx)
- Ajae Petty (Minnesota Lynx)
- Shyla Heal (Phoenix Mercury)
- Anna Makurat (Phoenix Mercury)
- Caitlin Bickle (Connecticut Sun)
- Kamila Borkowska (Connecticut Sun)
Despite this long list of cuts, no team is within the 11-12 player range. Some teams are hanging out around 14-15 players, while other teams still have as many as 18 players in camp. That will change as we head into the weekend, so many more cuts are still to come.
While adding more WNBA expansion teams will help this, there is also a need for expanded rosters. Many teams will only keep 11 players in the end despite being allowed to have 12, so that they can have more space in their final salary budget. With there not being any sort of injury reserve option on teams, roster spots are also being occupied by people who will not play. Though it’s great that they’re still getting paid on guaranteed contracts, this also takes away spots for healthy players. Why can’t we have both? Pay players injured with the team while also being able to sign some of these camp players.
The WNBA season officially starts on Friday, May 16, and teams will likely have their final rosters submitted by Monday or Tuesday of next week.
