“Ugh, this is stressful,” is what Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard had to say in 2023 after the final roster cuts. She came out swinging, criticizing the league for keeping the roster limit to only 12. Many of the youngsters are now likely to see the door with all teams finalizing their rosters.
The deadline is May 15, when the teams can submit their final 11- or 12-player rosters. The cuts have already started, with teams looking to accelerate the process and get to their final squad as early as possible. Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever cut guard Bree Hall and forward Jillian Alleyne, both of whom saw action in Sunday’s game against the Brazilian National Team. This national analyst has pointed out the differences between the NBA and the WNBA regarding their squad-building rules and how many limitations WNBA teams have.
Rachel A. DeMita said on her YouTube channel, “This is the sad part about the WNBA: even if you are drafted to a team, that does not guarantee you a roster spot. The WNBA does not have a league like the NBA has with the G-League, where they can assign players to the G-League. They can flip them back and forth between the G-League and playing in the NBA. The WNBA does not have that. And they also have significantly fewer teams than does the NBA.”
This is a challenge both the franchises and the players face in the WNBA. After being cut, the players look for opportunities overseas, while the franchises have to again bring in new players in case of an injury during the season or explore more options tactically on the court. The coach has only six options to come off the bench as opposed to 10 in the NBA, where the squad limit is 15. They also have three players on two-way contracts who alternate between the G-League and the NBA. The G-League is the official developmental league for the NBA, where the youngsters can have their share of experience.
Such a league is expected for the WNBA sometime soon, but there is no word on when. The roster spot situation has been heavily criticized by many players. Calling out the league repeatedly so they can make some changes. With 2024 being such a landmark year, it was expected that some of these changes would be in motion sometime soon. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said that she is addressing the overall opportunities rather than how many spots each team has.
“We don’t want to jeopardize the momentum we have, but we understand the issue about roster sizes,” Engelbert told the Seattle Times. “But when you’re a country the size and scale of ours and you’re only in 12 cities, growing the league is a way to do that as well. Then you open up roster spots. I don’t think it’s about rosters per team. It’s about more opportunities for more players to play.”
There is the new addition of a franchise from Portland, which is scheduled to come into the league from next season onwards. That certainly gives 11 more players a chance to come into the league. The Golden State Valkyries will be debuting this season onwards, so there are efforts the league is taking to expand opportunities for these players.
Outside the league, we have a new 3v3 league coming in with more opportunities in the off-season. Unrivaled, the league had its first season this year, and it was mighty successful. Already breaking even in its first year. This provides some more opportunities for the players, but for now, it has stars in its roster itself. So the players who are likely to be released weren’t a part of that league. In the future, it could turn into a developmental league for the WNBA if they add a 5 vs. 5 component to it. Although it’s not related to the league at all, it’s a neat concept to tinker with. Since it takes place in the off-season, it gives visibility and attention to the youngsters.
Regarding the Fever’s final roster, De Mita further mentioned who she likes the best to fill that uncertain final spot. She said, “I think the last spot will go to Mikayla Timpson. I think she has been playing the best out of the new players who are on the chopping block for that last spot. And I think she will be the one who will end up on that final roster.”
The Indiana Fever had selected power forward Makayla Timpson with the 19th overall pick during the draft, and according to De Mita, she is the frontrunner to have her spot in the final roster. Timson starred during four years at Florida State, finishing her Seminoles career averaging more than 30 minutes, 17.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks as a senior. She was the only player in Division I to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game this season.
Her height and reach could prove key for the Fever to defend around the rim, and she has shown her quality in the offense, too. In her 10 minutes against Brazil, she scored 9 points with one rebound. Against the Mystics, she had 4 points and 2 rebounds in her nine minutes on the court. It seems she will get her spot.
Bree Hall gets heartfelt messages from Kiki Iriafen and Kamilla Cardoso after Fever exit
Bree Hall was selected as the 20th overall pick in the draft by the Indiana Fever and was a promising candidate to make the final roster for Indiana. But it was not to be, as she was released yesterday. She put out an Instagram post of being grateful for the experience with a team like Fever. “Thankful for the opportunity. Looking forward to what’s next, she wrote in the caption.
Her teammates and opponents were quick to send their messages. “No one can take away what God has for you!!” wrote Kiki Iriafen. Even though Iriafen was a fierce competitor on the court in the game against Fever, which Hall did not feature in, she wished Hall the best for the future. In the end, these two are chasing the same goal, but will have different paths.
Sky center Kamilla Cardoso also motivated her former teammate. “Keep going ,” Cardoso wrote. They played together for three seasons at South Carolina, winning two national championships under head coach Dawn Staley. Staley herself rated Hall very highly.
“Bree’s an elite defender.” Staley had said, “It’s elite—the things that she does, the people that she has to guard. In my 25 years of coaching, she’s on my all-time defensive team—all the players that I’ve coached—because she’s very consistent with it, and she relishes the challenge.”
She is one of the players who went under the radar during her college years. With Sydney Colson and Kelsey Mitchell on the same team, it was difficult for Hall to make her mark. But with this early release, there is still time for any other franchise to snap her up. Even if not in the WNBA this year, she could explore opportunities overseas for this year and try and come back to the WNBA next year. She has the potential to make it here, but it will take some time.
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