3 WNBA players were waived this week, but it doesn’t mean that’s the end

There are more roster spots in the WNBA than ever before — more than 200, to be exact.

That’s in large part due to league expansion; with the addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo this season, the league has a record 15 teams. And, alongside 12 standard roster spots, each team has two developmental player slots, as agreed upon in the latest CBA.

Still, with an influx of overseas talent coming to the WNBA in addition to droves of elite college players, holding on to a roster spot remains difficult for those who are on the fringe. As such, even two weeks into the season, good players are getting waived every day.

Since Monday, three players have been waived: Grace Vanslooten by the Seattle Storm, Ashten Prechtel by the Golden State Valkyries, and Aubrey Griffin by the New York Liberty. Vanslooter was a 2026 third-round pick after a standout career at Notre Dame. Prechtel was a 2023 third-round pick who won an NCAA championship with Stanford. And, Griffin was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of UConn.

Before those three cuts, the Phoenix Mercury waived Anneli Maley and Peyton Williams, the Connecticut Sun waived Shey Peddy, and the Portland Fire waived Jordan Harrison.

Sometimes, these cuts are expected: players signed hardship contracts in the wake of injuries and knew that their tenures would likely be temporary. Other times, cuts seemingly come out of left field; Kate Martin, who was waived by the Valkyries after training camp (and after being a rotation player for the team last season) is an example.

And, getting cut isn’t always a death sentence. There’s a long list of players who were waived by a WNBA team, only to eventually blossom elsewhere. That list includes Veronica Burton, who was waived by the Dallas Wings two years ago before becoming an elite two-way point guard for the Valkyries last season. It also includes veteran players like Erica Wheeler and Alysha Clark, who were cut early in their careers. That didn’t stop either: Wheeler has played 11 seasons, and Clark has played 14. Both are some of the league’s most established vets.

Players who get cut might look to go overseas in the meantime, or they might try to find a home elsewhere (Hailey Van Lith was recently cut by the Chicago Sky, and immediately joined the Connecticut Sun).

For some, it’s the end of the road. For others, it’s just the beginning.