WNBA teams make 3 more surprising roster cuts ahead of regular season

The cuts from WNBA rosters are getting brutal, to say the least. With teams shaving down their rosters to 11-12 players this week, it’s getting so difficult to keep track of that it’s almost easier to try and think about who has made the teams instead of who is getting cut.

In the spirit of so many cuts being made that listing them now takes forever, let’s focus on the most shocking cuts to come this week.

Deja Kelly was signed to a training camp contract with the Las Vegas Aces after going undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Instead of being an easily cut camp player, Kelly went out and impressed both fans and team staff in the Aces’ two preseason games. In the game against the Phoenix Mercury, Kelly scored 15 points, including the game-winner.

The Aces did not want to cut her from the team, but unfortunately, they had no way to keep her on the roster and stay under the salary cap/roster limit. Since both Dana Evans and Kierstan Bell are on guaranteed contracts, they were not able to be cut. There was no way to do the math to keep Kelly while also keeping Kitley and Nye on as rookies. An unfortunate ending to a great preseason by Kelly, who went from undrafted to a serious rookie prospect.

Sundell was drafted 26th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Storm, dropping lower than expected. She is an advanced playermaker, skilled defender, and has the potential to become a great WNBA player. Unfortunately, a less-than-ideal preseason from her, along with contract constraints from the Storm did not allow her to make the final roster.

The Storm had to keep Katie Lou Samuelson’s salary on the books due to the nature of her training camp injury, constraining their cap space. It’s yet another instance of the WNBA’s strict roster and salary rules being harmful to the development of young players.

Shyanne Sellers was projected as a potential first-round draft pick before falling to No. 17 and being drafted by the Golden State Valkyries. Shortly after training camp started, Sellers was cut by the Valkyries and picked up on waivers by the Atlanta Dream soon after. Amid speculation about a lingering knee injury, Sellers and her team assured she was healthy and ready to go, and she headed to Georgia.

She played in one preseason game for Atlanta, and participated in their camp for less than a week before being cut a second time. While there has been no official confirmation about the cause being 100% her knee injury, that reasoning is making up a large portion of the speculation around why she did not make either team.