WNBA teams announce training camp cuts
By Ben Dull
Training camps are underway across the WNBA. The preseason began May 6 and runs through May 13. Teams have until May 17 to finalize their 12-player rosters.
This page will serve as a hub to keep you up to date on every roster move from around the league up through the regular season opener on May 18 featuring the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury.
Los Angeles Sparks release Karlie Samuelson, activate Jantel Lavender (5/29)
The Sparks released Samuelson in order to activate Lavender, the team announced Tuesday. Samuelson had to be waived now that the Sparks active roster stands at 10. The Sparks were granted an emergency hardship exception to start the season because they only had nine active players on the roster.
Samuelson logged 55 minutes in the team’s first four regular season games and connected on four of her 10 three-point attempts.
Chicago Sky waive Adut Bulgak and Chelsea Hopkins, activate Courtney Vandersloot and Astou Ndour (5/27)
The Sky waived Bulgak and Hopkins to open up the roster spots needed to activate Vandersloot and Ndour. Bulgak played in five games with the Sky in 2017. Hopkins started in each of Chicago’s first four games of the season, averaging 14.5 minutes per game.
Vandersloot is entering her eighth WNBA season (all with Chicago) and has started 198 of 229 career regular season and playoff games. She led the league in assists in 2017 at 8.1 per game, a career-high.
Ndour, 6’5, was acquired in a trade with the San Antonio Stars last year but missed the 2017 season due to injury. She played in 38 games in two seasons with the Stars and shot 34.4 percent on 61 three-point attempts in 2016.
New York Liberty release Mercedes Russell, activate Kia Vaughn (5/26)
The Liberty released Russell, the 22nd overall pick in this year’s draft, to make room on the roster to activate Vaughn. Russell logged 33 minutes in two regular season games. Vaughn started 23 games last season for the Liberty and re-signed with the team during the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
Las Vegas Aces waive Shoni Schimmel and Raigyne Louis, activate Kayla McBride and Kelsey Plum (5/23)
The Aces took one big step closer to bringing their full team together by activating Plum and McBride, who have wrapped up their 2017-18 obligations playing overseas. Two players had to be waived create enough space on the roster. Louis had six points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in the team’s first two games of the season; Schimmel went scoreless in 12 minutes off the bench. The Aces selected Louis out of LSU with the 25th overall pick in the third round of this year’s draft.
New York Liberty sign Mercedes Russell (5/20)
Russell, the team’s 2018 second round selection, signed back with New York after being waived earlier in the week. The Liberty opened the season without centers Kia Vaughn (still overseas) and Kiah Stokes (foot). Russell had three points, one rebound, two assists and one block in 13 minutes in the season opener in Chicago.
Las Vegas Aces claim Lindsay Allen off waivers (5/19)
The Aces claimed the second-year point guard off waivers after she had been waived by the Liberty on Thursday. Aces head coach and president of basketball operations Bill Laimbeer is familiar with Allen’s game, having coached her last season in New York. Allen started the opener for the Aces and had six points, five rebounds and zero turnovers in 28 minutes.
Los Angeles Sparks granted emergency hardship exception, bring back Karlie Samuelson (5/19)
The Sparks brought Samuelson back about 48 hours after waiving her along with four other players. Los Angeles opted to initially keep 11 players rather than 12. Because Jantel Lavender and Maria Vadeeva are still overseas, the Sparks were left with just nine players for Sunday’s opener. Candace Parker was later ruled out (back) as well.
Teams can apply for an emergency hardship when they have fewer than 10 players available. The league granted the Sparks’ request for the exception, which will terminate once the team has 10 of its players available once again. Samuelson played 12 minutes on Sunday, grabbed two rebounds and connected on one of six three-point attempts.
Washington Mystics waive Devereaux Peters (5/17)
The Mystics waived the veteran forward to set their roster at 12. Washington’s 2018 roster will include rookies Ariel Atkins and Myisha Hines-Allen along with 2017 No. 6 overall pick Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
Seattle Storm waive Aleksandra Crvendakic (5/17)
The Storm made their final cut Thursday to bring their roster to 12, which will include third round pick Teana Muldrow. Crvendakic scored 12 points (4-8 FG, 2-5 3PT) in 17 minutes in the team’s preseason finale.
New York Liberty waive three players, set roster for opener (5/17)
The Liberty waived training camp invite Reshanda Gray, second round pick Mercedes Russell and second-year point guard Lindsay Allen. They also temporarily suspended Kia Vaughn, who is still competing overseas.
Minnesota Lynx waive Endy Miyem (5/17)
The Lynx waived Miyem, meaning they’ll likely open the season with 11 players on the roster — something head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve noted as a possibility during training camp.
Los Angeles Sparks waive five players (5/17)
The Sparks waived Mistie Bass, Karlie Samuelson, Jolene Anderson and rookies Kaylee Jensen and Shakayla Thomas. They temporarily suspended Maria Vadeeva and Jantel Lavender, who are still overseas. The team also suspended Ana Dabovic for the 2018 season. The Sparks will open the season in Minnesota with just nine players, though they do have several open roster spots as of Thursday afternoon.
Las Vegas Aces waive Valeriane Ayayi, Sydney Colson, Morgan William (5/17)
The Aces waived three players Thursday and temporarily suspended three players (Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride and Isabelle Harrison) not with the team. Plum and McBride are still playing overseas and Harrison has not reported yet due to personal reasons.
According to the team release, the team expects to add a player prior to their season opener. They currently have 11 players available for Sunday’s game in Connecticut.
Indiana Fever waive Erlana Larkins (5/17)
Indiana waived the eight-year pro to whittle their roster down to 12 to open the season. The Fever had a difficult decision to make with their frontcourt which includes Candice Dupree, Kayla Alexander, Natalie Achonwa, Stephanie Mavunga and Erica McCall.
Chicago Sky waive Jordan Hooper (5/17)
The Sky waived the four-year veteran and set their roster for the season opener by also temporarily suspending Astou Ndour and Courtney Vandersloot. Hooper played in 28 games last season for Connecticut, Atlanta and Chicago.
Phoenix Mercury waive Alex Harden and Raisa Musina (5/16)
The Mercury waived Harden and Musina, the 21st overall pick in this year’s draft. Harden logged 49 minutes and shot 5-12 from the field in two preseason games.
The team was not expecting Musina to come over prior to the start of the season. The Mercury now have 11 players on their active roster including third round pick Imani Wright. Phoenix may now look to the open market to add some depth as the rest of the league cuts down to 12 ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
Las Vegas Aces waive Sequoia Holmes, Cierra Burdick and Ivey Slaughter (5/16)
The Aces waived three players on Wednesday and announced in the same release that forward Dearica Hamby will be arriving Wednesday evening to join the team.
Holmes, a three-year pro and Las Vegas native, appeared in 27 games and drew three starts in 2017 with the Stars. Burdick signed on with the Stars late last year, appearing in 10 games in total between New York and San Antonio.
Slaughter was also in camp last year with head coach Bill Laimbeer in New York with the Liberty.
Atlanta Dream waive Adaora Elonu and Mackenzie Engram (5/16)
The Dream waived two players Wednesday to bring their roster count to 12. Engram, a third round pick out of Georgia, logged 13 minutes in the preseason. Elonu shot 5-9 in 21 preseason minutes to go with four rebounds and three assists.
Connecticut Sun waive four, finalize roster (5/16)
The Sun waived Cayla George, Nikki Greene, Jessica January and Leticia Romero to finalize their roster. That means that No. 9 overall pick Lexie Brown, the 10 returning players and training camp invite Betnijah Laney have made the final roster. In 42 preseason minutes, Laney shot 6-12 from the floor and tallied 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Bria Holmes, acquired in a trade with the Dream this offseason, is pregnant and will miss the 2018 season.
Seattle Storm waive Khaalia Hillsman and Brittany McPhee (5/16)
The Storm waived the two undrafted rookies with one more more cut to make ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Hillsman, a 6’5 center out of Texas A&M, logged 13 minutes in two preseason contests. McPhee, an AP Honorable Mention All-American out of Stanford, logged eight minutes in the preseason.
Los Angeles Sparks waive Brooke McCarty and Kathryn Westbeld (5/15)
The Sparks waived two undrafted free agents bringing their roster count to 17. McCarty, a point guard out of Texas, finished the preseason with six assists in 40 minutes. Westbeld, a forward out of Notre Dame, tallied four points and four rebounds in 20 minutes in the preseason.
Chicago Sky waive Ameryst Alston (5/15)
Alston, the 24th overall selection in the 2016 WNBA Draft, appeared in three regular season games with the Liberty in the last two seasons. She drew one start in the preseason and posted a 7:2 assist-to-turnover ratio in 40 minutes.
New York Liberty waive Kelly Faris and Shay Murphy (5/15)
After waiving two players, the Liberty roster sits at 15. Faris spent four seasons with the Sun from 2013-16. In 45 minutes in the preseason, she shot 6-6 from the field and tallied four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Murphy, a nine-year veteran, logged 43 minutes in the preseason. She started the 2017 season with Phoenix before being traded to San Antonio as a part of the Monique Currie last June.
Washington Mystics waive Allison Hightower (5/15)
The Mystics have waived Hightower, a six-year veteran that signed on with the team part-way through the 2017 season. Last year, Hightower played in 11 regular season games and averaged nine minutes per game in the postseason.
Las Vegas Aces sign Shoni Schimmel (5/15)
At least for now, Schimmel has reuinted with Bill Laimbeer, who coached her in 2016 while both were still with the Liberty. Schimmel returned to camp this year after missing the entire 2017 season and logged 31 minutes with New York in the preseason before being waived. The 5’9 guard played just 77 minutes in 17 games in 2016 after back-to-back All-Star appearances in the first two seasons of her career in Atlanta.
Indiana Fever waive Bashaara Graves, Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga, Alexis Peterson (5/15)
The Fever waived three players Tuesday. Pohlen-Mavunga, a 41.5 percent career three-point shooter, has spent six seasons with Indiana. She averaged nearly 13 minutes in 29 games last season.
Peterson was waived by the Storm in April after spending her rookie season in Seattle. In 27 preseason minutes, she tallied 22 points and four assists. Graves signed on in Indiana this offseason after her rights were renounced by the Sky. The 6’2 forward collected nine rebounds, two steals and a block in 33 preseason minutes.
Minnesota Lynx waive Jillian Alleyne and Carlie Wagner (5/15)
The Lynx waived Alleyne, who signed on with the team after being waived by the Liberty at the beginning of the month. She had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes Saturday against the Sky. Wagner, a third round pick out of Minnesota, logged 25 minutes in two preseason games.
Phoenix Mercury waive Emma Cannon and Alexis Prince (5/14)
The Mercury have waived two of last season’s rookies. Cannon appeared in all 34 regular season games in 2017 and logged 40 minutes in four playoff games. Prince averaged seven minutes per game last season. In the 2018 preseason, Prince shot 6-13 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds in 37 minutes.
Minnesota Lynx waive Camille Zimmerman (5/14)
The Lynx waived Zimmerman, an undrafted free agent out of Columbia University. Zimmerman played sparingly in the preseason, logging just nine minutes.
Washington Mystics waive Asia Taylor and AJ Alix (5/14)
The Mystics cut their roster down to 14 by waiving two more players. Taylor logged 173 minutes in 24 games with Washington last year. The three-year veteran tallied five points, three rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes this preseason.
Alix, an undrafted guard of Florida State, averaged 6.3 assists per game (19th in the country) last season for the Seminoles. Alix knocked down three of her six three-point attempts in 21 preseason minutes.
Dallas Wings waive Evelyn Akhator and Ruth Hamblin (5/13)
The Wings announced the roster moves after their preseason finale on Sunday against the Aces. Akhator, the third overall pick in 2017, played sparingly (4.1 minutes per game) off the bench last season. In 23 preseason minutes, she shot 3-10 to go with 13 rebounds and three blocks.
Hamblin, the 18th overall pick in 2016, missed the 2017 WNBA season to prepare for the 2018 FIBA World Cup with the Canadian National Team. In the 2016 regular season as a rookie, Hamblin logged 130 minutes as a reserve. In the 2018 preseason, she totaled 21 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in 36 minutes.
Atlanta Dream waive Rosemarie Julien (5/13)
The Dream have waived Julien, an undrafted rookie out of Florida Gulf Coast University. The 5’11 guard logged five minutes this preseason for the Dream.
New York Liberty waive Shoni Schimmel (5/12)
The Liberty waived the two-time All-Star on Saturday. Schimmel missed the 2017 season to deal with some personal issues. She shot 1-6 from the field in 31 preseason minutes.
Phoenix Mercury waive Chatrice White and Chelsea Nelson (5/11)
The Mercury waived White and Nelson on Friday according to the WNBA website. White, a 6’3 undrafted free agent out of Florida State, shot 1-4 from the field and tallied four rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes in Tuesday’s preseason opener against the Storm. Nelson, a 6’2 undrafted rookie out of NC State, shot 0-2 and grabbed six rebounds in 22 minutes against Seattle.
Chicago Sky waive Amarah Coleman and Renee Bennett (5/10)
The Sky waived 2017 undrafted free agent Renee Bennett and Amarah Coleman, the Sky’s 2018 third round pick out of DePaul. Both played sparingly in two preseason games for a team already stocked with recent draft picks. Coleman shot 1-3 from the field in 11 minutes; Bennett shot 1-4 in eight minutes.
Los Angeles Sparks waive Gabbi Ortiz and Taya Reimer (5/10)
The Sparks waived two undrafted rookies on Thursday — Oklahoma guard Gabbi Ortiz and Michigan State forward Taya Reimer. Ortiz shot 0-4 in 11 minutes in the team’s two-game preseason swing through Connecticut. Reimer logged seven minutes in the same stretch.
New York Liberty waive Kolby Morgan and Leslie Robinson (5/10)
The Liberty have waived 2018 third round pick Leslie Robinson and Tulane undrafted free agent Kolby Morgan. Morgan logged 24 minutes in the team’s first two preseason games shooting 3-9 with three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Robinson totaled four rebounds and three assists in 39 preseason minutes.
Dallas Wings waive Natalie Butler and Loryn Goodwin (5/10)
The Wings have waived their 2018 second and third round draft picks. Goodwin finished up her college career as the lead guard for Oklahoma State, averaging 20 points and 5.5 assists per game. Butler led the nation in rebounding (16.6 per game) while scoring 19.2 points per game at George Mason.
Las Vegas Aces waive Kahlia Lawrence, Brooke Johnson (5/9)
The Aces have waived Lawrence, the 24th pick in this year’s draft acquired in a trade with Minnesota, and Johnson. Both players went undrafted this year. Johnson starred locally for UNLV, earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Lawrence led Mercer to the NCAA Tournament this past season, where they came up just short as a No. 13 seed against Georgia. The two rookies logged eight minutes apiece in the team’s 98-63 win over the Chinese National Team in their preseason opener.
Minnesota Lynx waive Jill Barta, Breanna Richardson, Vionise Pierre-Louis (5/9)
The Lynx have waived Barta, a third round pick of the Aces in this year’s draft. She was acquired in a deal on draft night along with a 2019 second rounder in exchange for the rights to Ji-Su Park and Kahlia Lawrence. Richardson was also in camp with Minnesota in 2017, logging 33 minutes in two preseason contests. Pierre-Louis went undrafted out of Oklahoma this year.
Seattle Storm waive Emily Potter (5/9)
The Storm announced that Potter had been waived Wednesday afternoon. The 6’6 center went undrafted this year out of the University of Utah after setting the program record in career blocks (215) and leading the Utes to consecutive WNIT appearances. Potter did not play in the Storm’s preseason opener on Tuesday against the Mercury.
Las Vegas Aces waive Jacki Gemelos (5/8)
According to the WNBA website, the Aces waived Gemelos on Tuesday. The 6’0 guard was the 31st overall pick in 2012 and appeared in 17 games in 2015 with the Sky. Gemelos did not play in the team’s preseason opener against the Chinese National Team.
Washington Mystics waive Tinara Moore, Tanaya Atkinson (5/8)
The Mystics waived Moore and Atkinson on Tuesday. Both went undrafted this year. Atkinson averaged nine rebounds and 21 points per game for Temple in 2017-18 on 47.8% shooting. Moore, seldom used as a freshman at Central Michigan, scored in double figures each of the past three seasons and shot 57.6% from the floor as a senior. In the team’s preseason opener against the Lynx, Moore shot 3-3 from the field in seven minutes; Atkinson earned four trips to the line in six minutes.
Connecticut Sun waive Tyra Buss (5/8)
The Sun waived the 5’8 guard Tuesday morning. Buss logged three minutes off the bench in Connecticut’s preseason opener against the Sparks on Monday night.
“Considering my history with Tyra, the decision to waive her was tough,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said in a team release. “However, I shared with Tyra this isn’t the end but only the beginning of her pro career. She proved she could compete at this level in her eight practices and I was impressed how fast she connected in the locker room with our veterans. I am confident she will work hard to take her game to the next level.”
Miller recruited Buss to Indiana, where he spent two years as the head coach of the Hoosiers. Buss graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer and helped lead the team to a WNIT championship this past season.
Indiana Fever waive Jennifer Hamson (5/7)
The Fever waived Hamson on Monday. The 6’7 center signed with Indiana last July and appeared in 12 regular season games. Hamson was selected by the Sparks in the second round (23rd overall) of the 2014 WNBA Draft out of BYU. She appeared in 25 games in 2015 with Los Angeles.
Minnesota Lynx sign Jillian Alleyne (5/5)
The Lynx announced the signing of forward Jillian Alleyne on Saturday. The 20th overall selection in the 2016 WNBA Draft finished her career at Oregon as just the 10th player in NCAA history with at least 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds. She was waived Thursday by the Liberty after spending an early portion of camp with the team.
Los Angeles Sparks waive Lexi Bando, Jessica Lindstrom (5/5)
The Sparks waived the two undrafted rookies on Saturday according to the WNBA website. Lindstrom, 6’1, was Green Bay’s leading scorer this past season. The Phoenix went 29-3 before falling at the hands of Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament. Bando was a core contributor for Oregon in their consecutive runs to the Elite Eight, and shot 44 percent or better from beyond the three-point line in each of her four seasons suiting up for the Ducks.
Minnesota Lynx waive G’mrice Davis (5/4)
The Lynx waived Davis, who went undrafted this year out of Fordham. Davis averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons. Her per game average of 13.4 rebounds per game in 2017-18 ranked fourth in the country.
Atlanta Dream waive Alexa Hart (5/4)
The Dream waived Hart on Friday. The 6’3 forward played collegiately for four seasons at Ohio State. She was featured in the frontcourt this past season along with Stephanie Mavunga, who went 14th overall to the Fever in this year’s draft.
Indiana Fever waive Jennie Simms (5/4)
The Fever waived second-year guard Jennie Simms Friday morning. The 6’0 guard was selected 18th overall in the second round of last year’s draft by the Mystics out of Old Dominion. Simms was waived by Washington last July, then signed on with Indiana in late August. She logged 104 minutes between her two stops in her first season in the WNBA.
Chicago Sky sign Renee Bennett (5/3)
The Sky signed Bennett, a 6’5 center that graduated from Ball State in 2017. She nearly doubled her scoring output (9.8 points per game up to 17.5) her senior year, also averaging 8.1 rebounds per game and shooting a career-best 54.2 percent from the field.
New York Liberty waive Roshunda Johnson, Rachel Hollivay, Tashia Brown, Jillian Alleyne (5/3)
Per the WNBA website, the Liberty waived four players on Thursday. Their roster became even tougher to crack with Shoni Schimmel’s arrival in camp along with the team’s signing of Marissa Coleman.
Johnson (Mississippi State) and Brown (Western Kentucky) went undrafted this year. Hollivay, the all-time leading shot blocker at Rutgers, was a second round pick in 2016. Alleyne was selected 20th overall in 2016 by the Mercury. She missed camp that year as she rehabbed a torn ACL suffered her senior season at Oregon. Alleyne returned to camp with Phoenix in 2017, though she did not make the final roster.
Goodmorning🙏🏾🙏🏾 my Time at NY was great, enjoyed learning from some of the best players and coaches here on Liberty.. now I ask everyone to pray that I have a speedy recovery from a torn ACL and both Menisci's🤞🏾✊🏽. I WILL BE BACK 🏀😎😘 #Believe and #Faith
— RoJohnson_11 (@roshundaj11) May 4, 2018
Connecticut Sun waive Khadijiah Cave, Mikayla Cowling (5/3)
The Sun waived Cave and Cowling on Thursday. Connecticut, like most WNBA teams this time of year, is waiting on several of its key returners (including All-WNBA forward/center Jonquel Jones) to wrap up overseas play and recharge before jumping back into the swing of things.
Cave was in camp last year with the Sparks after graduating from Baylor. The 6’3 forward was one of the most dominant forces in the country on the offensive glass throughout her college career.
Cowling was selected with the 33rd overall pick in this year’s draft by the Sun out of Cal. The 6’2 guard/forward earned honorable mention Pac-12 All-Defense honors each of the past two seasons.
Chicago Sky waive Makayla Epps, Amber Harris (5/2)
The Sky waived Epps, a second-year guard, and Harris to make room for Cheyenne Parker and All-Star Allie Quigley, both of whom are set to return on Friday from overseas play.
Epps was selected with the 33rd overall pick in the third round of last year’s draft out of Kentucky. She logged 64 minutes in 17 games off the bench in the backcourt as a rookie behind Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Cappie Pondexter in 2017.
Harris, a 6’5 forward/center, appeared in 27 games last season for the Sky as a reserve. She spent the first three years of her career with the Lynx after they selected her with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
“Epps had a great run with the Sky and was a complete joy to coach,” head coach and general manager Amber Stocks said in a team release. “As a veteran, [Amber] worked hard, played smart, and was a valuable leader to the rookies. Whether draining threes or driving to the basket, both athletes made a positive impact on every practice. I am very proud of Epps and [Amber] and they should be proud of themselves.”