WNBA teams have announced a slew of waived players this week, a continuance of the oft-dreaded preseason purge that leaves fans in shambles and teams in tatters. This year the discourse surrounding waived players in the WNBA is all the more confusing because a new element has been introduced: players can be signed to developmental roles, which will keep them in the league in a different way.
USA Today put together an excellent guide about what happens to a waived player next. As is typical, the 48 hours that follow are important — that's when other teams can start making plans about swooping in and adding that player to their roster.
As the outlet noted, waiving a player means that individual is no longer part of the team in any capacity. They aren't available for media, they're no longer on the roster, and they aren't a developmental player. Unfortunately, at this point even players who might get developmental contracts still have to be waived, which has increased the insecurity surrounding the new role and the confusion in terms of understanding how it will work.
Here's what to expect after a player is waived:
Teams have to wait 48 hours before making official moves
The waived player is on waiver for 48 hours following that action. After that, the offers put in by other teams are evaluated. If more than one team put in an offer on a player on waivers, the team that can offer the most financially will win. If no one signs the player, they become a free agent, and can pursue contracts within the league or overseas.
How developmental roles change the process of being waived
This year teams can have up to two additional players on their rosters in developmental role spots. This means they aren't paid a giant salary (and their salary doesn't count against the team's cap), and they are allowed to play up to 12 games in a season. The thought is that this will be especially helpful if a team experiences an injury and needs a player to be able to jump in quickly, and it's also another way for more players to be able to play in the WNBA.
One could also theorize that developmental players will have a leg up on others next season when it's time for free agency all over again, and that they could even sign full-roster deals this season. Developmental players are required to have three or fewer years of service.
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