2022 WNBA Roster Battles: Who's Going to Make the Teams?
2022 WNBA Roster Battles: Who's Going to Make the Teams?
Examining all 12 WNBA training camp rosters to see who has a chance to stick around, and who might be out the door
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WNBA training camps began a week ago and the regular season starts in just 11 days, so it’s time to take a close look at who might make opening day rosters around the league. Below you’ll find rosters laid out by position for each of the 12 teams, including every player they currently have under contract (who hasn’t already been suspended for the year). The players in bold are the ones I consider ‘locks’, or at least near-certainties to make their teams. The remainder are presented in at least approximate order of likelihood to stick. Details and explanations of the situations around each team, including the salary cap realities that influence each decision, then follow.
Bear in mind that there’s usually some roster shuffling in the opening week or two of the regular season, especially as some players won’t be arriving until after the games have begun. Some teams may also want to pick up players released by other franchises, which will require waiving players who initially made their own roster. The battles for these spots never stop being fought.
Atlanta Dream
PG: Erica Wheeler/Aari McDonald
SG: Tiffany Hayes (/Kristy Wallace/Maya Caldwell)
SF: Rhyne Howard/Nia Coffey (/Megan Walker/Jaylyn Agnew)
PF: Monique Billings (/Naz Hillmon/N'dea Jones)
C: Cheyenne Parker (/Kia Vaughn)
Opening day roster size: Room for 12 if they want
Purely by virtue of alphabetical order, we start with one of the most wide open camps around the league. For a player many projected to be drafted much higher over the course of the NCAA season, Naz Hillmon may have been disappointed to fall to No. 15 in this year's draft, but it left her on a team where she has a great chance of making the roster.
The signings and trades the Dream made during free agency suggested a team planning for future years. All of these deals apart from Parker and the rookie scale contracts expire after this season. So while they undoubtedly won't admit to 'tanking', they probably wouldn't mind quite a few losses this season and a ticket to the Aliyah Boston lottery. A team in full tank mode might go with an 11-player roster simply because it would be cheaper, an approach which would likely also mean cutting Vaughn's unprotected $110,000 contract. But a team looking at the season like that wouldn't have traded for Vaughn to begin with and would be much closer to the minimum salary threshold. So they appear to be trying to be halfway watchable, while knowing they may well end up in the lottery anyway. So they may well keep the 12-player roster they have room for, in the hope that some of the unheralded young players on the end of their bench surprise and become part of their future.
Chicago Sky
PG: Courtney Vandersloot/Julie Allemand (/Dana Evans/Kathleen Doyle)
SG: Allie Quigley (/Kamiah Smalls/Kysre Gondrezick/Lexi Held/Lindsey Pulliam/Sparkle Taylor)
SF: Kahleah Copper (/Rebekah Gardner/Kaela Davis/Kayla Wells/Emmanuelle Tahane)
PF: Azura Stevens/Emma Meesseman (/Anneli Maley/Tina Krajisnik/Masseny Kaba)
C: Candace Parker (/Ruthy Hebard/Li Yueru/Imani McGee-Stafford)
Opening day roster size: 11
You could argue my locks here should go further. Hebard is unlikely to be going anywhere (and if she did, another team might well trade for her rather than cutting her for nothing), and as the incumbent in the backup guard spot Evans likely has that spot to lose. But neither is an absolute certainty to be on the roster on opening day like the seven in bold.
The final two spots get interesting. If Hebard and Evans make it, the Sky only have $132,166 in cap space for the final two players, which means there isn't enough room for anyone on the veteran minimum of $72,141. That rules out McGee-Stafford and Davis, who'd have to be waived and re-signed a little later into the season. Gardner and Krajisnik have had good seasons in Europe, but being on good teams overseas mean both will be significantly late for camp, which hurts their chances. Anneli Maley had an MVP season in Australia but might fall in that tweener gap between the 3 and 4 at WNBA level. The Sky still seem unsure whether recent addition Li Yueru will show up, so she may not be an option. They clearly need backup on the perimeter, especially considering Allemand might not be around until June due to her commitments in France (and Quigley is about to turn 36), but exactly who that will be is wide open.
Connecticut Sun
PG: Jasmine Thomas/Natisha Hiedeman (/Nia Clouden/Taj Cole/Jordan Lewis)
SG: Courtney Williams (/DiJonai Carrington/Yvonne Anderson)
SF: DeWanna Bonner (/Kaila Charles)
PF: Alyssa Thomas (/Joyner Holmes/Stephanie Jones/Aleksa Gulbe)
C: Jonquel Jones/Brionna Jones (/Beatrice Mompremier)
Opening day roster size: 11
As with Chicago, this is another team with the calculators out to count pennies in regards to exactly who they can keep. If you were to add Carrington and Charles to the seven locks I have above, they'd have $125,343 left for their final two spots. One player on the rock-bottom minimum of $60,471 would then leave $64,872 for the last spot. That's not enough to keep Clouden, whose first-year rookie scale salary is $66,306. So to stick on the roster, Clouden has to beat out either Carrington or Charles (or Hiedeman, if you disagree with me that she's a lock to make it).
Yvonne Anderson has proven herself overseas in recent years and looked good enough to contribute to a WNBA rotation, but is another player who may be hurt by her late arrival. When you haven't been on a WNBA team in the past you have to prove to a coaching staff that you belong in the league, and she may not be around to do that. Also, they'll probably want at least one post reserve in those final spots, with Mompremier the favorite having been in that role for the Sun last season.
Dallas Wings
PG: (Moriah Jefferson/Tyasha Harris/) Veronica Burton
SG: Arike Ogunbowale/Marina Mabrey (Chelsea Dungee/Destinee Walker)
SF: Allisha Gray/Kayla Thornton (Jasmine Dickey/Jazz Bond)
PF: Satou Sabally/Isabelle Harrison (Morgan Bertsch/Unique Thompson)
C: Teaira McCowan/Charli Collier/Awak Kuier
Opening day roster size: Likely 12
The locks above may look a little odd, but it makes sense when you think about it. I don't expect Burton to start for this team unless she stuns the coaching staff in camp, but having been drafted No. 7 overall this year she seems the least likely of their point guards to be cut. Jefferson has a guaranteed $180,200 contract for this season, but even without a buyout the Wings could afford to swallow that and keep 12 other players if they wanted to move on. They've done it before. Harris already has $83,701 guaranteed for the 2023 season, because the Wings exercised her fourth-year option, which suggests they're somewhat committed to her. However, drafting yet another young point guard in the first round might suggest otherwise.
Given how she barely played last season under Vickie Johnson, and then struggled to stick on multiple teams overseas during the WNBA offseason, Chelsea Dungee seems the most likely cut among the returning players. Waive her and the various training camp invites and they'd be down to 12, keeping both Jefferson and Harris. That would be the simple route. However, we've seen over the years that things often aren't simple in Dallas.
Indiana Fever
PG: Bria Hartley/Danielle Robinson (/Lindsay Allen/Destanni Henderson)
SG: Kelsey Mitchell/Lexie Hull (/Jazmine Jones/Haley Gorecki)
SF: Tiffany Mitchell/Emily Engstler (/Victoria Vivians/Jamie Nared/Erin Whalen)
PF: NaLyssa Smith (/Alanna Smith)
C: (Queen Egbo/Alaina Coates/Ameshya Williams-Holliday)
Opening day roster size: Probably 12, but it depends who they want to keep
For a team that's made multiple moves to go young and rebuild this offseason, this remains an expensive roster that can only keep 12 players for opening day in certain permutations. The veteran minimum salaries ($72,141 each) may work against Alaina Coates and Alanna Smith, although Indiana can probably keep at least one of them if they want to. Perhaps more likely is that the Fever dive into a full youth drive, apart from the guaranteed contracts that belong to Hartley, Robinson and both Mitchells.
Egbo will probably make it, given that the Fever deemed her worthy of this year's No. 10 overall pick a couple of weeks ago. Bernadett Határ likely would have as well, due to the talent she's flashed both overseas and in her brief stint in Indiana last season (and that 6'10" female basketball players don't grow on trees), but injury ruled her out last week. Chelsey Perry, still recovering from her ACL injury last year, was also suspended for the year and removed from consideration. That leaves the final few spots thoroughly available, but likely to go primarily to post players. They’ll also be keeping their eye on the waiver wire for players who can help their rebuilding effort.
Henderson unexpectedly fell a long way in the draft and will be hoping to repeat what Crystal Dangerfield did a couple of years ago, but there are a lot of veteran ballhandlers on this roster who might block her way. Whoever they keep there's going to be a lot of youth on this roster, and probably a lot of losses coming this season.
Las Vegas Aces
PG: Chelsea Gray/Kelsey Plum (/Khayla Pointer/Sydney Colson)
SG: Riquna Williams (/Aisha Sheppard)
SF: Jackie Young/Kierstan Bell
PF: A'ja Wilson/Dearica Hamby/Mya Hollingshed
C: (Kiah Stokes/Theresa Plaisance/Nancy Mulkey)
Opening day roster size: Maybe 12
The Aces have already made several early training camp cuts, reducing them to 14 players under contract (12 actually in town, with Plaisance and Stokes still overseas). It's unusual to have cut down that low so quickly, but maybe new head coach Becky Hammon wanted time to work with the players who'll be running her new system, rather than looking at extra options they'd likely be cutting in a week or two anyway.
The numbers are tight for the Aces to be able to keep 12 players for opening day. If you assume Stokes and the two 2022 first-rounders Hollingshed and Bell all stick, they'd have nine players and $195,945 left in cap space. If they wanted to fit three players into that space from their current options, both Plaisance and Colson would have to be out due to the numbers. Either could fit alongside rookie minimum players, but second-rounders like Pointer and Sheppard cost a little more. Another complicating factor is that the Aces are apparently expecting 2021 first-round pick Iliana Rupert to show up at some point, but her season with Bourges in France means that may not be until June. They could keep 12 until then and use the time to help decide who to cut to make room, or start with 11 and save a little money until she arrives and signs to play. Either Plaisance or Colson would still be options if they went with 11.
Los Angeles Sparks
PG: Jordin Canada/Kristi Toliver (/Te'a Cooper)
SG: Chennedy Carter (/Lexie Brown/Arella Guirantes/Kianna Smith/Amy Atwell)
SF: Brittney Sykes/Katie Lou Samuelson/Rae Burrell (/Lexi Gordon/Chantel Horvat)
PF: Nneka Ogwumike (/Jasmine Walker/Lauren Cox)
C: Liz Cambage/Chiney Ogwumike/Amanda Zahui B (/Olivia Nelson-Ododa)
Opening day roster size: Probably 12
The Sparks have brought a lot of people in over the course of the offseason, which has significantly cut into the number of spots available to be fought for in training camp. Cambage, Canada, Toliver, Zahui B and both Ogwumikes have guaranteed deals, and it's hard to see Carter, Sykes or Samuelson going anywhere. After selecting her with the No. 9 pick in this year's draft, Burrell also seems unlikely to be cut (last year they at least managed to throw the No. 10 pick, Stephanie Watts, into a trade rather than cutting her in camp). That only leaves two spots available.
They can't keep absolutely anybody in those final two spots. If the ten above stick they'd have $135,399 in cap space remaining, so Brown's vet minimum contract ($72,141) plus Walker's second-year rookie scale ($68,552) wouldn't fit, for example. But most combinations from the remaining options are possible. They liked Walker a lot last year after taking her No. 7 in the draft before she blew out her knee, so if she's fully recovered she may be top of the post options. Te'a Cooper looked like a lock a few months ago, before they spent the offseason piling up ballhandling guards like Carter and Canada. She may still be the favorite of the perimeter players to grab one of those remaining spots, but it no longer looks like any kind of certainty.
Minnesota Lynx
PG: Layshia Clarendon/Crystal Dangerfield (/Cece Hooks/Moon Ursin)
SG: Aerial Powers (/Rachel Banham/Yvonne Turner)
SF: Kayla McBride/Angel McCoughtry (/Bridget Carleton/Rennia Davis/Kayla Jones/Chloe Bibby)
PF: Napheesa Collier/Damiris Dantas (/Jessica Shepard)
C: Sylvia Fowles/Natalie Achonwa (/Hannah Sjerven)
Opening day roster size: 11, barring an Achonwa trade
I've been talking about this one for ages, and very little has changed. They dumped their 2022 draft picks for Las Vegas's 2023 picks, so at least rolled those assets into the future, but the remaining logjam is still there. As the roster stands, they can only keep 11 players, and that 11 includes the pregnant Collier who won't play for much of the season (potentially all of it). The only way to change that and enable them to keep 12 would be to trade away one of their large protected salaries. Given the addition of McCoughtry, the growth of Carleton and the return to health of Davis, it's not impossible that they could move Powers or McBride, but that doesn't seem likely. Achonwa always seemed the one they'd be most likely to want to trade away, but also the most difficult to find a taker for. If any of those deals were going to happen, it feels like Cheryl Reeve would've made them already.
So if it's simply 11 from the listed group, which 11? With Collier out it almost feels like Shepard has to stick, because otherwise they look desperately thin in the post. That's unless they think Davis and/or McCoughtry can play backup minutes at the 4. But with the shaky health of both Fowles and Achonwa over the years and Dantas still recovering from her own injury, that would seem very risky. That would leave only one perimeter spot for Carleton, Davis and Banham to fight over. Banham's a local favorite they kept finding ways to bring back last year, Davis was the No. 9 overall pick last season, and Carleton has proven her value as a role player on the wing for the Lynx over the last two seasons. The choice seems like it should come down to Davis or Carleton, which isn't easy, and other teams will be watching this roster with interest to see who doesn't make the final group.
Also, while she's a lock on my list, Crystal Dangerfield has never entirely seemed to gain Reeve's trust. There's at least a chance that she's gone by opening day to open room for one of the names above, but going into the season with one point guard and several backup question marks was a mistake the Lynx made 12 months ago. I don't expect them to do it again.
New York Liberty
PG: Sabrina Ionescu (/Paris Kea)
SG: Sami Whitcomb (/DiDi Richards/Asia Durr (AD))
SF: Betnijah Laney/Rebecca Allen/Michaela Onyenwere (/Jocelyn Willoughby)
PF: Natasha Howard (/Lorela Cubaj)
C: Stefanie Dolson (/Kylee Shook/Han Xu)
Opening day roster size: 12
Unlike most other franchises, the Liberty didn't load up on training camp invites and tryout players that everyone knows have barely a 1% chance of making the team. They only brought in 14 from the start, so only two cuts will be necessary before opening day. However, exactly who those two will be is still fairly open.
They've shown investment or attachment to pretty much everyone on the roster. They held on to Kea and Willoughby through serious injuries, worked to develop Richards and Shook from limited college players, supported AD through their struggle with long-Covid, took Han at No. 14 overall as a long-term project back in 2019 and actively traded during this year's draft so that they could add Cubaj. Their stated commitment to collective running of the offense may make Kea superfluous, even as the only real point guard backup behind Ionescu, especially as Whitcomb has essentially become Sandy Brondello's lead ballhandler with the Australian national team.
The second cut could be almost anyone. No one really knows whether AD's ready to play, especially at WNBA level, after two years off the court with what can be a debilitating illness. It might seem harsh, but if they don’t prove they’re up to it anymore during camp, AD may be the next one to go. The final cut could also partly depend on how they view the position of some of their players now that the Walt Hopkins smallball era is over. Are any of those wings still going to see minutes at the 4? If that's the plan, five posts could seem excessive and maybe Shook becomes expendable. There's also the prospect of Marine Johannès showing up once her season is done in France, so whoever makes the team on opening day may only have a month to prove that they shouldn't be the next cut.
Phoenix Mercury
PG: Skylar Diggins-Smith (/Shey Peddy/Kiana Williams)
SG: Diana Taurasi (/Jennie Simms/Sam Thomas)
SF: Diamond DeShields/Kia Nurse (/Sophie Cunningham/Leaonna Odom/Vivian Gray)
PF: Tina Charles (/Maya Dodson/Mael Gilles)
C: Brittney Griner/Brianna Turner (/Kristine Anigwe/Emma Cannon)
Opening day roster size: 11
This one is obviously complicated slightly by the Brittney Griner situation. The league could come up with some kind of special ruling that takes Griner's salary off the books while she's incarcerated in Russia - they certainly wouldn't want the PR hit of her being officially 'suspended' - but for now we have to proceed as if she'll be included on the Mercury roster. If that's the case they'll be starting the season with 11, including both the missing Griner and the injured Nurse (so would immediately be eligible for a hardship exception signing to add to the remaining nine, and might cut a player strategically early in order to use it on someone from their own training camp).
In terms of making the roster, both Peddy and Cunningham are likely to be there having established their positions in previous years, albeit under a different coaching staff. Beyond that they'll likely need two more posts (although one could be via the hardship exception mentioned above). Anigwe and Cannon are the veterans with WNBA experience, but if she's competitive in camp Maya Dodson might be the third-round pick with the best chance to make a team out of camp. If they kept Anigwe and Cannon's vet minimum contracts it would be tight on the salary cap front, but someone did the math correctly during the offseason to make sure it was possible. They would have a grand total of $200 left.
Seattle Storm
PG: Sue Bird/Briann January (/Raina Perez)
SG: Jewell Loyd (/Epiphanny Prince/Evina Westbrook/Paisley Harding/Jenna Giacome)
SF: Gabby Williams (/Steph Talbot/Kennedy Burke/Lauren Manis)
PF: Breanna Stewart (/Jantel Lavender/Mikiah Herbert Harrigan)
C: Mercedes Russell/Ezi Magbegor (/Elissa Cunane)
Opening day roster size: 11 unless they cut Prince
I may have been a little stingy here on the 'locks'. Prince has been valuable in previous years in Seattle and offers backup at both guard spots, so is unlikely to be beaten out by any of the rookie options. Talbot was useful on the wing in Seattle last season, often outperforming starter Katie Lou Samuelson and keeping Burke glued to the bench, so she's probably in. And Lavender gave up guaranteed money to get out of her contract in Indiana, which usually means a player has been given strong indications that there's a job waiting for them elsewhere. She may not be guaranteed, but she has to be seen as a strong favorite to stick as part of the post rotation.
If Prince, Talbot and Lavender are all in, that would leave only one spot. Seattle has stated that Russell suffered a non-basketball injury and will miss camp - but without offering any real information on what the injury is or how long she'll be out - which complicates matters. It makes it more likely that the final spot would go to rookie Cunane or Herbert Harrigan, who they gave up a first-round pick for over a year ago but barely played before sitting out due to pregnancy. If Russell won't be out for too long, an extra perimeter player like Burke, Westbrook or Manis could stick instead - especially as both Burke and Gabby Williams could play the 4 if necessary as fill-ins.
The option that the Storm don't seem to be considering, judging by preseason comments, is cutting Prince's unprotected $115,000 contract. That would then allow them to keep 12, albeit only in certain combinations. Only one of the final three spots that would create could be on a veteran salary - so Burke, Herbert Harrigan, or a re-signed Prince once she's waited the required 10 days - with the other two going to younger, cheaper options like Cunane, Westbrook or Manis. But if they're not willing to risk losing Prince as guard insurance, that's out as an alternative.
Washington Mystics
PG: Natasha Cloud (/Rui Machida/Linnae Harper)
SG: Ariel Atkins (/Lee Seul Kang/Katie Benzan)
SF: Alysha Clark (/Shatori Walker-Kimbrough/MeMe Jackson)
PF: Elena Delle Donne/Myisha Hines-Allen (/Tianna Hawkins/Erica McCall)
C: Elizabeth Williams/Shakira Austin (/Megan Gustafson/Stephanie Mavunga)
Opening day roster size: 11
Once you go beyond the six players with guaranteed money and the rookie lottery pick, there are plenty of spots to fight for on Washington's roster. In order to fit under the cap at least one of the additions has to be on the cheaper base minimum for players with 0-2 years of service, a requirement that is likely to be fulfilled by Japanese point guard Rui Machida (as she's the only real point guard on the roster beyond Cloud). The final three spots could then go to anyone.
As players who've served the Mystics in the past and been brought back, Hawkins and Walker-Kimbrough appear to be at the front of the line, although recent performances suggest they shouldn't be certainties. The unfortunate injury to rookie guard Christyn Williams left the competition on the perimeter even more open, with Korean invite Kang and combo-guard Harper's chances of sticking improving significantly. Having been waived, Williams doesn't count on the cap or the roster total, as explained here.
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