2024 WNBA Opening Day Roster Breakdowns
2024 WNBA Opening Day Roster Breakdowns
We go team by team to show who made each WNBA roster, how they arrived there, what changes have been made since last year, and what options remain going forward
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The 2024 WNBA season is nearly upon us. The regular season begins tonight on ESPN2 with Caitlin Clark's eagerly anticipated debut for Indiana against Connecticut, and then the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces raising their banner before their home opener against Phoenix. So we're here to break down where each of the 12 rosters stands after the recent weeks of training camp machinations.
By rule, each roster must have either 11 or 12 players (although there are some minor caveats to that we'll get into below) and fit that group under the team salary cap, which this year is $1,463,200. You can see exactly how much everyone is being paid in base salary on our cap sheets, but their remaining cap space has also been included in the information below, along with players each team has added or lost since last season.
If there are any remaining questions or anything's unclear, you can ask in the comments below, or we're always available on Twitter at RichardCohen1 and HerHoopStats.
Just 101 days of regular season play to go until the playoffs. Enjoy the season everybody!
Atlanta Dream
PG: Jordin Canada/Haley Jones/Crystal Dangerfield
SG: Allisha Gray/Aerial Powers
SF: Rhyne Howard
PF: Cheyenne Parker/Nia Coffey/Laeticia Amihere
C: Tina Charles/Naz Hillmon/Lorela Cubaj
Opening day roster size: 12, 11 active
Current remaining cap space: $16,525
Additions since last season: Canada, Dangerfield (both via trade), Charles, Powers, Cubaj (all via free agency)
Losses since last season: Aari McDonald (trade), Monique Billings (free agency), Danielle Robinson, AD Durr (released), Iliana Rupert (not playing 2024 WNBA season, suspended)
Atlanta were finished earlier than most teams, making their final cuts on Friday. The primary issue they appeared to have to handle in camp was at point guard. Free agent addition Jordin Canada has a reported hand injury, and while the severity is unknown, the Dream's efforts to add lead guard help suggest it might linger into the regular season. They signed Destanni Henderson for camp and then traded a third-round pick to Dallas for Crystal Dangerfield, eventually cutting Henderson and settling on Dangerfield. Along with Haley Jones - and the amount of ballhandling their wings like to do - that should be enough to help the Dream survive for a while if Canada's not ready.
Cubaj was temporarily suspended yesterday because she’s still overseas completing her season in Italy (she’s also been injured for the last month, but is reportedly expected to return soon). ‘Temporary suspension’ is the type where the salary continues to count against the salary cap, but the player can be activated once they’re available (as opposed to ‘full season suspension’, which takes the salary off the cap but the player is done for the year). As you’ll see with a couple of teams below, that means the Dream could’ve kept an extra player if they had the cap room to do so. However, that $16,525 isn’t even close to being able to fit in a 13th roster member. As listed above, the roster looks a little post heavy, but both Coffey and Amihere could play some 3 in big lineups if necessary. If they were to need extra wing help later in the season then Cubaj might be the one sacrificed, unless Canada's return leads them to feel that the extra cover at point guard is no longer necessary.
Chicago Sky
PG: Dana Evans/Lindsay Allen
SG: Marina Mabrey/Chennedy Carter/Kysre Gondrezick
SF: Diamond DeShields/Michaela Onyenwere
PF: Angel Reese/Isabelle Harrison
C: Elizabeth Williams/Kamilla Cardoso/Brianna Turner
Opening day roster size: 12
Current remaining cap space: $165,378
Additions: Reese, Cardoso (both drafted), Onyenwere, Turner (both via trade), Allen, Carter, Gondrezick, DeShields (all free agency), Harrison (returning from injury)
Losses: Kahleah Copper, Rebekah Gardner, Morgan Bertsch, Sika Koné (all traded), Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith, Ruthy Hebard (free agency), Robyn Parks (renounced)
An offseason of massive turnover in Chicago was finally completed when they waived the No. 13 pick from this year's draft Brynna Maxwell, bringing their roster down to a legal 12. Maxwell's chances in camp were hindered by a knee injury she picked up early on, but they could've retained her anyway (especially considering most view this as the start of a rebuilding project for Chicago). Presumably, second-chance players like Chennedy Carter and Kysre Gondrezick made a good enough impression to be retained ahead of Maxwell. It's important to note (based on how many people asked me the question yesterday), that Chicago couldn't suspend Maxwell in the same way Indiana suspended Damiris Dantas. They had the cap space, but Maxwell got hurt while with the Sky; Dantas got hurt before arriving. That's the key difference. You can suspend someone who showed up unable to fulfill their contract (i.e. play basketball); you can't suspend someone who was fine when they arrived and got hurt on your watch.
Because she's a first-year rookie, which counts as a 'training camp contract' until the player makes the team, Maxwell's deal doesn't hit Chicago's cap. If she was a vet on more than the minimum, or was on a rookie-scale deal but in the second, third or fourth season of it, she'd have cost the Sky cap space. Cardoso is also injured but obviously was never in danger of being released. Chicago don't own their 2025 first-round pick - Dallas has swap rights - so there's no value in the Sky being bad this year, but that doesn't stop this from being a rebuild. They could be fun to watch on their day, but there could also be some significant growing pains for Chicago along the way.
Connecticut Sun
PG: Moriah Jefferson/Tyasha Harris
SG: Tiffany Mitchell/DiJonai Carrington/Rachel Banham
SF: DeWanna Bonner
PF: Alyssa Thomas/Astou Ndour
C: Brionna Jones/Olivia Nelson-Ododa/Queen Egbo
Opening day roster size: 11
Current remaining cap space: $11,559
Additions: Jefferson, Mitchell, Egbo (via trade), Banham, Ndour (free agency)
Losses: Tiffany Hayes (retired from the WNBA), Natisha Hiedeman (trade), Rebecca Allen (technically traded, but really free agency), Bernadett Határ (didn't re-sign, rights traded), Leigha Brown (waived)
There weren't many spots up for grabs in Sun training camp to begin with, and once they traded for Queen Egbo last week to deepen their post rotation it looked like there were none. That's exactly how it played out, with Sydney Wiese and Jocelyn Willoughby their final cuts yesterday to get down to 11. The Sun have seven players on guaranteed contracts (the maximum six veterans, plus DiJonai Carrington on the team option year of her rookie-scale deal), plus DeWanna Bonner and Tyasha Harris who never looked like going anywhere. Olivia Nelson-Ododa, joined by Egbo, were then the final two who also seemed unlikely to be beaten out. Not the best place to end up if you were a fringe player hoping to sneak onto a team through strong performances in camp.
As listed above, the roster may look thin behind Bonner on the wing, but Carrington, Mitchell and Thomas can all play the 3 if necessary. Harris may also get minutes alongside Jefferson, not just at point guard. Lots of the pieces in Connecticut have changed this offseason but the core stars are back, and they'll expect to be just as competitive as they've been in other recent years.
Dallas Wings
PG: Jacy Sheldon/Sevgi Uzun
SG: Arike Ogunbowale/Lou Lopez Sénéchal
SF: Satou Sabally/Maddie Siegrist/Jaelyn Brown
PF: Natasha Howard
C: Teaira McCowan/Kalani Brown/Stephanie Soares
Opening day roster size: 11
Current remaining cap space: $44,365
Additions: Sheldon (draft), Uzun, Brown (free agency), Sénéchal, Soares (earlier draftees now available)
Losses: Crystal Dangerfield (traded), Awak Kuier (prioritizing overseas season and rest, suspended), Veronica Burton (waived), Odyssey Sims (unsigned free agent)
Given their crowded roster, there were always going to be some eyebrows raised by a Wings move or two during camp. Considering their issues around the lead guard spot in the playoffs last year, it's not a big surprise that that's where a lot of the intrigue ended up taking place. First they gave up on Crystal Dangerfield, who started 32 regular season games and three playoff games for Dallas last year, trading her to Atlanta for a near-worthless third-round pick. Then their final cut to get down to 11 was Veronica Burton, who started 13 Wings games herself last year and was supposed to be their point guard of the future when they took her No. 7 overall in 2022. That leaves this year's No. 5 pick Jacy Sheldon (who some aren't convinced is ready to lead a WNBA offense) and free agent pickup Sevgi Uzun, a 26-year-old guard from Turkey who's produced in Europe but is brand new to the WNBA. All while Odyssey Sims, who replaced Dangerfield during last year's playoffs, continues to appear in mid-game filler items for the Wings but is unsigned to any WNBA team.
There are certainly question marks remaining around this roster. Even beyond that lead guard spot, they have several draftees who are yet to prove themselves at WNBA level, a lot of money committed to Kalani Brown as Teaira McCowan's backup, and a big hole to fill with Satou Sabally expected to be out until after the all-star break due to her shoulder injury. That $44,365 in cap space, as long as they don't cut into it with hardship additions, could be used to add a 12th player during the year. Salary amounts become pro-rated by how much time is left in the regular season, so for example someone like Sims on the pro-rated veteran minimum could be added around the 44th day of the season, which is June 26. We'll see how their year plays out, and what type of player they might still need if and when a 12th player becomes viable.
Indiana Fever
PG: Caitlin Clark/Erica Wheeler/Grace Berger
SG: Kelsey Mitchell/Kristy Wallace/Celeste Taylor
SF: Katie Lou Samuelson/Lexie Hull
PF: NaLyssa Smith/Damiris Dantas
C: Aliyah Boston/Temi Fagbenle/Victaria Saxton
Opening day roster size: 13 (12 active)
Current remaining cap space: $24,218 (but that's counting all 13)
Additions: Clark, Taylor (both drafted), Samuelson, Dantas (free agency), Fagbenle (signed after years away, rights previously acquired in trade)
Losses: Victoria Vivians (bought out), Emma Cannon (free agency), Maya Caldwell (released), Amanda Zahui B (unsigned)
The final piece of this story was a little unusual, but eventually revealed itself. Damiris Dantas arrived late, which given her WNBA experience would have led to her being suspended due to Prioritization rules under normal circumstances. However, she had visa issues and then a family bereavement, so the league clearly made a reasonable exception. Beyond that, she arrived with an injury that is expected to keep her out for at least another few weeks. Because they have the cap space to fit all 13 players, and the injury happened elsewhere, the Fever were able to temporarily suspend Dantas and carry all 13 for now. Once she's healthy, they'd have to cut one of the existing 12 to add her to the active roster. Taylor and Saxton look like they might be the most likely options, but things often change while teams are waiting for players to return from injury or suspension.
Beyond that, there wasn't too much intrigue in Fever camp. Caldwell never seemed to gain the full trust of the coaching staff last year, so her losing out to Taylor wasn't a big surprise. As someone who's watched her play for years with the Great Britain national team, it also wasn't a surprise to me that Fagbenle looks like she could be their first post off the bench even once Dantas returns.
Las Vegas Aces
PG: Chelsea Gray/Sydney Colson/Dyaisha Fair
SG: Kelsey Plum/Kierstan Bell
SF: Jackie Young/Alysha Clark/Kate Martin
PF: A'ja Wilson/Emma Cannon
C: Kiah Stokes/Megan Gustafson
Opening day roster size: 12
Current remaining cap space: $31,017
Additions: Gustafson (free agency), Cannon (claimed off waivers), Fair, Martin (both drafted)
Losses: Candace Parker (retirement), Cayla George
The Aces completed their moves much earlier than most of the league, claiming Cannon off waivers for veteran post help after she was released by Dallas and trimming camp invitees to get down to 12. The result is an unusual situation for a reigning champ that's fully expecting to be a primary challenger for the title again. Teams like this can't typically fit 12 players under the cap with room to spare. But that's what happens when all the stars are on the books at a discount and they haven't really spent the resulting cap space.
They might not be done. The perimeter cover is made up of players Becky Hammon hasn't seemed entirely convinced by in previous years (Colson, Bell), second-round rookies (Fair, Martin), and Alysha Clark (who may again spend much of her time as a small-ball 4). Should some veteran depth present itself either via trade or free agency, they still have that remaining cap space and a spare protected salary slot, plus they could drop down to 11 players if necessary to open up extra salary room.
Los Angeles Sparks
PG: Layshia Clarendon/Aari McDonald
SG: Lexie Brown/Zia Cooke/Kia Nurse
SF: Rickea Jackson/Rae Burrell/Stephanie Talbot
PF: Azurá Stevens/Dearica Hamby
C: Cameron Brink/Li Yueru
Opening day roster size: 12
Current remaining cap space: $159,558
Additions: Jackson, Brink (drafted), McDonald, Nurse, Li (all traded), Talbot (return from injury)
Losses: Nneka Ogwumike, Karlie Samuelson (free agency), Jordin Canada (trade), Jasmine Thomas (retirement), Chiney Ogwumike
Maybe the most established name to be waived on the final cutdown day was Monique Billings, who signed a two-year non-guaranteed $118,000/$120,000 contract in Los Angeles this offseason as a free agent, but was ultimately considered surplus to requirements by the Sparks. That was after Julie Allemand was suspended for the full season earlier in the day, which also removed her from their cap and roster count for this year. They could have temporarily suspended Allemand, who's currently rehabbing an injury overseas and may well not be ready to play until the Olympics (if then). That would've kept open the option to bring her in later in the year but swallowed up a good chunk of cap space in the meantime. So both sides appear to have agreed to just try again next year (or they have more information about the severity of the injury than is public). LA also could've temporarily suspended Azurá Stevens, in the same way that Indiana did with Damiris Dantas, which would've opened up another roster spot to keep someone else (like Billings). However, suspending someone without pay for getting hurt overseas is much easier to do with a 31-year-old backup than a 28-year-old starter in the final year of their contract, who you'd probably like to re-sign as part of your core after this year. That may be why LA chose to sacrifice Billings rather than potentially upset Stevens with a suspension.
What's left is a bit of a mish-mash of a roster, combining some solid vets, two potential blue-chip rookies in Brink and Jackson, and some young talent that they're still hoping could take a leap (Brown, McDonald, Li). They won't admit it, but the ideal scenario probably culminates in Paige Bueckers standing on a stage holding a Sparks jersey next April.
Minnesota Lynx
PG: Courtney Williams/Natisha Hiedeman/Olivia Époupa
SG: Kayla McBride/Cecilia Zandalasini
SF: Diamond Miller/Bridget Carleton
PF: Napheesa Collier/Sika Koné/Alissa Pili/Taylor Soule
C: Alanna Smith/Dorka Juhász
Opening day roster size: 13 under contract, 12 active, 11 actually in the USA at last count
Current remaining cap space: $4,537 (but that's while counting all 13)
Additions: Williams, Smith, Époupa, Soule (all free agency), Koné, Hiedeman (both via trade), Pili (drafted), Zandalasini (re-signed after years away)
Losses: Jessica Shepard (prioritizing European season and rest, suspended), Nikolina Milić, Tiffany Mitchell (both traded), Lindsey Allen, Rachel Banham, Aerial Powers (all free agency)
This one's a little complicated. The Lynx cut enough of their camp invites to get down to 13 on Saturday, and in their particular case that was enough to create a legal roster for opening day. Koné and Juhász have both missed the whole of camp due to European seasons (Juhász in particular still has several games remaining in the Italian Finals with Schio), but are good enough that the Lynx consider them worth waiting for. They're not affected by the WNBA Prioritization rules because they have less than three Years of Service in the WNBA. Juhász was temporarily suspended yesterday (presumably Koné’s arrival is considered imminent), which means her salary still hits the cap, but she doesn't occupy a roster spot. As the Lynx can fit all 13 under the cap, that remains legal. Once everyone arrives, they'll have to make a cut in order to add Juhász to the active roster. Soule looks the most likely one to be sacrificed, although Époupa is also a possibility if they feel they have enough ballhandling elsewhere.
There's been a lot of turnover in Minnesota but while retaining a core group from last season. It may take the roster some time to gel, but their development will be interesting to watch this year.
New York Liberty
PG: Courtney Vandersloot/Ivana Dojkić
SG: Sabrina Ionescu/Marquesha Davis
SF: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton/Kennedy Burke/Leonie Fiebich
PF: Breanna Stewart/Kayla Thornton
C: Jonquel Jones/Nyara Sabally
Opening day roster size: 11
Current remaining cap space: $30,521
Additions: Davis (draft), Fiebich (signed after being drafted in 2020, rights acquired previously via trade), Burke, Dojkić (both free agency)
Losses: Stefanie Dolson, Jocelyn Willoughby (both free agency), Epiphanny Prince (retired), Han Xu (prioritizing overseas preparation with China, suspended), Marine Johannès (rights held, unsigned)
New York made us wait until the very end of yesterday's transactions period before waiving the two players that virtually everyone expected them to waive. Jaylyn Sherrod had excited some fans with her quickness and defensive intensity in the preseason, but she and Esmery Martinez were always likely to fall outside the final 11. Dojkić is a ballhandler with experience who can shoot well from three, Davis is an athlete drafted in this year's first-round who's drawn comparisons to Kahleah Copper, and Fiebich is an extremely talented German wing who could really excite people if she can translate her play from Europe. Along with Kennedy Burke, who was given guaranteed money and so was never going anywhere, they always looked like the ones who would emerge from the crowd of players invited to camp with spots on the roster.
That $30,521 the Liberty have left over in cap space is enough that they may not be done. If they can avoid having to spend much on hardship deals (which count against the cap, so cut into that space every time you sign one), they could add a 12th player later in the season. Thanks to the league taking a refreshed look during the offseason at exactly how many Years of Service each player should have, that 12th player could still be Marine Johannès if she wants to head to the US after the Olympics. The WNBA decided that for Prioritization purposes she has less than three Years of Service, which means the prioritization rules don't apply to her and she's still eligible to sign late. Or, of course, the space could be used on someone else if a useful signing or deal presents itself.
Phoenix Mercury
PG: Natasha Cloud/Sug Sutton
SG: Diana Taurasi/Sophie Cunningham
SF: Kahleah Copper/Rebecca Allen
PF: Natasha Mack/Morgan Bertsch/Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
C: Brittney Griner/Liz Dixon
Opening day roster size: 11
Current remaining cap space: $1,010
Additions: Copper (trade), Cloud (free agency), Allen (technically a trade but essentially free agency), Mack, Bertsch, Herbert Harrigan, Dixon (all free agency)
Losses: Brianna Turner, Moriah Jefferson, Michaela Onyenwere (all traded), Shey Peddy, Megan Gustafson (both free agency), Kadi Sissoko (released)
The Mercury invited a whole host of people to camp, then had what amounted to a cull on Saturday night. In fact they waived so many camp invitees that they would've dropped to just 10 players, but signed Dixon (who was with the franchise last year on a series of short-term deals) to complete their 11. It was an odd series of events. Obviously only the Mercury staff know how impressive (or unimpressive) all those players were in camp, but to release so many in favor of bringing back Dixon - who didn't look great herself last year in brief appearances - was strange. Maybe this is just another audition, as the majority of the staff in Phoenix is different from the people who were around when Dixon was there last year. She was still playing in Italy until about a week ago, which is probably why she wasn't in camp with the Mercury earlier.
Please note that every player on this roster outside their top six is on the base minimum of $64,154, and they only have $1,010 left over. That means that unless they trade away someone in that top six, it’s essentially impossible to replace one of the current backups with a veteran. Monique Billings, for example, because she has 3+ Years of Service in the WNBA, has a minimum salary for the entire 2024 season of $76,535. Even with salaries dropping as they become pro-rated during the season, the gap is too big. The only way they could add a veteran prior to the last few days of the season is if they suffer enough injuries to add one via hardship contract.
The roster as organized above may not be how Phoenix line up to start the season. Despite inviting lots of players to camp who can play the 4 and ultimately retaining Mack, Bertsch and Herbert Harrigan, they started both of their preseason games with small lineups that suggest they want to play a lot of 4-out offense. Rebecca Allen spent most of her time against Los Angeles trying to guard Cameron Brink, and may well be asked to play plenty of 4 this season despite being a wing for the vast majority of her career. We'll see how well it works out, especially considering Brittney Griner has apparently already fractured a toe and will miss time.
Seattle Storm
PG: Skylar Diggins-Smith/Nika Mühl/Kiana Williams
SG: Jewell Loyd/Sami Whitcomb
SF: Jordan Horston/Victoria Vivians
PF: Nneka Ogwumike
C: Ezi Magbegor/Mercedes Russell/Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu
Opening day roster size: 11
Current remaining cap space: $9,299
Additions: Diggins-Smith, Ogwumike, Vivians, Williams (free agency), Mühl (draft)
Losses: Gabby Williams, Yvonne Turner (unsigned free agents), Kia Nurse, Jade Melbourne (both trade), Joyner Holmes (released)
As I tried to explain in my roster previews before training camp (many people didn't read and/or were still confused), there was some very careful math done in Seattle - but only for a specific scenario. If the final four spots on the roster had gone to Fankam Mendjiadeu, a base minimum (could've been Melbourne or Kiana Williams), and two veteran minimums (Vivians and Holmes being the obvious candidates), they would've hit opening day $13 under the salary cap. The complication was Nika Mühl. They'd done that math either assuming the No. 14 pick wouldn't make the team, or that they'd beat out one of the veterans. Instead, it became clear that they wanted Mühl as Diggins-Smith's backup ahead of Melbourne, and that didn't add up. Second-round picks this year earn $3,092 more than the base minimum. They traded Melbourne to Washington (which didn't help the Storm's math, because you can't pay anyone less than Melbourne was scheduled to make), and then ultimately Holmes was the final cut. That’s good news for Williams, whose base minimum salary now fits in the spot that many expected to go to Melbourne. Less so for Holmes and the Storm's backup options at power forward.
It's possible the Storm are done. Maybe Williams was good enough in camp to beat out Melbourne, and they simply want her as ballhandling cover and are comfortable sliding other players over when Ogwumike is resting. However, as I've discussed with multiple Storm fans trying to parse all this out, it's also possible that this is just stage one. They couldn't keep Holmes on the initial roster, but assuming she clears waivers the price to re-sign her drops by the day. Wait a few weeks and they could waive Williams and bring Holmes back, assuming she hasn't signed somewhere else in the meantime. Exactly how long the wait would be depends on how much they game the system. You can drop to 10 players for a maximum of 72 hours, which obviously saves a little extra cap room if you're briefly only paying 10 players. It's all potentially messy, and could've been avoided if Ogwumike or Diggins-Smith signed for $3,082 less in the offseason (no, they’re not allowed to renegotiate now to create additional space). But maybe the Storm are happy to live without Holmes anyway and this is all pie in the sky. We'll see.
Washington Mystics
PG: Julie Vanloo/Jade Melbourne
SG: Brittney Sykes/Shatori Walker-Kimbrough/DiDi Richards
SF: Ariel Atkins/Karlie Samuelson
PF: Myisha Hines-Allen/Aaliyah Edwards/Emily Engstler
C: Shakira Austin/Stefanie Dolson
Opening day roster size: 12
Current remaining cap space: $94,152
Additions: Samuelson, Dolson, Vanloo, Richards, Engstler (all free agency), Melbourne (trade), Edwards (draft)
Losses: Elena Delle Donne (cored free agent who remains unsigned), Natasha Cloud (free agency), Tianna Hawkins, Li Meng (both unsigned), Queen Egbo (trade), Kristi Toliver (retired)
The Mystics completed their preseason moves over the weekend, first by trading a third-round pick to Seattle for Melbourne, then releasing the required camp invites and late-round draftees. Melbourne has talent and will likely still be the youngest player in the league despite being in her second season, so for that negligible price she's certainly worth taking a look at, especially for a team that needs ballhandling. Despite that roster listing above, they may well start the year with Sykes opening games as the de facto point guard and Samuelson in the starting lineup on the wing.
Losing Cloud and Delle Donne likely moves this franchise into a new era, but the athletes on this roster could still make them a dangerous defensive team and entertaining to watch when things click. They also still have plenty of cap space left, and there's nothing to stop them from trading (or even just signing) Delle Donne during the season if she decides she wants to play again. So keep an eye on them for further moves during the year.
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