2024 WNBA Training Camp Previews and Roster Breakdowns

With WNBA camps set to begin on Sunday, we look at every team's roster and the battles for spots that will be fought over upcoming weeks

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Photo Credit: Chris Poss

This is an exciting time for women's basketball, with the explosion of interest in the women's NCAA Tournament and Caitlin Clark leading into a draft broadcast watched by over quadruple the number of people who'd tuned in for any previous WNBA draft. Now we're seeing a surge of interest in WNBA tickets and a league desperately hoping to capitalise on this opportunity as the 2024 season approaches. WNBA training camps open on Sunday, April 28, so it's time to take a look at the current assembled rosters and who might still be there on opening day. First, for the sake of the new fans and anyone who may have forgotten, some basics:

• WNBA regular season rosters must include at least 11 players, but can be up to 12.

• Whether 11 or 12, each team's total player salaries must fit under the team salary cap, which this season is $1,463,200.

• Until and unless they make the opening day roster, 'training camp contracts' (any player on a one-year, non-guaranteed, minimum salary) and first-year rookies don't count against the cap. That's how all the teams are legally under the cap right now despite carrying so many extra players.

• There are two levels of minimum salary, one for players with 0-2 Years of Service in the WNBA ($64,154 this year), and one for players with 3+ Years of Service ($76,535). I’ll sometimes call the former the ‘base’ minimum and the latter the ‘veteran’ minimum. With a tight salary cap, the difference can occasionally be important.

• Some contracts in the WNBA are guaranteed (also sometimes referred to as 'protected'), but many are not. The non-guaranteed deals can be cut during camp and the player is owed nothing from then on; the guaranteed players would have to be paid out in full (although buyouts can be negotiated beforehand if the player is willing to agree to it). Most of the players with guaranteed money are ones who wouldn't be cut anyway, but that's not always the case and can obviously affect who makes the team. Guaranteed deals are listed in green to make them easy to spot on our cap sheets. Buyouts or money paid out to players who were cut despite having guaranteed contracts count in full against the salary cap.

• Training camp rosters can involve up to 18 players actively participating (injured players or those yet to arrive don’t count). This is a change from previous years where the limit used to be 15, but is a rule that has never been actively enforced anyway. The important part is getting down to 11 or 12 for opening day on May 14.

You can find all the current player and team salary information on our cap sheets at Her Hoop Stats. Team sub-headings below link directly to each team’s sheet.

As for what's found below, these are my projections and best educated guesses for how the rosters are going to play out in training camp. The numbers are all accurate, but you're welcome to quibble with the basketball assessments. Players in parentheses are those who are expected to sign and be added to this season's roster, but who at time of writing have not officially signed. Players in bold are those I feel are unlikely to be cut, and therefore likely to be on the relevant roster on opening day. For the rest of the opinions you'll have to read the actual text.

If you have questions or comments they can be left below, or I'm available to be yelled at on Twitter at @RichardCohen1. Welcome to the 2024 WNBA season, everybody.

Atlanta Dream

PG: Jordin Canada/Haley Jones/Taj Cole

SG: Allisha Gray/Aerial Powers

SF: Rhyne Howard/Elizabeth Balogun

PF: Cheyenne Parker/Nia Coffey/Laeticia Amihere/Khadijiah Cave

C: Tina Charles/Naz Hillmon/Lorela Cubaj/Khaalia Hillsman

Likely opening day roster size: Comfortable room to keep 12 players

Despite spending money on Jordin Canada, Aerial Powers, Tina Charles and re-signing Nia Coffey in the offseason, the Dream are still relatively young and cheap. It would be a surprise to see any of the 10 in bold above cut in camp, with Laeticia Amihere the least impressive of the returnees from last year, but the Dream unlikely to give up on her yet after taking her eighth overall in the 2023 draft. If it was in any doubt, Naz Hillmon's spot was all but guaranteed when the Dream exercised her team option for 2025 (if they cut her in camp this year they'd be left in the bizarre situation of owing her $0 this season, but $80,823 next year).

Assuming those 10 stick, the Dream have $160,679 left in cap space, which is more than enough for two players on either level of minimum salary. Of course, they aren't required to keep 12 players, but they certainly have the space to do so. Their three draft picks this year, including No. 12 overall Nyadiew Puoch, were all international players who currently aren't expected to play in the WNBA in 2024 (so aren't listed). But if one of Puoch, Isobel Borlase or Matilde Villa were to show up and sign, they'd have a reasonable chance of making the end of this bench.

Chicago Sky

PG: Dana Evans/Lindsay Allen/Chennedy Carter

SG: Marina Mabrey/Brynna Maxwell/Kysre Gondrezick

SF: Michaela Onyenwere/Diamond DeShields

PF: Isabelle Harrison/Angel Reese/Taya Reimer

C: Elizabeth Williams/Kamilla Cardoso/Brianna Turner

Likely opening day roster size: Even more space than Atlanta to keep any 12 they want

After some recent years where they had to count every penny to make the numbers work, the Sky have acres of cap room this time round. Unfortunately for them, that's due to several important pieces leaving for pastures new, but regardless of the reasons that is their current situation. In fact, they have so much space that the players listed above with guaranteed salaries aren't necessarily definites to make the roster. For example, if the Sky wanted to turn over the bulk of their post minutes to the newly-drafted pair of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, but couldn't find a taker for Isabelle Harrison or Brianna Turner on their current contracts, they have the space to waive one of those vets and pay off their salary in full while still keeping 12 other players on the roster.

If she's healthy, you can likely add Diamond DeShields to the group in bold above. But after missing the whole of last year in Dallas and revealing some horrendous injury issues, that might not be a certainty. Lindsay Allen seems like a strong probable as well, as the reliable veteran option at point guard. After that, it's a wide-open battle, including players that might not be signed anywhere yet or could be released elsewhere. When you're essentially rebuilding, you look everywhere and give lots of players a look. The low-risk second-chance deals for Chennedy Carter and Kysre Gondrezick make a lot of sense in that regard, and they'll be given every chance to make a good impression in camp.

Connecticut Sun

PG: Moriah Jefferson/Tyasha Harris/Shey Peddy

SG: Tiffany Mitchell/DiJonai Carrington/Rachel Banham/Leigha Brown/Helena Pueyo/Kianna Smith/(Abbey Hsu)

SF: DeWanna Bonner/Jocelyn Willoughby/Sydney Wiese/Rennia Davis

PF: Alyssa Thomas/Astou Ndour

C: Brionna Jones/Olivia Nelson-Ododa/Taiyanna Jackson

Likely opening day roster size: Almost certainly 11

The Sun are laden with veterans, including three being paid at least $200,000 for this season, so they'll almost certainly be starting the season with 11 players (and staying that way for the majority of 2024). Only a very unlikely cut (DeWanna Bonner levels of unlikely) or a trade is going to change that.

The decisions to trade for a couple of players with guaranteed contracts (Moriah Jefferson, Tiffany Mitchell) and hand out protected money to a couple of slightly surprising ones (Rachel Banham, Astou Ndour) have limited the number of roster spots up for grabs in Connecticut. I have 10 in bold above, including seven with guaranteed deals (DiJonai Carrington is on the protected year of a rookie-scale contract, so doesn't count against the team limit of six) and three who seem very unlikely to be cut. That only leaves one spot for everyone else to fight for. The flexibility of players like Bonner and Alyssa Thomas means the final spot could go to practically any type of player. Most of the options they're bringing to camp appear to be perimeter players, which may at least indicate positive things about Brionna Jones's health if they're not worried about carrying extra cover for her in the paint.

Dallas Wings

PG: Crystal Dangerfield/Jacy Sheldon/Veronica Burton/Sevgi Uzun/Ashley Owusu

SG: Arike Ogunbowale/Lou Lopez Sénéchal/Katrina Pardee

SF: Satou Sabally/Maddie Siegrist/Jaelyn Brown

PF: Natasha Howard/Emma Cannon

C: Teaira McCowan/Kalani Brown/Stephanie Soares

Likely opening day roster size: Almost certainly 11. Twelve is technically possible but very unlikely.

After years of young rosters and trying to find enough roster spots to keep all their recent draft picks around, some of the chickens are coming home to roost for Dallas this year. They had to pay Satou Sabally this offseason and chose to give Kalani Brown a meaningful guaranteed deal, and combined with the hefty existing deals for their other veterans it means they're almost certainly going to be restricted to an 11-player roster. In theory, 12 would still be possible if they made some painful cuts, but in practice that is extremely unlikely. Players like Crystal Dangerfield or Veronica Burton being released doesn't seem entirely beyond the realm of possibility, but to save enough cash to keep 12 they'd have to be replaced by players on the base minimum. Rookies like Jacy Sheldon and Stephanie Soares were high picks, so are nearly as expensive as Dangerfield and Burton and aren't enough of a saving.

I've admittedly been very conservative in my bolded picks above. The most likely group to add are Dangerfield, Burton, Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Maddie Siegrist and Soares. However, Latricia Trammell spent most of last season showing she preferred to lean on veterans, and then didn't particularly want to use Dangerfield or Burton once we hit the playoffs. Emma Cannon in particular feels like the kind of hard-working, gritty vet who could make a strong impression in camp, and then they'd have to cut one of that group to make room. There's also a small possibility that this year's No. 9 overall pick Carla Leite might show up and sign once her French season is over, which would offer yet another option at point guard but require another cut if they want to keep her around.

They do at least have enough cap room that they can keep any 11 from the current options. There are no either/or decisions being forced by the salaries.

Indiana Fever

PG: (Caitlin Clark)/Erica Wheeler/Grace Berger

SG: Kelsey Mitchell/Kristy Wallace/(Celeste Taylor)/Maya Caldwell

SF: Katie Lou Samuelson/Lexie Hull/(Leilani Correa)

PF: NaLyssa Smith/Damiris Dantas

C: Aliyah Boston/Temi Fagbenle/Victaria Saxton

Likely opening day roster size: Another team with plenty of room for 12

Despite free agent deals for Katie Lou Samuelson and Damiris Dantas (both of which could be argued as overpays, especially considering all the money was guaranteed), this is still largely a very young and cheap roster. Even the $90,000 buyout for Victoria Vivians, which sits as dead money on their cap this year, doesn't come close to stopping them from keeping whichever 12 players they want from camp.

I have eight in bold above. While admitting my bias from watching her as part of the Great Britain national team for many years, I would have Temi Fagbenle over Dantas if it wasn't for the guaranteed money the Fever handed Dantas. Instead, Fagbenle may have to prove her value to beat out Victaria Saxton - Aliyah Boston's friend and teammate dating back to South Carolina days - unless the Fever retain all five currently-signed posts. Kristy Wallace and Lexie Hull seem the incumbents most likely to stick as additions on the perimeter, with second-round pick Celeste Taylor in with a shot to unseat somebody.

As a side note, it's likely just a matter of paperwork that none of this year's draftees have signed their rookie-scale contracts yet. Please don't turn it into some kind of story that Clark is currently unsigned. Not yet, anyway.

Las Vegas Aces

PG: Chelsea Gray/Sydney Colson/Bria Hartley/Dyaisha Fair

SG: Kelsey Plum/Kierstan Bell/Brea Beal/Kamaria McDaniel

SF: Jackie Young/Alysha Clark/Kate Martin/Morgan Jones

PF: A'ja Wilson

C: Candace Parker/Kiah Stokes/Megan Gustafson/Angel Jackson

Likely opening day roster size: Could keep 12, although can't just be any 12

Considering the strength of their back-to-back championship-winning roster, the Aces came into 2024 with a shocking amount of cap space. However, they didn't go quite as crazy with it as some had hoped. Moderate deals for Kiah Stokes and Megan Gustafson, and Candace Parker once again signing well below market value in the same range around $100,000, means the Aces actually still have a fair amount of that cap space left. Enough to keep 12 players for opening day if they really want to.

If we assume the nine in bold above make it, the Aces have $218,585 in space left, which creates some slightly awkward maths. If they keep two players on veteran minimums - Sydney Colson and Bria Hartley are the only ones on the current roster - then they'd have $65,515 remaining. That's enough for a base minimum ($64,154), but second-round picks earn slightly more ($67,249 this year), so neither Kate Martin nor Dyaisha Fair could fit in the 12th spot. If they only keep one of the veterans the final two spots could go to anyone else, including both Martin and Fair.

It's also entirely possible that the Aces only keep 11 for opening day, saving their cash and keeping their options open for the rest of the season. Becky Hammon doesn't tend to go deep down her bench anyway, so that money may be more valuable for trades or free agent pickups later in the year.

Los Angeles Sparks

PG: Aari McDonald/Julie Allemand/Nia Clouden/Blake Dietrick

SG: Lexie Brown/Layshia Clarendon/Zia Cooke/Kia Nurse/Taylor Mikesell

SF: Rickea Jackson/Rae Burrell/Stephanie Talbot/McKenzie Forbes

PF: Azurá Stevens/Dearica Hamby/Monique Billings

C: Cameron Brink/Li Yueru/Virag Kiss

Likely opening day roster size: Can easily keep 12

The Sparks are so far under the salary cap that they actually have 13 players under contract that count against the cap right now, and still have over $35,000 in space left over. So keeping 12 for opening day won't be a problem. In fact, as with Chicago, if they want to move on from one of their guaranteed players but can't find a trade, they could cut one of them and swallow the cap hit, then still keep 12 others. Alternatively, it could allow them to temporarily suspend someone like Julie Allemand as a 13th player if she wants to stay away while she rehabs her current injury in hope of being ready for the Olympics with Belgium in July.

Exactly who those 12 are going to be is pretty open. They gave Rae Burrell guaranteed money so are presumably expecting to keep her around for at least the 2024 season. The deals starting at $100,000 and $118,000 they gave Layshia Clarendon and Monique Billings, respectively, suggest they want them around as well, but this is also essentially a rebuild. It makes sense to lean young if any of the decisions become a toss-up. Steph Talbot should make it if she's healthy, but after missing the whole of last year due to an ACL tear and only playing three games in the WNBL season with Adelaide, that might still be open to question.

There are several spots here to be fought over, especially on the perimeter, and there could be some names on the way out that might raise some eyebrows when the cuts are made.

Minnesota Lynx

PG: Courtney Williams/Natisha Hiedeman/Olivia Époupa

SG: Kayla McBride/Cecilia Zandalasini/Kayana Traylor/Quinesha Lockett

SF: Diamond Miller/Bridget Carleton/Jaime Nared/Kiki Jefferson

PF: Napheesa Collier/Sika Koné/Alissa Pili/Taylor Soule/Camryn Taylor/Mimi Collins

C: Alanna Smith/Dorka Juhász/Ruthy Hebard

Likely opening day roster size: Can comfortably fit 12

After a lot of years with expensive rosters where they've had to juggle players and count carefully to fit people in, the Lynx are in a much more relaxed situation this time around. They spent in free agency on Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith, gave Bridget Carleton a raise and brought in Natisha Hiedeman via trade on her similar mid-level veteran deal, but that hasn't stretched them too far. The exits of Aerial Powers, Natalie Achonwa and Tiffany Mitchell, plus the full-season suspension of Jessica Shepard, outweigh the incomings.

So Cheryl Reeve can essentially take her pick in camp, and keep whichever 12 she wants. Carleton's value in previous years and Cecilia Zandalasini's proven talent make them likely candidates to stick, while Sika Koné's youth and potential after arriving via trade may not leave her far behind. If those three were added to those I have in bold above, there would only be one spot left for everyone else to fight over.

They also have just enough cap space so that if Zandalasini is going to be a late arrival due to her season in Italy, they could temporarily suspend her and still fit in 12 others. However, if that's including the 11 mentioned above, the extra player couldn't be Ruthy Hebard (or anyone else on the veteran minimum). It would have to be a player on the cheaper base minimum salary.

New York Liberty

PG: Courtney Vandersloot/Ivana Dojkić/Jaylyn Sherrod

SG: Sabrina Ionescu/Marquesha Davis

SF: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton/Kennedy Burke/Leonie Fiebich/Stephanie Mawuli/Okako Adika

PF: Breanna Stewart/Kayla Thornton/Brianna Fraser/Esmery Martinez

C: Jonquel Jones/Nyara Sabally/Ana Tadić/Jessika Carter/Rita Igbokwe

Likely opening day roster size: Definitely 11

The Liberty haven't ended up with accounting as tight as we've seen in some past years, but they're still in a situation where a 12-player roster is essentially impossible unless something unexpected like a trade happens. Assuming the eight in bold above are all on the roster as expected, it's merely a matter of who the final three spots go to.

Given the talent she has exhibited overseas, German wing Leonie Fiebich should be one of them, but I'm reluctant to count any international debutant as a certainty. Marquesha Davis also has to have a strong chance to stick after being selected by New York in this year's first round, but at No. 11 she was a low enough pick that we have seen similar players fail to make a roster in the past. After that, there should be opportunities for all the invites to make their case in camp. Ivana Dojkić had some positive moments in Seattle last year before falling out of their rotation and being surprisingly released, but she didn't exactly set the world on fire. Otherwise it's a collection of potentially interesting names with no WNBA pedigree at all.

Even if they keep the most expensive 11 from the current roster, the Liberty would have over $27,000 in space left over. That could leave a little room for potential moves later on in the year if anything presents itself.

Phoenix Mercury

PG: Natasha Cloud/Sug Sutton/Jaz Shelley/Ariel Hearn

SG: Diana Taurasi/Sophie Cunningham/Amy Atwell/Charisma Osborne/Christyn Williams

SF: Kahleah Copper/Rebecca Allen

PF: Natasha Mack/Morgan Bertsch/Mikiah Herbert Harrigan/Mya Hollingshed

C: Brittney Griner/Bella Murekatete/Desi-Rae Young

Likely opening day roster size: Absolutely, definitively 11

The Mercury have made this very simple. When you add up their top six players, all on guaranteed contracts, it leaves $321,780 in cap space. That's room for five players on the absolute base minimum salary of $64,154, with just $1,010 left over. So veteran minimums were out, and even second-round picks would've earned too much to fit in any of those final spots. Phoenix avoided those issues by having no picks until the third round, and not signing anyone who counts as a veteran. Every player on the roster listed above outside of the protected six is on the exact same base salary and could fill one of those final five spots.

Sug Sutton seems the most likely to stick, after some useful games for Phoenix during their largely miserable 2023 season. Morgan Bertsch also had some positive moments last year in Chicago, before being thrown into the Kahleah Copper trade with the Sky. But the Mercury have signed a whole host of players who could fit at the 4 next to Brittney Griner while helping with rebounding and hopefully hitting a shot or two. Then on the perimeter they have a couple of third-round rookies many projected to go higher, and several other players who all have their fans (Christyn Williams from UConn days, Ariel Hearn from her production in Athletes Unlimited, and Amy Atwell from significantly improved performance in Australia's WNBL).

This could be a fun camp, with what appears to be a genuinely open competition for several roster spots. Some of them are also going to be playing real minutes when the regular season starts, not just filling space on the end of the bench. They won't survive the season just playing six.

Seattle Storm

PG: Skylar Diggins-Smith/Jade Melbourne/Nika Mühl/Kiana Williams

SG: Jewell Loyd/Sami Whitcomb

SF: Jordan Horston/Victoria Vivians/Kaela Davis

PF: Nneka Ogwumike/Joyner Holmes

C: Ezi Magbegor/Mercedes Russell/Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu/Alaina Coates/Quay Miller

Likely opening day roster size: Undoubtedly 11

Someone in Seattle has done some very careful maths. If they were to keep the seven in bold above, plus Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and one player on the base minimum (most likely returning guard Jade Melbourne), they would have enough room for players on the veteran minimum in their final two roster spots with precisely $13 to spare. So they can't keep absolutely any 11 they want. Nika Mühl's second-round salary ($67,249) is slightly more than Fankam Mendjiadeu's ($66,597) so she couldn't replace Fankam Mendjiadeu or Melbourne in the calculation above and still fit two veteran minimums in the final two spots. However, Mühl could, of course, replace one of those two hypothetical veterans.

While the 2023 season was largely a disaster for Seattle, both Fankam Mendjiadeu and Melbourne had some positive moments and Melbourne had a strong season in Australia, so they have a good chance to stick around. The final two spots seem wide open. Mühl was selected high in the second round so the Storm likely think of her reasonably highly, but that's the kind of range where there are definitely no guarantees. Joyner Holmes was with Seattle last year, so she has the benefit of familiarity but should also be no certainty. Those last couple of spots are up for grabs, and could even end up with players who aren't currently on the Storm roster.

Washington Mystics

PG: Julie Vanloo/Kaylynne Truong

SG: Brittney Sykes/Shatori Walker-Kimbrough/DiDi Richards/Honesty Scott-Grayson

SF: Ariel Atkins/Karlie Samuelson/Jakia Brown-Turner

PF: Myisha Hines-Allen/Aaliyah Edwards/Emily Engstler

C: Shakira Austin/Stefanie Dolson/Queen Egbo/Elissa Cunane

Likely opening day roster size: Lots of room for 12

Having lost Natasha Cloud and Elena Delle Donne from last year's squad and only adding Karlie Samuelson and Stefanie Dolson, the Mystics have plenty of room to keep 12 players for opening day. Exactly who those 12 are going to be beyond the obvious core and guaranteed contracts looks wide open.

The point guard spot looks like something of a mess with Cloud gone. Vanloo has only really shifted there in recent years after a long career playing largely off the ball. She's been successful, but if they're expecting her to step into a new league and immediately become their starter at the point it's a big ask. Truong's a second-round pick who might not make the team. Richards has played some point guard but has been out of the league and still hasn't proven she can shoot enough to keep defenses honest. They may turn primary ballhandling over to Brittney Sykes.

Regardless of that positional decision, there are roster spots to be fought over here. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough will likely make it after being a useful backup for Washington in multiple prior seasons. Emily Engstler showed some useful flashes in Minnesota last year before injury ended her season. Then there are the usual collection of invites who'll have a chance to show what they've got. This is the start of a new era in Washington, so they'll likely be searching around and hoping to hit on a hidden gem or two. The shuffling on the end of their roster probably won't be over at the end of training camp.

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