The 2023 WNBA season is underway, but rosters will continue to change as teams address injuries and absences.

As teams do their best to balance their lineups, Just Women’s Sports will be tracking who’s in and who’s out.

July 17 — Los Angeles Sparks cut Destanni Henderson

The Sparks terminated guard Destanni Henderson’s hardship contract on Sunday to make room for Layshia Clarendon, who was activated off of injured reserve.

Henderson had been with the team since June 16 after Clarendon suffered a foot injury. In 10 games, including one start, she averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. The former South Carolina star earned her team’s praise after she helped L.A. overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat the Dallas Wings on June 24 with 18 points.

“Henny has proven that (she belongs in this league),” said Sparks guard Jordin Canada. “Tonight just showed that she’s very capable of being in this league and we’re very grateful to have her here.”

Henderson was previously waived in training camp by the Indiana Fever, who selected her 20th overall in the 2022 WNBA draft.

Before her injury, Clarendon had started in six games for the Sparks, averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

July 4 — Mystics flip Amanda Zahui B. for Queen Egbo

The Washington Mystics acquired former first-round draft pick Queen Egbo from the Indiana Fever on Tuesday in exchange for Amanda Zahui B.

“(We had) an opportunity to get a young player on a young player contract who has talent and has some particular skills that we are looking for,” Mystics general manager Mike Thibault told The Washington Post. “She’s an elite rebounder, a good shot blocker. We see an upside.”

The trade also helps offset the absence of Shakira Austin, who is out for at least three weeks with a hip injury. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Egbo has averaged 5.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and one block through 49 games.

The trade for Zahui B., who is on a one-year deal, frees up future cap space for Indiana. Without Egbo, the Fever have nine players under contract for the 2024 season — and now they have room for two maximum contracts next year.

Elsewhere, the Dream waived Taylor Mikesell and activated Iliana Rupert; the Sky waived Kristine Anigwe and activated Ruthy Hebard; the Wings waived Ashley Joens and Jasmine Dickey; the Mercury released Alaina Coates; and the Storm waived Arella Guirantes and signed Gabby Williams.

June 30 — A’ja Wilson signs extension with Aces

Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson has signed a two-year extension with the Las Vegas Aces, the team announced. She would have been a free agent after the 2023 season.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Wilson won Rookie of the Year in her first season, then won MVP in 2020 and 2022. She helped lead the franchise to its first WNBA championship last season.

Four of the Aces’ five starters — Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray — are now under contract for the 2024 season. The team is off to a 14-1 start, with Wilson averaging 19.4 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds.

“When the Aces made me their first-ever draft pick, they entrusted me with a lot,” Wilson said in a news release. “I’m happy to still be in Las Vegas, winning games, playing at a high level, but also being a part of a community that has embraced me and my teammates over the past six years, and made this city a second home for me.”

June 20 — Mystics re-sign Abby Meyers to hardship contract

First-round draft pick Abby Meyers has signed with the Washington Mystics on a hardship contract.

The Dallas Wings selected the Maryland guard with the No. 11 overall pick but waived her before the start of the season. She shot 38.8% from the 3-point line in her final collegiate season, helping the Terrapins to the Elite Eight.

Meyers’ signing comes as Mystics guard Li Meng leaves to compete for China in the Asia Cup through early July. The team will also be without veteran guard Kristi Toliver for two weeks with a foot injury.

June 16 — Sparks sign Destanni Henderson

The Los Angeles Sparks picked up former South Carolina star Destanni Henderson on an emergency hardship contract.

The No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Henderson was waived by the Indiana Fever before the start of the season. She played 36 games for the Fever in 2022, averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.6 rebounds. She joins former Gamecocks teammate Zia Cooke in Los Angeles.

June 14 — Emily Engstler signs with Lynx

Emily Engstler has signed a hardship contract with the Minnesota Lynx, the team announced.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Engstler was waived by the Fever in April before signing with the Washington Mystics. In two preseason games with Washington, Engstler had 15 points, 12 rebounds and one block, but she was waived before the start of the season.

June 9 — Taylor Soule signs with Sky

Rookie forward Taylor Soule signed a rest-of-season hardship contract with the Chicago Sky. The Minnesota Lynx had drafted the Virginia Tech product in the third round of the 2023 draft but waived her before the start of the season.

Soule averaged 12.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in five seasons with the Hokies, and she helped lead the team to the Final Four in her final season.

Also this week, Odyssey Sims signed a rest-of-season hardship contract with the Dallas Wings, while Kaila Charles was waived by the Seattle Storm and Bernadett Hatar was waived by the Indiana Fever.

June 6 — Karlie Samuelson re-signs with Sparks

Just one day after releasing Karlie Samuelson, the Los Angeles Sparks re-signed the 6-0 guard to a rest-of-season hardship contract.

Samuelson made the Sparks’ roster to start the season, helping to fill the hole left by her sister Katie Lou Samuelson, who is missing the season due to pregnancy, and by Jasmine Thomas, who is rehabbing from an ACL tear she sustained last May. Samuelson is averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in five games this season.

The Sparks also activated center Azurá Stevens, who has been recovering from a back injury, and released forward Joyner Holmes.

 

June 5 — Taylor Mikesell signs with Dream

The Atlanta Dream signed Taylor Mikesell, the team announced Monday. The No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, she was waived by the Indiana Fever during training camp.

The signing comes after the Dream waived Lorela Cubaj due to her EuroBasket commitments.

Mikesell brings shooting depth to a Dream team currently averaging 34.8% from 3-point range, which is sixth overall in the league. The Ohio State standout shot 42% from deep in her college career.

May 30 — Marine Johannès rejoins Liberty, Kalani Brown signs with Wings

Marine Johannès has rejoined the New York Liberty after winning the French league title with AVSEL. As Johannès had played just two WNBA seasons entering 2023, the prioritization rule — which requires WNBA players to return to the U.S. league by the start of the season — did not play to her.

The 28-year-old guard averaged 10.0 points and 3.4 assists in 25.5 minutes per game for the Liberty in 2022.

Meanwhile, Kalani Brown returned to the Dallas Wings on a hardship contract. The Wings had waived the 2019 first-round pick ahead of the season opener but brought her back as they deal with long-term knee injuries to Lou Lopez Sénéchal and Diamond DeShields.

May 22 — Gabby Williams remains in limbo for Seattle

Restricted free agent Gabby Williams remains undecided about her plans for the 2023 WNBA season, her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas told ESPN’s M.A. Voepel.

“The 2023 WNBA season is an option for Gabby, but not a certainty,” Kagawa Colas said. “For now, she’s prioritizing her health while taking into account her French national team commitments this summer. From there, we can start to evaluate availability for the WNBA, but as of today we are still a couple of steps away.”

Williams’ status has been up in the air as a result of the league’s new prioritization rule, which requires players to complete their offseason obligations before the start of the WNBA season. Williams had been playing for ASVEL in the French league, but she had her contract suspended to meet the prioritization deadline.

While the decision left Williams unable to play in the final two games of the championship series, which ended in a title for ASVEL, it kept open the possibility of a return to Seattle for the 2023 season.

Still, under the prioritization rule, Williams would be subject to a fine of one percent of her 2023 salary for each day of training camp that she missed if she does sign with the Storm.

“We are in constant communication with Gabby,” Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said. “We know that she didn’t play. Just kind of staying well aware of the situation. Obviously her health is the most important right now.”

Williams was a starter for Seattle last season, averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

May 18 — WNBA teams set opening day rosters

WNBA teams made their final cuts ahead of opening day.

Of the 36 college stars drafted in April, just 15 appear on rosters to start the season, including two third-round selections in the Indiana Fever’s Victaria Saxon and the Phoenix Mercury’s Kadi Sissoko.

Notable rookie free agents include No. 11 pick Abby Meyers, who was cut by the Dallas Wings, and No. 22 pick Alexis Morris, who made waves with her reaction to the lack of available roster spots.

May 17 — Charli Collier, Kalani Brown waived by Wings

The Dallas Wings waived former No. 1 overall pick Charli Collier on Wednesday morning as well as 2019 first-round pick Kalani Brown.

Collier played two seasons in Dallas, averaging 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, and she was named to the All-Rookie team in 2021.

The Wings also announced that 2023 first-round pick Lou Lopez Sénéchal is set to undergo knee surgery and will be out six to eight weeks, while Diamond DeShields will miss “extended time this season” as she deals with a knee injury.

May 16 — Monika Czinano waived by Sparks, two former South Carolina stars cut

The Los Angeles Sparks cut Iowa standout Monika Czinano. Czinano was selected in the third round of the draft with the No. 26 overall pick.

With her exit, all three draftees who participated in the 2023 national title game – Czinano, Alexis Morris, and LaDazhia Williams – have been waived by their WNBA teams.

Elsewhere, two former South Carolina stars were waived by their teams, Brea Beal by the Minnesota Lynx and Destanni Henderson by the Indiana Fever.

Beal was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick this year. While she did not score in 10 minutes in the Lynx’s loss to Chicago in the preseason WNBA Canada Game, she did record a rebound, an assist and a steal.

Henderson, a second-round pick in 2022, played 36 games for the Fever last season, averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 assists and 1.6 rebounds.

The New York Liberty also made a number of cuts, with Sika Koné, Morgan Green, Stephanie Mawuli and DiDi Richards all being waived. The former NCAA champion had been a staple member of the Liberty the last two years, averaging 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds.

The Connecticut Sun waived a trio of players — Caitlin Bickle, Nia Clouden and Jayla Everett — in addition to acquiring Leigha Brown from the Atlanta Dream, while Seattle waived Jasmine Walker.

May 15 — Dallas Wings cut first-round pick Abby Meyers

The No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Abby Meyers was cut by the Dallas Wings before the start of the regular season. She played just one minute in Saturday’s preseason loss to Indiana and scored no points.

Meyers played collegiately at both Princeton and Maryland before becoming one of the Wings’ two first-round picks, along with Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist. The Wings also acquired first-round selection Lou Lopez-Sénéchal from the Washington Mystics, and Lopez-Sénéchal and Siegrist remain with Dallas.

The Wings’ roster sits at 14 players, so two more will have to be cut before Thursday’s roster deadline to reach the 12-player maximum.

Alexis Peterson was waived by the Las Vegas Aces. The former 15th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Peterson has played primarily overseas.

Also on Monday, the New York Liberty signed Sabrina Ionescu to a two-year contract extension through the 2025 season.

May 14 — Washington Mystics waive Elena Tsineke

A number of teams announced roster cuts on Sunday, with the Mystics waiving both Stephanie Jones and Elena Tsineke. Tsineke was drafted 20th overall by the team in the draft, and reportedly had been impressing in camp.

“[Tsineke] has come out and, I know that she was a scorer at USF, but to see [her] implemented into the professional game already. Like she’s ready and that’s exciting to see,” Natasha Cloud told NBC Sports. “She’s just a dog like she’s gonna yell at everyone, she’s gonna be up guarding at halfcourt waiting for you.”

Cloud has been vocal about the WNBA needing to expand after tough roster cuts.

The Minnesota Lynx also announced cuts on Sunday, with Maya Dodson and Myah Selland both being waived by the team. Additionally, Angel Baker was waived by the Chicago Sky.

May 13 — WNBA vets Reshanda Gray, Crystal Bradford waived by Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Sparks announced that the team had waived Crystal Bradford and Reshanda Gray. Gray has played in the WNBA for six seasons, spending time with Minnesota, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Phoenix. Bradford has played two seasons in the league (2015 in Los Angeles, 2021 in Atlanta).

Also on Sunday, the Phoenix Mercury announced the team had waived rookie Liz Dixon and second-year vet Destiny Slocum, while the Washington Mystics cut Stephanie Jones and Elena Tsineke.

May 10 — LSU’s Alexis Morris cut by Connecticut

The Connecticut Sun waived a trio of rookies on Wednesday — draftees Alexis Morris and Ashten Prechtel and undrafted free agent Diamond Battles.

LSU national champion point guard Morris announced her exit just hours after she played in a preseason game for the Sun, tweeting: “Welp I just got waived. Thank you Sun nation.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, 23 of 36 picks from the 2023 draft appeared on rosters, and almost every team still has cuts left to make to fit under the 12-player maximum.

May 9 — Evina Westbrook picked up by Mercury

The Phoenix Mercury have signed Evina Westbrook to a training camp contract, claiming her off waivers after she was cut by the Washington Mystics.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun exercised DiJonai Carrington’s fourth-year option, guaranteeing her salary in 2024. She took to Twitter to celebrate the extension, writing “GOD IS BIG.”

Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Aces made a trio of cuts, waiving Brittany Davis, Courtney Range and Aisha Sheppard.

May 7 — Mystics waive Evina Westbrook

Former UConn and Tennessee guard Evina Westbrook was waived by the Mystics as one of two roster cuts.

Westbrook played 14 games for Minnesota and six for Washington last season, averaging 2.8 points and 1.2 assists per game. During the Mystics’ preseason game, she had seven points and three rebounds through 26 minutes.

Also waived was Alisia Jenkins. A former standout at South Florida, Jenkins last played in the league in 2020, bouncing around from Indiana, to Chicago then Phoenix on 7-day contracts. Jenkins had four points and three fouls through 10 minutes of preseason play.

The Mystics’ roster now sits at 15, meaning they’ll need to cut three more players to reach the league-maximum 12-player roster size.

May 5 — A trio of teams make roster cuts

The Atlanta Dream cut Mikayla Pivec and Alaina Coates. Coates, a former second-overall pick in the 2017 draft, has bounced around the league since getting drafted. She spent last season with Indiana, averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

The Sun, meanwhile, waived Victoria Macaulay, while the Phoenix Mercury waived Destiny Harden. Harden was the 27th overall pick in the 2023 draft after playing collegiately at Miami. She averaged a career-high 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season.

May 3 — Fever waive former college star Rennia Davis

The Indiana Fever waived former first-round draft pick Rennia Davis three days into WNBA training camp.

Davis, a four-year starter at Tennessee, was the ninth overall pick of the Minnesota Lynx in the 2021 WNBA draft. She missed her entire rookie season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in her left foot.

In 2022, the Lynx waived Davis from their training camp roster after she recorded a double-double in their second preseason game. Davis returned to the Lynx on a hardship contract and played in one game before she was again released on May 12. The 6-foot-2 guard/forward signed with Indiana on July 15 and played in seven games to close out the season, averaging 5.7 minutes per game.

May 3 — Connecticut slims down roster with cuts

The Sun waived Kiara Smith, Khaalia Hillsman and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan.

Herbert Harrigan is a former South Carolina standout who was drafted sixth overall in the 2020 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. After one season in Minnesota, she spent the 2021 season with the Seattle Storm. Since 2022, she’s been a member of the WBBL’s London Lions.

Smith, meanwhile, was drafted 36th overall by the Sun in 2022, but sat out last season due to injury.

May 1 — Mystics sign Emily Engstler to training camp contract

One day after WNBA training camp began, the Washington Mystics have signed Emily Engstler. The deal comes just five days after the Fever released the former No. 4 overall pick from the 2022 draft.

Engstler averaged 5.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, scoring in double figures four times. Her 181 total rebounds for the season were the fifth-most recorded by a Fever rookie in franchise history. The Louisville grad also joined Destanni Henderson and Victoria Vivians as the only players in franchise history to play more than 34 games in a regular season.

April 30 — Sun sign Diamond Battles to rookie scale contract, waive Lasha Petree

The Sun signed former Georgia Bulldog leading scorer Diamond Battles to a rookie-scale contract. At the same time, they waived Lasha Petree.

Petree is a former Purdue Boilermaker who also played at Rutgers and Bradley. She averaged 13.9 points per game in her college career.

April 27 — Mercury waive former first-round pick Sydney Wiese

With three days until WNBA training camps open, the Phoenix Mercury waived former 11th overall pick Sydney Wiese.

Drafted in 2017 by the Los Angeles Sparks, Wiese played three seasons in L.A. before she was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2021. In four seasons with the Sparks, she averaged 3.9 points and 1.1 rebounds, including a career-high 6.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in 2020.

Wiese played one season in Washington, suffering a knee injury last March. Phoenix signed the guard to a training camp contract in February.

Also on Thursday, the Connecticut Sun signed Lasha Petree to a rookie scale contract. The guard led Purdue in scoring this past season with 14.7 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting from the field.

April 26 — Fever waive 2022 fourth overall pick Emily Engstler

The Indiana Fever released second-year forward Emily Engstler. The fourth overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft, she played 35 games as a rookie for the Fever last season, starting in six of them.

Engstler’s 40 blocked shots in 2022 were tied for the team high and were four shy of tying Tamika Catchings’ rookie franchise record.

This marks the third consecutive season in which the Fever have waived a top draft pick. The team waived 2021 No. 4 pick Kysre Gondrezick last season and 2020 No. 3 pick Lauren Cox in the previous season.

April 24 — Aces waive rookie Elizabeth Balogun

Elizabeth Balogun is on the market after being waived by the Las Vegas Aces.

Balogun had inked a training camp contract with the Aces after going undrafted out of Duke. A 2023 Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Preseason and Midseason Top-10 watch list candidate, she played in all 33 games, starting in 27 of them, for the Blue Devils during the 2022-23 season.

Through two seasons with Duke, Balogun averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. Last season she was second on the team in scoring (10.2 points) and led the team in rebounding (5.2 rebounds).

She also was a member of the Nigerian Olympic Team at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

April 12 — Astou Ndour-Fall opts out of 2023 season

Even though Astou Ndour-Fall signed a one-year contract with the Sky in February, the Spanish national team center is opting out of the 2023 WNBA season. Ndour-Fall’s Italian season and the report date to Chicago factored into the decision, as did her international schedule this summer, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile reported.

This year’s FIBA EuroBasket tournament is set to take place from June 15-25, right in the middle of the WNBA season. Her absence is likely a result of the new prioritization clause that is being implemented starting this season. 

Without Ndour-Fall, the team’s roster includes Marina Mabrey, Isabelle Harrison and Kahleah Copper as veterans.

Chicago Sky center Astou Ndour-Fall opted out of the 2023 WNBA season due to her overseas commitments, becoming one of the first dominoes to fall in the wake of the controversial new rule.

The prioritization rule requires WNBA players to return from overseas play by the time the league opens its season on May 19. Players who fail to do so will be ineligible to play in 2023, and Ndour-Fall will be one of them. Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams could be another.

How does the prioritization rule work? And how did it come to be? Just Women’s Sports breaks down the answers.

How does the prioritization rule work?

The rule requires players to prioritize the WNBA over international leagues. It was codified in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement but goes into effect for the first time for the 2023 season.

Players with more than two years of experience in the WNBA must report to their teams by May 1. If they do not, they will be fined. And if they miss the start of the regular season on May 19, they will be suspended for the year.

In 2024, the consequences will get even harsher: Players will be suspended for the whole season if they do not join their WNBA teams by May 1 or the start of training camp, whichever is later.

What’s the problem?

Many WNBA players head overseas in the offseason to supplement their WNBA incomes. Last offseason, almost half of the WNBA’s 144 players went overseas, per the Associated Press.

Players can make much more money abroad then they do in the U.S.-based league.

Breanna Stewart, for example, signed a supermax one-year deal with the Seattle Storm in 2022. The deal was worth $228,094, just a fraction of the $1.5 million per year she made for Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg. Though she left the Russian club for Fenerbahce in 2022, she likely earned another large payday.

The WNBA holds its season in the summer, while international leagues play in the winter, which has allowed players to stay on the court throughout the year. But some international leagues’ late-season schedules have conflicted with the start of the WNBA season in recent years.

How did it come to be?

The prioritization rule was negotiated as part of the WNBA’s latest CBA, which was signed in 2020 and runs through 2027.

“The owners really stepped up on the compensation side for the players in this collective bargaining cycle, and I think the kind of quid pro quo for that was prioritization, showing up on time for our season,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said ahead of the 2022 WNBA Finals.

The WNBA Players Association agreed to the clause as a concession to the league so they could make gains in other areas of the CBA.

“The league was in a place of not negotiating without it,” WNBA legend Sue Bird said of prioritization. “We wouldn’t have got the money, the maternity leave, without it. I’m not defending it… I want the WNBA to be the only league people play in. I want it to thrive so we never have to go overseas.”

What’s next?

Several players have indicated that as long as salaries in international leagues eclipse those in the WNBA, the prioritization clause will remain an issue.

Emma Meesseman, who has not signed with a WNBA team for the 2023 season, has said the rule is unfair to non-American players.