The WNBA season is two days away and the teams are making final cuts before Thursday's league deadline for setting opening night rosters.
No mercy is being given to veterans or rookies. The WNBA, with just 144 available roster spots, is the toughest professional league to get into and stay in.
As calls for expansion grow louder (it doesn't appear that commissioner Cathy Englebert is in a rush to add teams for the 2024 season, though), fans are becoming more nervous as more and more players are cast aside.
MORE: Toronto, Bay Area, Charlotte headline list of potential expansion teams
The Sporting News looks at who has been waived in recent days.
What does it mean to be waived?
Being waived is an official term for being cut by a team.
The waiver procedure in the WNBA begins with a team ending its contractural obligation to a player, removing her from its roster and placing her on waivers.
Over the next 48 hours, the other teams in the league are able to claim the player's contract. If multiple teams submit a claim, then the league will award the contract to the team with the highest waiver priority.
If no team claims the player, then she is considered to have cleared and becomes an unrestricted free agent. She will then be able to negotiate and sign a new contract with any team.
A player can be placed on waivers at any time during the season, except for a short period prior to the playoffs, according to Sportslulu.
MORE: WNBA Draft picks 2023: Complete results, list of selections for Rounds 1-3
WNBA players waived before 2023 season, by team
The 2023 WNBA preseason began May 5. Teams' final 12-player opening night rosters are due in to the league by 5 p.m. ET Thursday. The regular season will tip off Friday with the Indiana Fever vs. the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics vs. the New York Liberty.
A list of players who have been waived since May 1. Players in bold were selected in that Draft:
Atlanta Dream
- Mikayla Pivec
- Alaina Coates
Chicago Sky
- Angel Baker
- Feyonda Fitzgerald
- Kayana Traylor
- Anneli Maley
Connecticut Sun
- Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
- Khaalia Hillsman
- Kiara Smith
- Victoria Macaulay
- Alexis Morris
- Diamond Battles
- Ashten Prechtel
- Nia Clouden — awarded on waivers to the Sparks
- Caitlin Bickle
- Jayla Everett
Dallas Wings
- Abby Meyers
- Charli Collier
- Kalani Brown
Indiana Fever
- Rennia Davis
- LaDazhia Williams
- Destanni Henderson
- Taylor Mikesell
Las Vegas Aces
- Aisha Sheppard
- Brittany Davis
- Courtney Range
- Alexis Peterson
Los Angeles Sparks
- Crystal Bradford
- Reshanda Gray
- Karlie Samuelson
- Ra Burrell
- Monika Czinano
- Yang Liwei
Minnesota Lynx
- Keishana Washington
- Stephanie Watts
- Kiana Williams
- Maya Dodson
- Myah Selland
- Brea Beal
- Taylor Soule
- Damiris Dantas
New York Liberty
- DiDi Richards
- Sika Koné — awarded on waivers to the Sky
- Stephanie Mawuli
- Morgan Green
- Epiphanny Prince
Phoenix Mercury
- Destiny Harden
- Kylee Shook
- Essence Booker
- Destiny Slocum
- Liz Dixon
- Sam Thomas
- Jennie Simms
Seattle Storm
- Jade Loville
- Madi Williams
- Jasmine Walker
- Theresa Plaisance
Washington Mystics
- Evina Westbrook — awarded on waivers to the Mercury
- Alisia Jenkins
- Stephanie Jones
- Elena Tsineke
- Emily Engstler
- Jazmine Jones
