Relive some of the best moments from the NBA season. (1:45)
Breanna Stewart, a two-time Finals Most Valuable Player, struck a thread on Wednesday, saying that the recent high draft picks and big names like 2020 Freshman of the Year Crystal Dangerfield and 2017 All-Star Layshia Clarendon get waived this week when teams set their final rosters
The hard cap has put teams in a bind. It needs to be softened to allow our league to grow. The next collective bargaining agreement needs to allow teams more flexibility to keep rookies on the roster.
Make sure they don't hit the cap by calling them practice players. We need to be developing young talent and taking advantage of the new players that come from the college game.
I hate seeing so many great players being cut from WNBA teams. Salaries went up, but a very restrictive hard cap has put teams in a bind. We need to soften it to allow of our league to grow. The WNBA needs to adjust ASAP (before the next CBA).
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) May 4, 2022
On Tuesday, Chiney had a similar message, advocating for a developmental league similar to the NBA's G League.
In no circumstance should we have a league where top draft picks are not on a roster.
On Thursday, Stewart expanded on her thoughts.
Stewart said that it really resonated this year because it is the third year of the new collective bargaining agreement. That causes fewer roster spots and fewer spots in the league as a whole.
Stewart's team is an example. The Storm had enough cap space to keep 13 players to start the season, thanks to the use of the temporary suspension list with players who were late returning from overseas. Only 11 players were retained by Seattle this year. The team nixed its two second-round picks, Cunane from North Carolina State and Westbrook from Connecticut.
Stewart noted that it is not usually the case to start the season with the number of players in the league. The last year of the old collective bargaining agreement, only one team started the season with fewer than 12 players. Less than half of the 12 teams in the WNBA are keeping a full roster this season, as the number of teams with a full roster has increased to seven.
Keeping room for 12 players and paying higher salaries to a smaller group of 11 has been the choice of the WNBA contender. None of the five teams that kept at least 12 players finished with a winning record.
The sad part is that there's talent that needs to be developed, and they're never going to get that chance if they don't make a roster.
Mercedes Russell was the storm center. Russell was a second-round pick of the New York Liberty in the 2018? She played just 101 minutes as a rookies as the Storm won the title, but has since developed into a key starter. Russell re-signed with Seattle as a restricted free agent, but will miss the start of the season due to a non-basketball injury.
It was a learning experience, small minutes, and then she came in, and every year has grown up and stepped up even more. She is our starting center and we are going to miss her. If someone puts time and effort into you, what can happen?
It is possible that Russell would never have gotten that opportunity.
Stewart said it was important for the kids to get that role and for someone to take the time out to help develop them over the summer. A lot of them need more time. You have to make decisions at the two-week mark when they are getting comfortable.
Veterans who are on the roster will benefit from having extra players available for practice. It is not possible to use a practice squad of male players to supplement numbers on the road, which makes it more difficult for teams like the Storm to pit two units against each other.
Bird shared that issue in the practice when Yoni Afework had to step in when Stewart was off the court.
Since we reduced the roster spots, the story of the WNBA has been that. It felt like a bubble. If your coaches were still mobile, they could jump in practice. Maybe you have a trainer or equipment manager who can jump in. It is the same when we are on the road.
The reason for the hard salary cap in the NBA is because of the financial hardship, but not in the case of the WNBA.
Stewart said that it would benefit the league a lot. It is just about money. How do we get the extra money to be able to provide for a developmental player or a bigger roster?
I think before we even expand teams, we need to expand roster sizes because you see all over the place that the WNBA needs to expand teams.
Bird saw the issue of roster spots come up in her role as part of the WNBPA's executive committee. With players focused on the important goals they did achieve in the newCBA, roster sizes weren't addressed this time around.
The league might not wait until the next round of negotiations to address it if Stewart is correct.
Stewart said that they are aware of the situation, but he doesn't know if things will change this season.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
