The WNBA regular season is less than two weeks away, and this is Sky coach/GM That of James Wade least favorite time of year.
Roster cuts leading up to the first game of the regular season are never fun. Wade hasn’t made any cuts yet, but he hopes to do so in the next 24 to 48 hours.
“You want to procrastinate because you hate to see people leave,” Wade said. “I wouldn’t see (delaying my first edits) happening tomorrow. I want to get off at 1 p.m. for Toronto. I don’t want to take 15 players (to the last preseason game).
This time of year also brings out strong opinions and hot views from members of the WNBA and its fans. Most of them want to know when the league will expand.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed expansion, but only vaguely during the WNBA draft in April. She basically said: We’re not there yet.
Before training camp even started, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, Emily Engstler, was canceled by the Indiana Fever. She has since been picked up by the Washington Mystics, but the news of her firing a year after being drafted was met with shock across the league.
Sunday afternoon, the Mystics gave up Evina Westbrook And Alisia Jenkinsprovoking this reaction from a veteran guard Natasha Cloud.
“We need more teams,” Cloud tweeted. “These players deserve to be on a list. This is really killing me.
Wade has a slightly different view on the impending roster expansion and reductions that will affect players across the league.
He would love to see expansion, but he believes the limited number of spots in the league makes it the most prestigious in the world, and that’s not a bad thing.
“It’s not a birthright; it’s a privilege,” Wade said. “You have to work hard to be among the top 144 players. That doesn’t mean you’re not a great player because you didn’t make it in the WNBA. It just means you have work to do, and that’s okay. It’s tough playing in the WNBA. Some of your favorite college players can’t make it in the WNBA.
Conversations between players obviously vary from team to team and by level of experience in the league. Sky Recruit Kayana Traylor focuses on showing up every day, giving her best and leaving the rest to the decision-makers.
NaLyssa Smith And Lexie Hullboth in their second year with the Fever and part of the same draft class as Engstler, acknowledged the challenges.
“When you see a loved one being given up, that’s when it really hits you,” Smith said. “It shows how difficult it is to succeed in the league. (The players) talk about it. It’s very unfortunate for those who are excluded because they are talented and we are so young.
“I’m really looking forward to the expansion.”
Injuries and availability
Marina Mabrey arrived in Chicago after her season with Famila Schio in Italy but has yet to fully practice with her new team. She was unavailable for the Sky’s second preseason game in favor of rest. Wade said she attended film sessions and the team presentation Sunday morning, but said it was important she was physically and mentally ready before fully immersing herself in practice and preparatory matches.
Wade reiterated that Li Yueru is in town but “recovering.” She was not with the team for its second preseason game.
