Alaina Coates returns as a member of the Washington Mystics. | Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Each team in the WNBA whittled its roster to the league-mandated 12 players on May 26. Now, courtesy of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and national protests over racial injustice, everything has changed.
The staying power of the league’s future Hall of Famers and the gaggle of players reaching and thriving in their prime means most 2020 WNBA Draft picks found themselves waived at the May 26 roster finalization deadline. With the coronavirus pandemic wrecking all the leagues’ schedules and forcing basketball to happen at single-site locations under quarantine, some of the WNBA’s biggest stars have opted out of the season amid health concerns. Others, like Natasha Cloud and Renee Montgomery, have opted out to pursue social justice initiatives. The vacated roster spots give some of the 2020 draftees who were cut at the deadline, as well as some established players who also found themselves without a team in May, a way back in.
The 2020 season was scheduled to tip off on May 15. Now, play is slated to begin in late July from the quarantine bubble of Bradenton, Florida. With more roster shakeups expected prior to tipoff of the abbreviated 22-game season, here’s where the rosters stand for the league’s 12 teams.
Atlanta Dream
- Monique Billings
- Brittany Brewer
- Kalani Brown
- Chennedy Carter
- Blake Dietrick
- Betnijah Laney (replaces Tiffany Hayes, who opted out for unspecified reasons)
- Glory Johnson
- Alexis Jones
- Jaylyn Agnew (replaces Renee Montgomery, who opted out to pursue social justice initiatives)
- Shekinna Stricklen
- Courtney Williams
- Elizabeth Williams
Chicago Sky
- Sydney Colson (diagnosed with the coronavirus/still on roster)
- Kahleah Copper
- Diamond DeShields
- Stefanie Dolson
- Ruthy Hebard
- Stella Johnson (added following Colson’s diagnosis)
- Jantel Lavender
- Cheyenne Parker
- Allie Quigley
- Azurá Stevens
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Gabby Williams
Connecticut Sun
- DeWanna Bonner
- Kaila Charles
- Jacki Gemelos
- Natisha Hiedeman
- Bria Holmes
- Briann January
- Beatrice Mompremier (replaces Jonquel Jones, who opted out over coronavirus concerns)
- Brionna Jones
- Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
- Theresa Plaisance
- Alyssa Thomas
- Jasmine Thomas
Dallas Wings
- Bella Alarie
- Allisha Gray
- Megan Gustafson
- Tyasha Harris
- Isabella Harrison
- Moriah Jefferson
- Marina Mabrey
- Astou Ndour
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Satou Sabally
- Katie Lou Samuelson
- Kayla Thornton
Indiana Fever
- Natalie Achonwa
- Julie Allemand
- Kennedy Burke
- Lauren Cox
- Kathleen Doyle
- Candice Dupree
- Stephanie Mavunga (rejoins active roster to replace Betnijah Laney, who was released to the Dream)
- Teaira McCowan
- Kelsey Mitchell
- Tiffany Mitchell
- Victoria Vivians
- Erica Wheeler
Las Vegas Aces
- Lindsay Allen
- Alex Bentley (signed to replace Kelsey Plum, who is out for season with torn Achilles))
- Liz Cambage
- Dearica Hamby
- Kayla McBride
- Angel McCoughtry
- Danielle Robinson
- Sugar Rodgers
- Carolyn Swords
- A’ja Wilson
- Jackie Young
Los Angeles Sparks
- Kristine Anigwe
- Seimone Augustus
- Te’a Cooper (replaces Kristi Toliver, who opted out of the season over coronavirus concerns)
- Chelsea Gray
- Reshanda Gray (replaces Chiney Ogwumike, who opted out of the season over coronavirus concerns)
- Marie Gülich
- Nneka Ogwumike
- Candace Parker
- Tierra Ruffin-Pratt
- Brittney Sykes
- Sydney Wiese
- Riquna Williams
Minnesota Lynx
- Kayla Alexander
- Rachel Banham
- Lexie Brown
- Bridget Carlton
- Karima Christmas-Kelly
- Napheesa Collier
- Crystal Dangerfield
- Damiris Dantas
- Sylvia Fowles
- Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
- Shenise Johnson
New York Liberty
- Layshia Clarendon
- Asia Durr
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Jazmine Jones
- Joyner Holmes (replaces Rebecca Allen, who opted out of the season over coronavirus concerns)
- Kia Nurse
- Leaonna Odom
- Kylee Shook
- Kiah Stokes
- Megan Walker
- Jocelyn Willoughby
- Amanda Zahui B
Phoenix Mercury
- Jessica Breland
- Nia Coffey
- Sophie Cunningham
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Brittney Griner
- Bria Hartley
- Alanna Smith
- Diana Taurasi
- Brianna Turner
- Kia Vaughn
- Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
Seattle Storm
- Sue Bird
- Jordin Canada
- Alysha Clark
- Natasha Howard
- Crystal Langhorne
- Jewell Loyd
- Ezi Magbegor
- Epiphanny Prince
- Mercedes Russell
- Breanna Stewart
- Morgan Tuck
- Sami Whitcomb
Storm head coach Dan Hughes, who battled cancer last year, will miss the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Washington Mystic
- Ariel Atkins
- Tina Charles
- Alaina Coates (replaces LaToya Sanders, who opted out of the season over coronavirus concerns)
- Elena Delle Donne
- Tianna Hawkins
- Myisha Hines-Allen
- Kiara Leslie
- Leilani Mitchell
- Emma Meesseman
- Shay Peddy (replaces Natasha Cloud, who opted out of the season to pursue social justice initiatives)
- Aerial Powers
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.