Angel McCoughtry has been one of the most dominant scorers in the WNBA since she started playing in 2009. However, the five-time all-star is missing one thing from her hall of fame resume: a championship.
McCoughtry told Just Women's Sports she is ready to change that.
“I definitely want to go to a contender,” McCoughtry said. “I deserve that. But even if it’s somewhere that was not a contender before, I believe I’m the type of player that can help them become contenders.”
The path for her to get to a contender is has its complications. Injuries have derailed the last few years of McCoughtry's career and the current salary cap rules make it harder for veterans like McCoughtry to fit into teams' budgets. The least amount of money McCoughtry can make next season is $74,305 since she has three years of service in the WNBA. When fighting for a spot against rookies and second or third year players who make a little over $12,000 less than that, veterans have typically ended up getting the shorter end of the stick.
McCoughtry thought she was going to be able to go after a ring with the Las Vegas Aces after she signed with the team in 2020. However, she missed the 2021 season and didn't get a chance to play with the team, who ended up winning the 2022 title.
“Honestly, I was hurt because I thought I was just gonna go back to Vegas from the jump,” McCoughtry says. “I feel like I should have stepped up and had a conversation with A’ja (Wilson) and Coach (Becky Hammon) before the season. But I didn’t, and it just didn’t come out in a conversation, which I wish I would have done.
“But that was their moment to win a championship and move on. At the end of the day, I was definitely trying to get picked up by other teams. I had contacted (the Washington Mystics) because it was home. But since nobody picked me up, I said, well, enjoy life and have fun.”
McCoughtry could end up on a WNBA roster this offseason, even if the options are limited.
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