Subscribe
Follow Us
This week is an especially tough one in the WNBA as teams make their final roster cuts in preparation of the start of the regular season. Ahead of the May 15 deadline to finalize their roster, the Sparks made a pair of cuts which brought their number of players to 13, one more than the league’s maximum. The Sparks made the last of their roster cuts by the deadline, and head coach Lynne Roberts spoke about the tough decisions made.
Ahead of the Sparks’ 2025 season opener against the Golden State Valkyries, Lynne Roberts spoke pregame and addressed the team’s final roster cuts.
“It’s hard, it’s really, really hard. I’m sure every coach says this, because it’s true, but I was so impressed with the players that we had to let go and we had to release. . .It’s not that they’re not good enough or talented enough. It’s just what your team needs,” Roberts said. “And every team is different in terms of what they need from a roster perspective. But this is the hardest professional league to make. With only 12 roster spots, it’s incredibly difficult.”
“And you have to factor in all sorts of things,” Roberts continued. “But it’s hard. . .I’m sure every franchise feels this way, that they guys you had to let go, it’s painful because it’s not like they’re not good. It’s just about fit and what your team kind of exactly needs. It’s just tough.”
Sparks finalize 2025 roster
As Roberts alluded to, the WNBA has essentially become the toughest professional sports league to break into. The addition of the Valkyries this season brought the total number of teams up from 12 to 13, and the total number of roster spots up from 144 to 156.
But even with teams able to carry 12 players on their roster, some teams only carry 11 players due to salary cap restraints. Next WNBA season, the Toronto Tempo and a still-to-be-named Portland franchise will bring 24 additional roster spots. But in the meantime, it’s still an uphill climb for many players, particularly draft picks, to make a final roster.
During Sparks media day earlier this week, general manager Raegan Pebley summed up the harsh reality for incoming draft picks.
“This is a league where third round draft picks sometimes don’t even make it to camp,” Pebley said. Her comment was in reference to Liatu King, whom the Sparks drafted with the No. 28 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The team cut King right before media day.
But two of the Sparks’ draft picks, Sarah Ashlee Barker and Sania Feagin, both made the opening day roster. Barker was a near-lock to make to the roster, but Feagin beat out other, more veteran players as a second round pick.
