Carla Leite called for the iso.
Sports news
#WNBA #clutchtime #superstar">The WNBA has a new clutch-time superstar
Carla Leite called for the iso.
Dribbling out the clock, the 5’9 guard shooed away her teammates with confidence. The only thing standing between the 22-year-old and the Barclays Center basket?
Stewart is an elite defender — one of the WNBA’s most consistent. She’s also 6’4. But that didn’t matter. Leite, a 17.3% career three-point shooter in the WNBA, pulled up for three.
Leite smiled, knowing she had just iced the game. Thanks to her big triple, the Portland Fire led the New York Liberty by 6 points with 14.4 seconds to spare. Liberty guard Marine Johannes responded with a three-pointer of her own, but the game was out of reach.
The pull-up three was Leite’s second consecutive clutch basket in the final seconds of Monday night’s 81-74 Fire win over the Liberty. Twenty-five seconds earlier, Leite drove to the basket to give the Fire a 5-point lead with 40 seconds to play.
And, Monday wasn’t the first time she took over in the clutch, either.
Two weeks earlier, when the Fire pulled out the franchise’s first-ever win, Leite also stepped up down the stretch against the Liberty. She drove to the basket with 27.1 seconds to play, tying up the game against New York. A Sarah Ashlee Barker game-winner ended up securing that May 12th win.
Leite is having a strong all-around season. On Monday, she scored a team-high 18 points on 8-14 shooting; the Fire outscored the Liberty by 8 points in her 22 minutes on the floor.
Leite’s points, rebounds, and assists per game have all more than doubled; she averaged 7.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, and has seen those numbers rise to 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. Her efficiency has also risen; she averaged 38.7% in her rookie campaign and is shooting 5% better this year in Portland.
The Fire are 3-2 in the five games the sophomore guard has played.
Leite is far from the only reason why the Fire, one of two 2026 expansion teams, have begun the season 4-3. Bridget Carleton, the No. 1 overall pick in the expansion draft, is averaging 16.5 points per game, 10 more than she averaged last year as a role player on the Minnesota Lynx. Emily Engslter, Megan Gustafson, Nyadiew Puoch, and Luisa Geiselsoder have all been key contributors.
And, Ashlee Barker, who is averaging 10.3 points off the bench, has also been a monster in the clutch. In addition to her game-winner earlier in the month, Barker completed an and-one driving layup in the final minute of a crunch-time victory over the Connecticut Sun. In Monday’s win over the Liberty, she hit a go-ahead corner three to give the Fire a one-point edge with just under four minutes to spare. The Fire never trailed again.
But, Leite — left unprotected by the Golden State Valkyries after her rookie season — has been the primary scoring option in the clutch.
And, on Monday, she did it again.
Carla Leite called for the iso.
Dribbling out the clock, the 5’9 guard shooed away her teammates with confidence. The only thing standing between the 22-year-old and the Barclays Center basket?
Stewart is an elite defender — one of the WNBA’s most consistent. She’s also 6’4. But that didn’t matter. Leite, a 17.3% career three-point shooter in the WNBA, pulled up for three.
Leite smiled, knowing she had just iced the game. Thanks to her big triple, the Portland Fire led the New York Liberty by 6 points with 14.4 seconds to spare. Liberty guard Marine Johannes responded with a three-pointer of her own, but the game was out of reach.
The pull-up three was Leite’s second consecutive clutch basket in the final seconds of Monday night’s 81-74 Fire win over the Liberty. Twenty-five seconds earlier, Leite drove to the basket to give the Fire a 5-point lead with 40 seconds to play.
And, Monday wasn’t the first time she took over in the clutch, either.
Two weeks earlier, when the Fire pulled out the franchise’s first-ever win, Leite also stepped up down the stretch against the Liberty. She drove to the basket with 27.1 seconds to play, tying up the game against New York. A Sarah Ashlee Barker game-winner ended up securing that May 12th win.
Leite is having a strong all-around season. On Monday, she scored a team-high 18 points on 8-14 shooting; the Fire outscored the Liberty by 8 points in her 22 minutes on the floor.
Leite’s points, rebounds, and assists per game have all more than doubled; she averaged 7.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, and has seen those numbers rise to 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. Her efficiency has also risen; she averaged 38.7% in her rookie campaign and is shooting 5% better this year in Portland.
The Fire are 3-2 in the five games the sophomore guard has played.
Leite is far from the only reason why the Fire, one of two 2026 expansion teams, have begun the season 4-3. Bridget Carleton, the No. 1 overall pick in the expansion draft, is averaging 16.5 points per game, 10 more than she averaged last year as a role player on the Minnesota Lynx. Emily Engslter, Megan Gustafson, Nyadiew Puoch, and Luisa Geiselsoder have all been key contributors.
And, Ashlee Barker, who is averaging 10.3 points off the bench, has also been a monster in the clutch. In addition to her game-winner earlier in the month, Barker completed an and-one driving layup in the final minute of a crunch-time victory over the Connecticut Sun. In Monday’s win over the Liberty, she hit a go-ahead corner three to give the Fire a one-point edge with just under four minutes to spare. The Fire never trailed again.
But, Leite — left unprotected by the Golden State Valkyries after her rookie season — has been the primary scoring option in the clutch.
And, on Monday, she did it again.
Carla Leite called for the iso.
Dribbling out the clock, the 5’9 guard shooed away her teammates with confidence. The only thing standing between the 22-year-old and the Barclays Center basket?
Stewart is an elite defender — one of the WNBA’s most consistent. She’s also 6’4. But that didn’t matter. Leite, a 17.3% career three-point shooter in the WNBA, pulled up for three.
Leite smiled, knowing she had just iced the game. Thanks to her big triple, the Portland Fire led the New York Liberty by 6 points with 14.4 seconds to spare. Liberty guard Marine Johannes responded with a three-pointer of her own, but the game was out of reach.
The pull-up three was Leite’s second consecutive clutch basket in the final seconds of Monday night’s 81-74 Fire win over the Liberty. Twenty-five seconds earlier, Leite drove to the basket to give the Fire a 5-point lead with 40 seconds to play.
And, Monday wasn’t the first time she took over in the clutch, either.
Two weeks earlier, when the Fire pulled out the franchise’s first-ever win, Leite also stepped up down the stretch against the Liberty. She drove to the basket with 27.1 seconds to play, tying up the game against New York. A Sarah Ashlee Barker game-winner ended up securing that May 12th win.
Leite is having a strong all-around season. On Monday, she scored a team-high 18 points on 8-14 shooting; the Fire outscored the Liberty by 8 points in her 22 minutes on the floor.
Leite’s points, rebounds, and assists per game have all more than doubled; she averaged 7.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, and has seen those numbers rise to 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. Her efficiency has also risen; she averaged 38.7% in her rookie campaign and is shooting 5% better this year in Portland.
The Fire are 3-2 in the five games the sophomore guard has played.
Leite is far from the only reason why the Fire, one of two 2026 expansion teams, have begun the season 4-3. Bridget Carleton, the No. 1 overall pick in the expansion draft, is averaging 16.5 points per game, 10 more than she averaged last year as a role player on the Minnesota Lynx. Emily Engslter, Megan Gustafson, Nyadiew Puoch, and Luisa Geiselsoder have all been key contributors.
And, Ashlee Barker, who is averaging 10.3 points off the bench, has also been a monster in the clutch. In addition to her game-winner earlier in the month, Barker completed an and-one driving layup in the final minute of a crunch-time victory over the Connecticut Sun. In Monday’s win over the Liberty, she hit a go-ahead corner three to give the Fire a one-point edge with just under four minutes to spare. The Fire never trailed again.
But, Leite — left unprotected by the Golden State Valkyries after her rookie season — has been the primary scoring option in the clutch.
And, on Monday, she did it again.
Carla Leite called for the iso.Dribbling out the clock, the 5’9 guard shooed away her…
![Caitlin Clark pushes back on ‘narratives’ about back injury INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever became something much bigger over the last week.On Wednesday, Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s game against the Fire with a back injury after not appearing on the injury report. In her pregame availability, head coach Stephanie White added to the confusion of Clark’s status and injury, noting that she did not practice the prior day and woke up with back soreness the morning of the game.Despite that, the team never indicated that she was dealing with a back injury before she was ruled out. The result was a warning from the league for failing to report Clark’s status leading up to the game.Because the noise is always louder around Clark as well — and because of how the Fever handled the situation — there was also plenty of discussion about whether Clark was actually hurt, if the team was managing her workload and, generally, what was going on.Clark, herself, cleared the air prior to Friday’s game against the Valkyries in a very impassioned media availability. She detailed her two days leading up to Wednesday’s game and the timeline of events that led to her being ruled out, including her working out on Wednesday in an attempt to play before ultimately deciding to sit out.“I woke up Wednesday, felt a little sore, texted our training staff, texted my personal physio,” Clark said. “I actually went back and looked – because of all these narratives that are going crazy online – about when I told my mom I wasn’t going to play the game: 4:47 [p.m.]. You guys found out at 5:20 [p.m.].“So, one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys.”Clark acknowledged that this wasn’t necessarily a one-off injury and that the back injury could linger as well. In the season opener against the Wings, Clark went to the tunnel during the game multiple times to get her back adjusted.“I mean, I think at this point maybe I’ll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said a little tongue-in-cheek in regards to the warning the team received. “My back feels good…But I hope it’s not something that hinders me. I think I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise. I’m continuing to lift. I’m continuing to get massages, hyperbaric [chamber], needling, every single thing I can possibly do after games and put myself in a position to play the next game and I feel really good.“It’s like I said, a lot of it is a mental challenge as well. Just continuing to trust my body and know I’m good to go as well.”Both Clark and White were clearly frustrated with the situation in their pregame availabilities. The latter was asked about her response to the team receiving a warning from the league and she gave a terse response.“My reaction is for what?,” White said.Asked why that was her reaction, White said it was because the team “did things the right way.”It was a combative approach from the team in response to a situation and controversy they created. Had Caitlin been on the injury report on Tuesday prior to the game or had it been updated on Wednesday leading up to the game, everything would have blown over as nothing more than a typical injury.Instead, the Fever’s lack of transparency created questions that didn’t need to exist and narratives, as Clark described them, that were baseless.The drama of it all also overshadowed some insightful and fascinating responses from Clark on mental health and her personal struggles with trusting her body and returning to the court after an injury-riddled second season. However, because of the necessity to finally get transparency on the matter, that was all pushed to the back burner.It would be an entirely different conversation if the Fever had offered more transparency by simply updating their injury report appropriately. In not doing so, a molehill became a mountain.In a league still relatively young and dealing with a star bigger than they’ve ever had before, it was a growing pain and a lesson unnecessarily learned the hard way. #Caitlin #Clark #pushes #narratives #injury](https://i3.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2276750326.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.736906680139%2C100%2C78.526186639722&w=1200&ssl=1 "Caitlin Clark pushes back on ‘narratives’ about back injury INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever became something much bigger over the last week.On Wednesday, Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s game against the Fire with a back injury after not appearing on the injury report. In her pregame availability, head coach Stephanie White added to the confusion of Clark’s status and injury, noting that she did not practice the prior day and woke up with back soreness the morning of the game.Despite that, the team never indicated that she was dealing with a back injury before she was ruled out. The result was a warning from the league for failing to report Clark’s status leading up to the game.Because the noise is always louder around Clark as well — and because of how the Fever handled the situation — there was also plenty of discussion about whether Clark was actually hurt, if the team was managing her workload and, generally, what was going on.Clark, herself, cleared the air prior to Friday’s game against the Valkyries in a very impassioned media availability. She detailed her two days leading up to Wednesday’s game and the timeline of events that led to her being ruled out, including her working out on Wednesday in an attempt to play before ultimately deciding to sit out.“I woke up Wednesday, felt a little sore, texted our training staff, texted my personal physio,” Clark said. “I actually went back and looked – because of all these narratives that are going crazy online – about when I told my mom I wasn’t going to play the game: 4:47 [p.m.]. You guys found out at 5:20 [p.m.].“So, one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys.”Clark acknowledged that this wasn’t necessarily a one-off injury and that the back injury could linger as well. In the season opener against the Wings, Clark went to the tunnel during the game multiple times to get her back adjusted.“I mean, I think at this point maybe I’ll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said a little tongue-in-cheek in regards to the warning the team received. “My back feels good…But I hope it’s not something that hinders me. I think I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise. I’m continuing to lift. I’m continuing to get massages, hyperbaric [chamber], needling, every single thing I can possibly do after games and put myself in a position to play the next game and I feel really good.“It’s like I said, a lot of it is a mental challenge as well. Just continuing to trust my body and know I’m good to go as well.”Both Clark and White were clearly frustrated with the situation in their pregame availabilities. The latter was asked about her response to the team receiving a warning from the league and she gave a terse response.“My reaction is for what?,” White said.Asked why that was her reaction, White said it was because the team “did things the right way.”It was a combative approach from the team in response to a situation and controversy they created. Had Caitlin been on the injury report on Tuesday prior to the game or had it been updated on Wednesday leading up to the game, everything would have blown over as nothing more than a typical injury.Instead, the Fever’s lack of transparency created questions that didn’t need to exist and narratives, as Clark described them, that were baseless.The drama of it all also overshadowed some insightful and fascinating responses from Clark on mental health and her personal struggles with trusting her body and returning to the court after an injury-riddled second season. However, because of the necessity to finally get transparency on the matter, that was all pushed to the back burner.It would be an entirely different conversation if the Fever had offered more transparency by simply updating their injury report appropriately. In not doing so, a molehill became a mountain.In a league still relatively young and dealing with a star bigger than they’ve ever had before, it was a growing pain and a lesson unnecessarily learned the hard way. #Caitlin #Clark #pushes #narratives #injury")
Sports news
#Caitlin #Clark #pushes #narratives #injury">Caitlin Clark pushes back on ‘narratives’ about back injury
INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever became something much bigger over the last week.
On Wednesday, Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s game against the Fire with a back injury after not appearing on the injury report. In her pregame availability, head coach Stephanie White added to the confusion of Clark’s status and injury, noting that she did not practice the prior day and woke up with back soreness the morning of the game.
Despite that, the team never indicated that she was dealing with a back injury before she was ruled out. The result was a warning from the league for failing to report Clark’s status leading up to the game.
Because the noise is always louder around Clark as well — and because of how the Fever handled the situation — there was also plenty of discussion about whether Clark was actually hurt, if the team was managing her workload and, generally, what was going on.
Clark, herself, cleared the air prior to Friday’s game against the Valkyries in a very impassioned media availability. She detailed her two days leading up to Wednesday’s game and the timeline of events that led to her being ruled out, including her working out on Wednesday in an attempt to play before ultimately deciding to sit out.
“I woke up Wednesday, felt a little sore, texted our training staff, texted my personal physio,” Clark said. “I actually went back and looked – because of all these narratives that are going crazy online – about when I told my mom I wasn’t going to play the game: 4:47 [p.m.]. You guys found out at 5:20 [p.m.].
“So, one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys.”
Clark acknowledged that this wasn’t necessarily a one-off injury and that the back injury could linger as well. In the season opener against the Wings, Clark went to the tunnel during the game multiple times to get her back adjusted.
“I mean, I think at this point maybe I’ll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said a little tongue-in-cheek in regards to the warning the team received. “My back feels good…But I hope it’s not something that hinders me. I think I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise. I’m continuing to lift. I’m continuing to get massages, hyperbaric [chamber], needling, every single thing I can possibly do after games and put myself in a position to play the next game and I feel really good.
“It’s like I said, a lot of it is a mental challenge as well. Just continuing to trust my body and know I’m good to go as well.”
Both Clark and White were clearly frustrated with the situation in their pregame availabilities. The latter was asked about her response to the team receiving a warning from the league and she gave a terse response.
“My reaction is for what?,” White said.
Asked why that was her reaction, White said it was because the team “did things the right way.”
It was a combative approach from the team in response to a situation and controversy they created. Had Caitlin been on the injury report on Tuesday prior to the game or had it been updated on Wednesday leading up to the game, everything would have blown over as nothing more than a typical injury.
Instead, the Fever’s lack of transparency created questions that didn’t need to exist and narratives, as Clark described them, that were baseless.
The drama of it all also overshadowed some insightful and fascinating responses from Clark on mental health and her personal struggles with trusting her body and returning to the court after an injury-riddled second season. However, because of the necessity to finally get transparency on the matter, that was all pushed to the back burner.
It would be an entirely different conversation if the Fever had offered more transparency by simply updating their injury report appropriately. In not doing so, a molehill became a mountain.
In a league still relatively young and dealing with a star bigger than they’ve ever had before, it was a growing pain and a lesson unnecessarily learned the hard way.
INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever became something much bigger over the last week.
On Wednesday, Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s game against the Fire with a back injury after not appearing on the injury report. In her pregame availability, head coach Stephanie White added to the confusion of Clark’s status and injury, noting that she did not practice the prior day and woke up with back soreness the morning of the game.
Despite that, the team never indicated that she was dealing with a back injury before she was ruled out. The result was a warning from the league for failing to report Clark’s status leading up to the game.
Because the noise is always louder around Clark as well — and because of how the Fever handled the situation — there was also plenty of discussion about whether Clark was actually hurt, if the team was managing her workload and, generally, what was going on.
Clark, herself, cleared the air prior to Friday’s game against the Valkyries in a very impassioned media availability. She detailed her two days leading up to Wednesday’s game and the timeline of events that led to her being ruled out, including her working out on Wednesday in an attempt to play before ultimately deciding to sit out.
“I woke up Wednesday, felt a little sore, texted our training staff, texted my personal physio,” Clark said. “I actually went back and looked – because of all these narratives that are going crazy online – about when I told my mom I wasn’t going to play the game: 4:47 [p.m.]. You guys found out at 5:20 [p.m.].
“So, one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys.”
Clark acknowledged that this wasn’t necessarily a one-off injury and that the back injury could linger as well. In the season opener against the Wings, Clark went to the tunnel during the game multiple times to get her back adjusted.
“I mean, I think at this point maybe I’ll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said a little tongue-in-cheek in regards to the warning the team received. “My back feels good…But I hope it’s not something that hinders me. I think I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise. I’m continuing to lift. I’m continuing to get massages, hyperbaric [chamber], needling, every single thing I can possibly do after games and put myself in a position to play the next game and I feel really good.
“It’s like I said, a lot of it is a mental challenge as well. Just continuing to trust my body and know I’m good to go as well.”
Both Clark and White were clearly frustrated with the situation in their pregame availabilities. The latter was asked about her response to the team receiving a warning from the league and she gave a terse response.
“My reaction is for what?,” White said.
Asked why that was her reaction, White said it was because the team “did things the right way.”
It was a combative approach from the team in response to a situation and controversy they created. Had Caitlin been on the injury report on Tuesday prior to the game or had it been updated on Wednesday leading up to the game, everything would have blown over as nothing more than a typical injury.
Instead, the Fever’s lack of transparency created questions that didn’t need to exist and narratives, as Clark described them, that were baseless.
The drama of it all also overshadowed some insightful and fascinating responses from Clark on mental health and her personal struggles with trusting her body and returning to the court after an injury-riddled second season. However, because of the necessity to finally get transparency on the matter, that was all pushed to the back burner.
It would be an entirely different conversation if the Fever had offered more transparency by simply updating their injury report appropriately. In not doing so, a molehill became a mountain.
In a league still relatively young and dealing with a star bigger than they’ve ever had before, it was a growing pain and a lesson unnecessarily learned the hard way.
INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever became something much bigger over the last week.
On Wednesday, Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s game against the Fire with a back injury after not appearing on the injury report. In her pregame availability, head coach Stephanie White added to the confusion of Clark’s status and injury, noting that she did not practice the prior day and woke up with back soreness the morning of the game.
Despite that, the team never indicated that she was dealing with a back injury before she was ruled out. The result was a warning from the league for failing to report Clark’s status leading up to the game.
Because the noise is always louder around Clark as well — and because of how the Fever handled the situation — there was also plenty of discussion about whether Clark was actually hurt, if the team was managing her workload and, generally, what was going on.
Clark, herself, cleared the air prior to Friday’s game against the Valkyries in a very impassioned media availability. She detailed her two days leading up to Wednesday’s game and the timeline of events that led to her being ruled out, including her working out on Wednesday in an attempt to play before ultimately deciding to sit out.
“I woke up Wednesday, felt a little sore, texted our training staff, texted my personal physio,” Clark said. “I actually went back and looked – because of all these narratives that are going crazy online – about when I told my mom I wasn’t going to play the game: 4:47 [p.m.]. You guys found out at 5:20 [p.m.].
“So, one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys.”
Clark acknowledged that this wasn’t necessarily a one-off injury and that the back injury could linger as well. In the season opener against the Wings, Clark went to the tunnel during the game multiple times to get her back adjusted.
“I mean, I think at this point maybe I’ll need to be listed as soreness on every injury report,” Clark said a little tongue-in-cheek in regards to the warning the team received. “My back feels good…But I hope it’s not something that hinders me. I think I’m doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise. I’m continuing to lift. I’m continuing to get massages, hyperbaric [chamber], needling, every single thing I can possibly do after games and put myself in a position to play the next game and I feel really good.
“It’s like I said, a lot of it is a mental challenge as well. Just continuing to trust my body and know I’m good to go as well.”
Both Clark and White were clearly frustrated with the situation in their pregame availabilities. The latter was asked about her response to the team receiving a warning from the league and she gave a terse response.
“My reaction is for what?,” White said.
Asked why that was her reaction, White said it was because the team “did things the right way.”
It was a combative approach from the team in response to a situation and controversy they created. Had Caitlin been on the injury report on Tuesday prior to the game or had it been updated on Wednesday leading up to the game, everything would have blown over as nothing more than a typical injury.
Instead, the Fever’s lack of transparency created questions that didn’t need to exist and narratives, as Clark described them, that were baseless.
The drama of it all also overshadowed some insightful and fascinating responses from Clark on mental health and her personal struggles with trusting her body and returning to the court after an injury-riddled second season. However, because of the necessity to finally get transparency on the matter, that was all pushed to the back burner.
It would be an entirely different conversation if the Fever had offered more transparency by simply updating their injury report appropriately. In not doing so, a molehill became a mountain.
In a league still relatively young and dealing with a star bigger than they’ve ever had before, it was a growing pain and a lesson unnecessarily learned the hard way.
INDIANAPOLIS — What should have been a straightforward situation for Caitlin Clark in the Fever…
That’s in large part due to league expansion; with the addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo this season, the league has a record 15 teams. And, alongside 12 standard roster spots, each team has two developmental player slots, as agreed upon in the latest CBA.
Still, with an influx of overseas talent coming to the WNBA in addition to droves of elite college players, holding on to a roster spot remains difficult for those who are on the fringe. As such, even two weeks into the season, good players are getting waived every day.
Since Monday, three players have been waived: Grace Vanslooten by the Seattle Storm, Ashten Prechtel by the Golden State Valkyries, and Aubrey Griffin by the New York Liberty. Vanslooter was a 2026 third-round pick after a standout career at Notre Dame. Prechtel was a 2023 third-round pick who won an NCAA championship with Stanford. And, Griffin was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of UConn.
Before those three cuts, the Phoenix Mercury waived Anneli Maley and Peyton Williams, the Connecticut Sun waived Shey Peddy, and the Portland Fire waived Jordan Harrison.
Sometimes, these cuts are expected: players signed hardship contracts in the wake of injuries and knew that their tenures would likely be temporary. Other times, cuts seemingly come out of left field; Kate Martin, who was waived by the Valkyries after training camp (and after being a rotation player for the team last season) is an example.
And, getting cut isn’t always a death sentence. There’s a long list of players who were waived by a WNBA team, only to eventually blossom elsewhere. That list includes Veronica Burton, who was waived by the Dallas Wings two years ago before becoming an elite two-way point guard for the Valkyries last season. It also includes veteran players like Erica Wheeler and Alysha Clark, who were cut early in their careers. That didn’t stop either: Wheeler has played 11 seasons, and Clark has played 14. Both are some of the league’s most established vets.
Players who get cut might look to go overseas in the meantime, or they might try to find a home elsewhere (Hailey Van Lith was recently cut by the Chicago Sky, and immediately joined the Connecticut Sun).
For some, it’s the end of the road. For others, it’s just the beginning.
That’s in large part due to league expansion; with the addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo this season, the league has a record 15 teams. And, alongside 12 standard roster spots, each team has two developmental player slots, as agreed upon in the latest CBA.
Still, with an influx of overseas talent coming to the WNBA in addition to droves of elite college players, holding on to a roster spot remains difficult for those who are on the fringe. As such, even two weeks into the season, good players are getting waived every day.
Since Monday, three players have been waived: Grace Vanslooten by the Seattle Storm, Ashten Prechtel by the Golden State Valkyries, and Aubrey Griffin by the New York Liberty. Vanslooter was a 2026 third-round pick after a standout career at Notre Dame. Prechtel was a 2023 third-round pick who won an NCAA championship with Stanford. And, Griffin was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of UConn.
Before those three cuts, the Phoenix Mercury waived Anneli Maley and Peyton Williams, the Connecticut Sun waived Shey Peddy, and the Portland Fire waived Jordan Harrison.
Sometimes, these cuts are expected: players signed hardship contracts in the wake of injuries and knew that their tenures would likely be temporary. Other times, cuts seemingly come out of left field; Kate Martin, who was waived by the Valkyries after training camp (and after being a rotation player for the team last season) is an example.
And, getting cut isn’t always a death sentence. There’s a long list of players who were waived by a WNBA team, only to eventually blossom elsewhere. That list includes Veronica Burton, who was waived by the Dallas Wings two years ago before becoming an elite two-way point guard for the Valkyries last season. It also includes veteran players like Erica Wheeler and Alysha Clark, who were cut early in their careers. That didn’t stop either: Wheeler has played 11 seasons, and Clark has played 14. Both are some of the league’s most established vets.
Players who get cut might look to go overseas in the meantime, or they might try to find a home elsewhere (Hailey Van Lith was recently cut by the Chicago Sky, and immediately joined the Connecticut Sun).
For some, it’s the end of the road. For others, it’s just the beginning.
There are more roster spots in the WNBA than ever before — more than 200, to be exact.
That’s in large part due to league expansion; with the addition of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo this season, the league has a record 15 teams. And, alongside 12 standard roster spots, each team has two developmental player slots, as agreed upon in the latest CBA.
Still, with an influx of overseas talent coming to the WNBA in addition to droves of elite college players, holding on to a roster spot remains difficult for those who are on the fringe. As such, even two weeks into the season, good players are getting waived every day.
Since Monday, three players have been waived: Grace Vanslooten by the Seattle Storm, Ashten Prechtel by the Golden State Valkyries, and Aubrey Griffin by the New York Liberty. Vanslooter was a 2026 third-round pick after a standout career at Notre Dame. Prechtel was a 2023 third-round pick who won an NCAA championship with Stanford. And, Griffin was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of UConn.
Before those three cuts, the Phoenix Mercury waived Anneli Maley and Peyton Williams, the Connecticut Sun waived Shey Peddy, and the Portland Fire waived Jordan Harrison.
Sometimes, these cuts are expected: players signed hardship contracts in the wake of injuries and knew that their tenures would likely be temporary. Other times, cuts seemingly come out of left field; Kate Martin, who was waived by the Valkyries after training camp (and after being a rotation player for the team last season) is an example.
And, getting cut isn’t always a death sentence. There’s a long list of players who were waived by a WNBA team, only to eventually blossom elsewhere. That list includes Veronica Burton, who was waived by the Dallas Wings two years ago before becoming an elite two-way point guard for the Valkyries last season. It also includes veteran players like Erica Wheeler and Alysha Clark, who were cut early in their careers. That didn’t stop either: Wheeler has played 11 seasons, and Clark has played 14. Both are some of the league’s most established vets.
Players who get cut might look to go overseas in the meantime, or they might try to find a home elsewhere (Hailey Van Lith was recently cut by the Chicago Sky, and immediately joined the Connecticut Sun).
For some, it’s the end of the road. For others, it’s just the beginning.
There are more roster spots in the WNBA than ever before — more than 200,…
![Caitlin Clark out for Fever with back injury, team not managing her workload For the first time this season, the Fever will be without Caitlin Clark on Wednesday after the star guard was a late scratch due to a back injury.According to head coach Stephanie White, Clark woke up on Wednesday with back stiffness. After going through a workout, the Fever opted not to risk it and ruled her out. However, eyebrow-raiser, White later said that Clark did not participate in practice on Tuesday and received treatment instead, which raises questions about the timeline of events.“Just woke up with some stiffness and some soreness,” White said. “Like we always say, how do you respond after a workout? For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”Last year’s Fever side was far more familiar with not having Clark available after she played just 13 games due to multiple injuries. However, White said pregame that this is not a matter of the team managing Clark’s workload but, instead, this is a legitimate injury.“No, absolutely not. There’s no managing,” White said. “She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”While Clark had not been listed on any injury report with a back issue, it is not a new injury that has popped up. In the opening game of the season, Clark went into the tunnel on multiple occasions to get her back readjusted.At the same time, Clark has also repeatedly said her body has felt fine throughout this season, after a 2025 season that never really got off the ground.“I feel good,” Clark said after the recent loss to the Mystics. “Obviously, I’m sore, as is everybody. And we have one day in-between [games], so that’ll be my focus tonight.”Clark has been available for a particularly busy stretch to open the season. She played all three games in a five-day span against the Sparks, Mystics and Storm, the first of those on the road. In fact, Wednesday’s game is the fourth in eight days with the Fever playing again on Friday before having six days off.In theory, it would make sense that the Fever are limiting her minutes and workload this season after an injury-riddled sophomore campaign. In signing a number of guards and largely limiting her minutes this season, signs would point to the team making sure her body doesn’t break down again.Except for the messaging from the team, at least for now.“Don’t anticipate [ongoing issues],” White said, “but you know I’m not a doctor.” #Caitlin #Clark #Fever #injury #team #managing #workload](https://i3.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2276603932.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C15.095986038394%2C100%2C69.808027923211&w=1200&ssl=1 "Caitlin Clark out for Fever with back injury, team not managing her workload For the first time this season, the Fever will be without Caitlin Clark on Wednesday after the star guard was a late scratch due to a back injury.According to head coach Stephanie White, Clark woke up on Wednesday with back stiffness. After going through a workout, the Fever opted not to risk it and ruled her out. However, eyebrow-raiser, White later said that Clark did not participate in practice on Tuesday and received treatment instead, which raises questions about the timeline of events.“Just woke up with some stiffness and some soreness,” White said. “Like we always say, how do you respond after a workout? For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”Last year’s Fever side was far more familiar with not having Clark available after she played just 13 games due to multiple injuries. However, White said pregame that this is not a matter of the team managing Clark’s workload but, instead, this is a legitimate injury.“No, absolutely not. There’s no managing,” White said. “She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”While Clark had not been listed on any injury report with a back issue, it is not a new injury that has popped up. In the opening game of the season, Clark went into the tunnel on multiple occasions to get her back readjusted.At the same time, Clark has also repeatedly said her body has felt fine throughout this season, after a 2025 season that never really got off the ground.“I feel good,” Clark said after the recent loss to the Mystics. “Obviously, I’m sore, as is everybody. And we have one day in-between [games], so that’ll be my focus tonight.”Clark has been available for a particularly busy stretch to open the season. She played all three games in a five-day span against the Sparks, Mystics and Storm, the first of those on the road. In fact, Wednesday’s game is the fourth in eight days with the Fever playing again on Friday before having six days off.In theory, it would make sense that the Fever are limiting her minutes and workload this season after an injury-riddled sophomore campaign. In signing a number of guards and largely limiting her minutes this season, signs would point to the team making sure her body doesn’t break down again.Except for the messaging from the team, at least for now.“Don’t anticipate [ongoing issues],” White said, “but you know I’m not a doctor.” #Caitlin #Clark #Fever #injury #team #managing #workload")
![Caitlin Clark’s fourth quarter heroics nearly lead Fever to win INDIANAPOLIS — For three quarters of Friday’s game against the Mystics, Caitlin Clark could hardly hit a shot. In the fourth quarter, she could hardly miss.Clark scored 17 of her 32 points, including five 3-pointers, in a wild final frame of regulation and dragged the Fever back into a game against the Mystics they looked set to lose. Her fifth 3-pointer was the biggest of the night as it forced overtime in the waning seconds.Even though Clark’s heroics would not be enough as the Fever fell to Washington in the extra session in one of the best finishes of the young WNBA season, it still highlighted just how quickly things can change with Clark on the floor.“I felt like I could have made another like five [threes],” Clark said postgame. “They’re all like right there and, obviously, it’s great to break through and get some to go down.”Clark hit a pair of threes on successive possessions midway through the first quarter. As it would turn out, those would be her only two makes through the first three periods.Clark was an ice cold 2-15 from the field and 2-7 from three heading into the fourth, mirroring the Fever’s offensive struggles as team as they were shooting just 32.8% from the field in that span.But back-to-back threes from Clark in the first 90 seconds of the fourth were a precursor of what was to come in the final 10 minutes.Clark scored or assisted on 11 of the first 12 points of the period. The only point she didn’t directly create was a Monique Billings free throw…which came on a foul after a Clark pass. She would go on to assist or score on 18 of the first 21 points for the Fever as they pulled themselves back into the game.Her third three gave the Fever a short-lived 70-69 lead. By the time she connected on her fourth three, the Fever trailed by four with just over 90 seconds left. That deficit grew to eight with 51 seconds left, leaving Indiana in need of a miracle.After a Myisha Hines-Allen layup, a Mystics turnover led to a Kelsey Mitchell 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to just three. The two teams traded free throws, leaving the Fever down three with 5.1 seconds left.A great play design from Indiana head coach Stephanie White created just enough room for Clark to get off a shot as she drifted out-of-bounds. It was all the space she would need as the shot found nylon, tying the game with 1.7 seconds left.“That’s like the hardest thing as a basketball player is when you’re not making shots to really stay in it,” Clark said. “So I’m certainly proud of myself. Really, really battled.”The Fever were given one more scare in the wild fourth quarter as Sonia Citron’s half-court heave swished through the net, but it came after the buzzer, sending the sides to overtime.Unfortunately, all those heroics to force the extra session were for naught as the Mystics responded again, building a multi-possession lead in the closing minutes. Again, though, they left the door open as missed free throws and a timely 3-pointer from Lexie Hull gave Indiana a chance in the final seconds.However, a desperation shot from Mitchell fell short at the buzzer, allowing Washington to escape with a dramatic win.For the Fever, as much as they can take away from their fight in the fourth and overtime, it was the middle quarters that were the most costly. Indiana shot 10-42 in the second and third periods, including 3-19 from range.“If we don’t have three clunky quarters, we don’t force ourselves into basketball heroics,“ Clark said. ”We don’t want to play that way. Like I know it’s exciting for the crowd, but we should have had ourselves in a position, especially after the first quarter, to control this ballgame and we really didn’t.”Friday was the second time in three games the Fever have eclipsed 100 points. Ironically, they have lost both of those contests, a sign of both how great this team can be offensively and how much work they still have on the other end.“We put a lot of pressure on our offense to be perfect when we don’t consistently defend,” head coach Stephanie White said. “Again, this is on us as coaches. This is our responsibility. We’ve got to be disciplined the entire game. We’ve got to be disciplined every possession. We’re taking chances. We’re fouling shooters who are about to shoot tough shots. We’ve got breakdowns in coverages. We’ve got to find combinations of players and rotations that’s net efficiency can be good.“We can’t wait to play defense in situations where we feel good and we’re making shots. It seems like we’re making shots and everything’s flowing and we’ve got energy on the defensive end, and when we’re not, we don’t. It’s got to be the other way around. The energy has to be dictated on that end of the floor and that’s a mindset.”As dramatic and exciting as Friday’s fourth quarter was, the game as a whole highlighted where the Fever need to grow. No team wants to have to rely on “basketball heroics” to potentially win a game.But it was also a sign of just how special Clark can be and how quickly she can deliver those heroics to try to save the Fever from defeat. #Caitlin #Clarks #fourth #quarter #heroics #lead #Fever #win](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2275874262.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "Caitlin Clark’s fourth quarter heroics nearly lead Fever to win INDIANAPOLIS — For three quarters of Friday’s game against the Mystics, Caitlin Clark could hardly hit a shot. In the fourth quarter, she could hardly miss.Clark scored 17 of her 32 points, including five 3-pointers, in a wild final frame of regulation and dragged the Fever back into a game against the Mystics they looked set to lose. Her fifth 3-pointer was the biggest of the night as it forced overtime in the waning seconds.Even though Clark’s heroics would not be enough as the Fever fell to Washington in the extra session in one of the best finishes of the young WNBA season, it still highlighted just how quickly things can change with Clark on the floor.“I felt like I could have made another like five [threes],” Clark said postgame. “They’re all like right there and, obviously, it’s great to break through and get some to go down.”Clark hit a pair of threes on successive possessions midway through the first quarter. As it would turn out, those would be her only two makes through the first three periods.Clark was an ice cold 2-15 from the field and 2-7 from three heading into the fourth, mirroring the Fever’s offensive struggles as team as they were shooting just 32.8% from the field in that span.But back-to-back threes from Clark in the first 90 seconds of the fourth were a precursor of what was to come in the final 10 minutes.Clark scored or assisted on 11 of the first 12 points of the period. The only point she didn’t directly create was a Monique Billings free throw…which came on a foul after a Clark pass. She would go on to assist or score on 18 of the first 21 points for the Fever as they pulled themselves back into the game.Her third three gave the Fever a short-lived 70-69 lead. By the time she connected on her fourth three, the Fever trailed by four with just over 90 seconds left. That deficit grew to eight with 51 seconds left, leaving Indiana in need of a miracle.After a Myisha Hines-Allen layup, a Mystics turnover led to a Kelsey Mitchell 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to just three. The two teams traded free throws, leaving the Fever down three with 5.1 seconds left.A great play design from Indiana head coach Stephanie White created just enough room for Clark to get off a shot as she drifted out-of-bounds. It was all the space she would need as the shot found nylon, tying the game with 1.7 seconds left.“That’s like the hardest thing as a basketball player is when you’re not making shots to really stay in it,” Clark said. “So I’m certainly proud of myself. Really, really battled.”The Fever were given one more scare in the wild fourth quarter as Sonia Citron’s half-court heave swished through the net, but it came after the buzzer, sending the sides to overtime.Unfortunately, all those heroics to force the extra session were for naught as the Mystics responded again, building a multi-possession lead in the closing minutes. Again, though, they left the door open as missed free throws and a timely 3-pointer from Lexie Hull gave Indiana a chance in the final seconds.However, a desperation shot from Mitchell fell short at the buzzer, allowing Washington to escape with a dramatic win.For the Fever, as much as they can take away from their fight in the fourth and overtime, it was the middle quarters that were the most costly. Indiana shot 10-42 in the second and third periods, including 3-19 from range.“If we don’t have three clunky quarters, we don’t force ourselves into basketball heroics,“ Clark said. ”We don’t want to play that way. Like I know it’s exciting for the crowd, but we should have had ourselves in a position, especially after the first quarter, to control this ballgame and we really didn’t.”Friday was the second time in three games the Fever have eclipsed 100 points. Ironically, they have lost both of those contests, a sign of both how great this team can be offensively and how much work they still have on the other end.“We put a lot of pressure on our offense to be perfect when we don’t consistently defend,” head coach Stephanie White said. “Again, this is on us as coaches. This is our responsibility. We’ve got to be disciplined the entire game. We’ve got to be disciplined every possession. We’re taking chances. We’re fouling shooters who are about to shoot tough shots. We’ve got breakdowns in coverages. We’ve got to find combinations of players and rotations that’s net efficiency can be good.“We can’t wait to play defense in situations where we feel good and we’re making shots. It seems like we’re making shots and everything’s flowing and we’ve got energy on the defensive end, and when we’re not, we don’t. It’s got to be the other way around. The energy has to be dictated on that end of the floor and that’s a mindset.”As dramatic and exciting as Friday’s fourth quarter was, the game as a whole highlighted where the Fever need to grow. No team wants to have to rely on “basketball heroics” to potentially win a game.But it was also a sign of just how special Clark can be and how quickly she can deliver those heroics to try to save the Fever from defeat. #Caitlin #Clarks #fourth #quarter #heroics #lead #Fever #win")
