Overview
- Ohemaa Nyanin, speaking at the team’s media day Tuesday, said the draft decision centered on salary-cap flexibility under the WNBA’s new labor deal and hinted at more moves within 48 hours.
- In the April 13 draft, Golden State took LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson at No. 8, then traded her rights to Seattle for the No. 16 pick and a future second, selected Marta Suárez at 16, and waived Suárez on Saturday.
- Nyanin tied the Suárez waiver to the CBA’s new developmental roster slots, which let teams carry up to two players who practice and travel with limited game activation, and she noted Suárez could be signed to one of those spots.
- Coverage indicates the front office likely explored another free agent, with first-round rookie deals now fully guaranteed by draft slot and more expensive than second-round contracts, which can tighten cap room.
- The final roster cutdown is Thursday ahead of a Friday season opener in Seattle, setting a near-term test of the team’s cap-and-development approach before the first tip.