10 WNBA players waived ahead of 2024 season

We are one week away from the start of the 2024 WNBA season. Following an entertaining 2023 campaign, the 12 franchises are ready to fight for the championship this year, with 11 of them trying to dethrone the Las Vegas Aces.

The offseason has come to an end with teams starting their preseason games, and while we’re seeing the first steps of new players like Caitlin Clark with her new team, others are getting cut ahead of the season.

It’s common to see teams making difficult transactions before the regular season kicks off and this year hasn’t been the exception. With that said, we present the 10 WNBA players waived ahead of the 2024 season.

10 WNBA players waived ahead of 2024 season

10. Rennia Davis

Rennia Davis hasn’t had the best tenure in the WNBA, dealing with injuries that affected her development in the league. After stops with the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever, Davis signed a training camp with the Connecticut Sun back in February. She was waived on May 5 and now looks for a new team to leave the WNBA players waived group.

9. Leigha Brown

The former Nebraska and Michigan point guard was drafted last year as the No. 15 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. Brown landed in the league as a Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year, ready to make an impact with the pros. However, after playing 25 games last season with the Connecticut Sun, she was waived on Sunday after barely averaging 0.8 points per game.

8. Shey Peddy

Shey Peddy has spent six years in the WNBA with two teams, the Washington Mystics and the Phoenix Mercury. With 116 games under her belt, she’s one of the most experienced players on this list. She has averaged 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in her WNBA career.

But a couple of months after signing with the Connecticut Sun, Peddy was cut on May 5, ending her two-month tenure with the team.

7. Ashley Owusu

Ashley Owusu hasn’t made her debut in the league after she was selected as the No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 draft. The guard landed in the league with notable credentials, winning the Big Ten tournament MVP twice (2020 and 2021) and earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021.

But despite her 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in college, the Dallas Wings ended their partnership without her playing a single game.

6. Kamaria McDaniel

Kamaria McDaniel is one of the several players the current WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces waived in recent days. The 25-year-old guard signed a training camp deal with the team back in February. After posting 37.9 points per game in Turkey, she apparently couldn’t replicate those performances with the Aces, getting waived yesterday.

5. Taylor Mikesell

Taylor Mikesell is a curious case, as she posted big performances in college. She was selected by the Indiana Fever in 2023 as the No. 13 overall pick of the draft. After getting cut by Indy, she signed with the Atlanta Dream, playing in six games, averaging 2.8 points per game.

After being waived on July 23, Mikesell landed a training camp deal with the Los Angeles Sparks, who waived her again on May 6. Mikesell’s career hasn’t been easy and she’s been on and off in recent years.

4. Emma Cannon

Emma Cannon playing for the Indiana Fever
The 34-year-old power forward is also a seasoned veteran with a lot of experience in the WNBA. After going undrafted in 2011, Cannon knew how to earn a spot in the league and has played with multiple teams.

This year, she signed a training camp deal with the Dallas Wings, who waived her before their first preseason game against the Indiana Fever. In 79 games in the league, Cannon has posted 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

3. Desi-Rae Young

This is one of the most surprising moves of this offseason, as Desi-Rae Young did more than enough in college to be considered a solid player in the pros. In four years at UNLV, the center averaged 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.

After going undrafted in this year’s draft, she signed a training camp deal with the Phoenix Mercury before getting waived at the end of April.

2. Bria Hartley

Another surprising member of this list sits at No. 2, as Bria Hartley, a solid veteran guard, was let go by the Las Vegas Aces. Ever since she was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in 2014, Hartley has dealt with injuries that prevented her from playing more games and becoming a bigger figure in the league.

The nine-year veteran has played 202 games, averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game during stops with the Mystics, Liberty, Mercury, Fever and Sun, respectively.

1. Angel Jackson

This is the biggest shocker of this list, as Angel Jackson appeared to be ready to help the Las Vegas Aces retain their WNBA championship for a second consecutive season.

Jackson was selected by the Aces as the No. 36 in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Jackson State, being the only HBCU player picked in this draft. After averaging 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds in college, she was ready to make some noise with the defending champions, but it seems like her career will start somewhere else now.

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