WNBA Roundup: Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle lock in rosters
By Mike Peden
One day remains before WNBA teams finalize their regular season rosters, but the Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm are apparently in no mood to procrastinate.
Seattle cuts O’Hea and O’Neill, Whitcomb makes the roster
On Thursday, Seattle waived Jenna O’Hea and Jennifer O’Neill, giving them a 12-player roster that meets the required threshold. The final roster features a 28-year-old rookie in Sami Whitcomb. Whitcomb had a stellar career in Washington, but when she turned pro in 2010, no team picked her up in the draft. Chicago signed her to a training camp contract that year, but she didn’t make the team.
Over the next several years, Whitcomb transformed into a powerhouse player in Australia. This past winter, she set WNBL single season records in scoring and three-point field goals.
In Seattle’s pair of preseason tilts with Phoenix, Whitcomb averaged 13.5 points with a field goal percentage of 50. She may not match those numbers in the regular season, but earning a spot on the Storm is itself a testament to her perseverance.
O’Hea, a wing from Australia, had considerable WNBA experience. She started her career with Los Angeles in 2011, spending three seasons there before moving to Seattle, where she logged another three years. Early in her WNBA tenure, O’Hea provided a perimeter threat off the bench, but she was unable to sustain her form in her time with the Storm. Last year, she hit a career-low 34.8 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three-point range.
Finding a roster has proven difficult for O’Neill. The point guard from Kentucky signed with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015, making the team as a training camp invite. She appeared in 13 games, but was later cut in the midst of Minnesota’s mid-season transition. O’Neill tried again with Connecticut last year, but failed to make the final roster.
Atlanta waives Marshall and Morris
Atlanta is also down to 12 players after releasing Tyaunna Marshall and Darxia Morris. Marshall was originally drafted by New York in 2014, but she has yet to appear on a regular season roster.
Morris is another journeyman. She had a brief stint with Los Angeles in 2014, playing in four games, but has not seen any WNBA action since.
Dallas roster in place
Following the dismissal of Erin Phillips, Dallas released its official roster for 2017. All five rookies are on the squad, including Evenlyn Ahkator, Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray, the trio of first-round draft picks.
Experience is limited for the Wings. The most tenured player is Courtney Paris, who enters her eighth season, followed by Karima Christmas-Kelly, who starts her seventh year.