Rising talent faces tough reality as over half of rookies are cut
By DIEGO CERNA — sports@theaggie.org
On April 14, 2025, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) held its annual draft, which took place at The Shed in New York City. Guard Kaitlyn Chen was among the players drafted, as she was selected in the third round by the newly appointed Golden State Valkyries.
Chen had been one of the more notable rookies, as she became the first-ever Taiwanese-American player to be drafted into the WNBA. Chen won the 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship with the University of Connecticut Huskies. In the previous three years of her career, she won three Ivy League titles and three Most Outstanding Player of the Year awards in the Ivy League with Princeton.
Just a month later, on May 14, the Valkyries announced that they would cut Chen from making the final roster going into the WNBA season.
However, Chen isn’t the only rookie who was cut. In fact, over half the WNBA rookies who got drafted in New York have been waived within a month of getting drafted.
The WNBA is a competitive league to stay in as a player. Teams must keep a roster of 12 maximum players. The Golden State team has been the newest addition to the WNBA, establishing itself as the 13th team of the league, the first expansion team to be implemented since 2008.
Talented players like Chen often miss out on roster spots, not because they lack skill, but because there just isn’t enough room on teams.
Plans surrounding expansion have been an ongoing issue the WNBA has dealt with throughout its short 28-year lifespan. One of the reasons is due to financial difficulties in sustaining the league. While the league has been gaining traction in recent years from stars such as Center A’ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces and guard Caitlin Clark from the Indiana Fever, the league still incurs negative profits each year.
One of the easiest ways to address this is to pair newly added teams and cities with already formed National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. This allows both NBA and WNBA teams to use the same arena to lessen the cost of implementation. The WNBA has already started its expansion plan with The Valkyries, as they plan to share Chase Center with the Golden State Warriors.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has stated that new WNBA teams will be formed and most likely share arenas with the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers in 2026. Engelbert also hinted at adding a new team in 2028, making it a 16-team league by then.
Several other cities, including Detroit, Cleveland and Nashville, have expressed interest in bringing the WNBA to their cities.
Although expansion may be expensive, it could work as a solution to creating profit within the league. Expanding teams would most likely expand the previous 40-game regular season and an eight-team playoff bracket, increasing revenue from ticketing and broadcasting.
This 2025 season has already implemented a new record high 44-game schedule. The WNBA will look to utilize its growing popularity through star players, hopefully turning the tide for the league to grow and stay competitive in the long run.
Written by: Diego Cerna — sports@theaggie.org
