The Fever have kicked off their pre-season in scorching manner. While the offseason acquisitions sure look exciting, seeing the puzzle pieces fit together will surely delight GM Amber Cox. Having put up strong showings in their first two preseason games, the Fever are looking to solidify themselves as contenders early on. While their start might appear spotless, Cheryl Swoops has pointed out a stain.
Stephanie White was undoubtedly expected to have a hard time finalizing her roster. It is, in fact, a brand new squad with seven players joining the ranks. After the Fever waived Jillian Alleyne & Bree Hall following Clark’s historic homecoming game, Coach White expressed her dislike for cuts. “It’s always hard, I mean this is the worst part of the job” she said. “You know I think we always wish there were more roster spots so that you know we can have some of those development positions, but but we also know it’s part of it and it sucks.” Although Stephanie points out an age-old problem of the league with the lack of roster spots, this one might actually be on her.
Talking on The Women’s Hoops Show, Cheryl Swoops shared her confusion with how Stephanie handled Fever’s opener against the Mystics. While Fever fans reveled in a solid performance from Sophie Cunningham, Cheryl served a reminder. The preseason ain’t for the stars. “When I think about preseason, it really isn’t so much for your players that you know are returning, the players that you know are going to make the team, but it’s more about, I’m not sure about this particular player. Let me get her in a real life game situation and see how she handles that.”
Calling Fever’s coach out for her mismanagement of the game, Cheryl went on, “Sophie Cunningham and Lexi Hull, they’ve been in the league for a while. You actually had players who, like Bree Hall, why wasn’t she in that game per se? If you’re still trying to figure out who’s going to make the team, who you’re going to cut.”
Although Swoops’ criticism made complete sense, we must cut Stephanie White some slack. Especially considering the expectations on this squad. Already being considered amongst the top 3 contenders for the title this season, Stephanie is under considerable pressure. With the WNBA having only 40 regular-season games, the regular season can often go by in a whiff.
In this case, it becomes paramount to have your rotations sorted out by the time the season begins, and that ought to be what Stephanie and every other contender are focusing on. And while the league will be subjected to some harsh cuts during the month of May, it is important to note this isn’t the end of the road.
What does the future of waived Fever players look like?
The cuts with respect Bree Hall and Jillian Alleyne were only the first of such waves, as the regular season roster must be finalized before the opening game. While there is still hope for the two to make it onto a roster, Hall might be looking to hurry due to the possibility of a contract termination looming.
After being selected by the Indiana Fever in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bree Hall signed a rookie-scale contract with the franchise. Hall was set to earn a total of $217,640 over the life of the contract, with an average annual salary of $72,547. If she does not get claimed within 48 hours of the Fever waiving her, the contract will get terminated, making her a free agent.
While the possibility of securing a spot would still remain, the paycheck won’t be the same as her rookie contract. Shyanne Sellers’ case is likely to bring hope. Shyanne, who shockingly got waived by Golden State before participating in even a single game, was picked up off the waivers by the Indiana Fever. This not only saved her contract from being terminated, she also got a potential roster spot.
For Jillian Alleyne, however, it will be back to fighting for a shot on the market. Signed to a non-standard training camp contract in March, Jillian knew it would be a long shot to get a chance in the league. Drafted to the WNBA in 2016, Alleyne most recently played the 2024-25 season with Turkey’s Tarsus Belediyesi Mersin, where she averaged 18.6 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
The future might appear grim, but this is only in the short run. With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement expected to bring bigger rosters, the league expects to put the heavy number of cuts in the past by softening salary caps. For now, the Fever has wished Hall and Alleyne the best for their future.
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