u/elleten10

The break is upon us! It's World Cup season! I made a list of all the active WNBA players who are on different World Cup rosters, in case anyone else is interested in watching their favourite players on their countries' teams. I only included anyone on a W roster right now (DPs included) and used FIBA's roster tracker to confirm. There's at least one active W player on every roster except Puerto Rico's and every W team has at least one player on a World Cup roster! Let me know if I missed anyone.

NAME	W TEAM	CUP TEAM
Isobel Borlase	Atlanta	Australia
Alanna Smith	Dallas	Australia
Miela Sowah	Golden State	Australia
Steph Talbot	Las Vegas	Australia
Chloe Bibby	Minnesota	Australia
Ezi Magbegor	Seattle	Australia
Jade Melbourne	Seattle	Australia
Antonia Delaere	Minnesota	Belgium
Kyara Linskens	Phoenix	Belgium
Julie Allemand	Toronto	Belgium
Li Yueru	Dallas	China
Han Xu	New York	China
Eliska Joklova	Minnesota	Czechia
Leila Lacan	Connecticut	France
Gabby Williams	Golden State	France
Janelle Salaun	Golden State	France
Marine Johannes	New York	France
Pauline Astier	New York	France
Valeriane Ayayi	Phoenix	France
Carla Leite	Portland	France
Dominique Malonga	Seattle	France
Leonie Fiebich	New York	Germany
Frieda Buhner	Portland	Germany
Luisa Geiselsoder	Portland	Germany
Nyara Sabally	Toronto	Germany
Dorka Juhasz	Minnesota	Hungary
Costanza Verona	Dallas	Italy
Cecilia Zandalasini	Golden State	Italy
Mai Yamamoto	Las Vegas	Japan
Jihyun Park	Los Angeles	Korea
Sika Kone	Atlanta	Mali
Aicha Coulibaly	Chicago	Mali
Elizabeth Balogun	New York	Nigeria
Amy Okonkwo	Portland	Nigeria
Raquel Carrera	New York	Spain
Megan DiLeo	Portland	Spain
Awa Fam	Seattle	Spain
Maria Conde	Toronto	Spain
Alicia Florez	Washington	Spain
Kennedy Burke	Connecticut	Turkiye
Angel Reese	Atlanta	USA
Rhyne Howard	Atlanta	USA
Paige Bueckers	Dallas	USA
Aliyah Boston	Indiana	USA
Caitlin Clark	Indiana	USA
Chelsea Gray	Las Vegas	USA
Jackie Young	Las Vegas	USA
Napheesa Collier	Minnesota	USA
Breanna Stewart	New York	USA
Kahleah Copper	Phoenix	USA
Kiki Iriafen	Washington	USA
Sonia Citron	Washington	USA

The ESPN documentary that follows A’ja, Napheesa, and DeWanna just premiered 10 minutes ago on ESPN in the States. Does anyone know how to watch it in Canada? Doesn’t seem to be on TSN or Disney+.

Oh hello! I made a post last year looking at how many draftees made it to rosters in the last 2 years and was very curious to look at the numbers this year with the roster expansion. I come bearing some stats, in the hopes that they will also interest others!

Couple of housekeeping notes:

• The team folks are listed with is the team they are playing with, not necessarily who drafted them.
• For the purposes of this list, I am using whoever is on a roster today (May 9)--not necessarily who teams listed on social as their opening roster. That gives players who were cut on the final roster cut-down day 2 days to clear waivers or be picked up by someone else. Basically, I’m counting Aaliyah Nye here and not Holly Winterburn :/

In 2026:

• All first-rounders who came to the W (14) are on rosters: Taina Mair (14, Storm) is in the developmental pool. Iyana Martin (7, Fire) is not coming over this season.
• The highest pick that was waived (and not subsequently picked up again) was Latasha Lattimore (21, Sky)
• The lowest pick to make an opening-day roster is Grace VanSlooten (39, Storm).
• Of the 15 second-round picks, 12 are on rosters (italics = developmental pool): Marta Suarez (16, Mercury), Frieda Buhner (17, Fire), Charlisse Leger-Walker (18, Sun), Cassandre Prosper (19, Mystics), Ta’Niya Latson (20, Sparks), Teonni Key (22, Tempo), Ashlon Jackson (23, Sun), Chance Gray (24, Sparks), Justine Pissott (25, Fever), Indya Nivar (28, Dream), Janiah Barker (29, Aces), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (30, Mystics). 2 picks (Saffron Shiels at 26 to Tempo and Ines Pitarch-Granel at 27 to Mercury) did not come over this season. Latasha Lattimore (21, Sky) was waived.
• Of the 15 third-round picks, 3 are on rosters: Serah Williams (33, Fire), Rori Harmon (34, Mystics), Grace VanSlooten (39, Storm). 5 did not come to the W this season: Charlisse Dunn (36, Tempo), Kokoro Tanaka (38, Valkyries), Manuela Puoch (41, Liberty), Eszter Ratkai (42, Mercury), Kejia Ran (43, Dream). 7 were waived.
• In total, 29 of 45 draft picks are on rosters. That’s 64.4% after 52.6% made it last year.

Looking back at the last two years of draft picks, there were 20 of 38 draft picks from 2025 on rosters last year. This year, the following 22 players are on rosters:

• 11/12 first-rounders. Ajsa Sivka (10, Sky) has not come over yet.
• 8/13 second-rounders: Aaliyah Nye (13, Dream), Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (15, Lynx), Maddy Westbeld (16, Sky), Te-Hina Paopao (18, Dream), Makayla Timpson (19, Fever), Sania Feagin (21, Sparks), Aicha Coulibaly (22, Sky), Lucy Olsen (23, Mystics). Of the remaining 5, 3 were at training camp this year but were waived. 
• 3/13 third-rounders: JJ Quinerly (27, Wings), Liatu King (28, Lynx), Kaitlyn Chen (30, Valkyries). Of the remaining 10, 1 has not come over yet (Adja Kane, 38) and 4 others were at training camp but waived. As of my writing this, Aubrey Griffin (37) is on a hardship contract with the Liberty. Yvonne Ejim (33) had her rights picked up but suspended for the season by the Tempo.

In 2024, only 13 of 36 picks made opening-day rosters (36.1%). A slightly different group of 13 players from that draft class made opening-day rosters in 2025. A new slightly different group of 12 players has made 2026 opening-day rosters, with a 13th (Nika Muhl, 14th pick) out for the season. That group of 12 that remains is composed of 10/12 first-round picks (all but Alissa Pili and Marquesha Davis) plus Isobel Borlase (20, 2nd round), and Mackenzie Holmes (26, 3rd round). Kate Martin (18) and Ashley Owusu (33) were at camp but waived.

That means that from the last 3 draft classes:

• 35 of 39 first-rounders are on rosters (89.74%)
• 21 of 40 second-rounders are on rosters (52.5%)
• 7 of 40 third-rounders are on rosters (17.5%)

My big takeaway? Great to see how solid the first-rounders have been in the last 3 years but also amazing that over half of the second-rounders are in–and way over half if you just look at the last 2 years of classes.