nancy lieberman on caitlin clark is part of a larger shift already visible across the WNBA: 24 of the 30 available development player spots were filled early in the season. The new CBA created the roster slot, and teams have moved quickly to use it because it lets them carry extra players who can practice, travel and, in limited stretches, play in games.
Las Vegas and Toronto wait
Two teams still had not used any development contract spots: the Las Vegas Aces and the Toronto Tempo. Before a recent game, Becky Hammon said the Aces had tried to add development players, but the players they wanted had already found homes elsewhere.
That is the clearest sign of how fast the market moved. Teams that wanted extra depth did not just have a new mechanism on paper; they had to act before the available players were gone.
Sparks, Liberty and Sun moves
The Los Angeles Sparks have used Martin in five games, including 13 minutes against the Connecticut Sun when Los Angeles was on the second night of a back-to-back. The New York Liberty have activated Anneli Maley for two games. Development players are earning approximately $6,000, or the pro-rated minimum, for those active games.
The Connecticut Sun added another wrinkle when Leïla Lacan arrived in Connecticut. The team waived Hailey Van Lith and immediately brought her back as a development player. Washington’s Alicia Flórez might be trending toward becoming a success story on a developmental deal.
How the CBA works
Under the new structure, teams can sign two development players. Those players can take part in all training sessions and practices, travel with the team and be on the active roster for 12 games. Each team is allotted 24 development player games in total, and that limit does not reset if a team cuts a developmental player and signs a new one.
That gives coaches a real bench option when injuries and schedule crunches hit, while also keeping more players in the league instead of sending them out of the WNBA. The early numbers show the concept is not sitting unused. It is already being worked into rotations, and the Aces’ empty slots show how quickly the best fits can disappear.
