Associated Press
Unrivaled announced the first trade in the new league’s history Saturday night with a three-way deal.
Natasha Cloud was sent from the Laces BC to the Lunar Owls and then subsequently to Phantom BC, which also got the final wild-card slot. The Lunar Owls received Courtney Williams.
Laces received Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes.
The six teams will begin play on Jan. 17 with games in Miami. The total salary pool for the 36 players is more than $8 million, with players also receiving equity in the league.
The teams were originally drafted last month with the main idea being that the squads would be as equal as possible.
The league added Katie Lou Samuelson to the 36-player roster on Friday, leaving one unfilled spot. Earlier in the week the fledgling league signed Cameron Brink to a multi-year deal. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft won’t be playing this season as she still is recovering from an ACL injury. The Lunar Owls have her rights.
She’ll continue her rehab and will also take part in marketing and other promotional opportunities throughout the season.
One player who won’t take the final wild-card spot is Caitlin Clark. The WNBA Rookie of the Year isn’t opposed to joining the league in the future.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
