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Monday night was the deadline for all 12 WNBA teams to submit their protected lists ahead of the Dec. 6 expansion draft.
The quick explainer is that the Valkyries can select up to 12 players in the draft, one from each team. Available players include anyone on a team’s active roster, draftees who have to play in the WNBA and even suspended players or those who have not officially retired whose rights still belong to a team. The Valkyries aren’t required to make 12 selections if, for example, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin would prefer to leave roster space available for free agency and the 2025 WNBA draft.
The Valkyries can select just one unrestricted free agent who is still eligible to be cored. This means players like Mercury center Brittney Griner, Dream center Tina Charles and Sun forward DeWanna Bonner are uneligible to be drafted by the Valkyries next week.
Most teams have about four players that are obvious non-negotiables to protect before it gets tricky. For the Sky, those four players are Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Elizabeth Williams and Michaela Oyenwere.
Chennedy Carter led the Sky in scoring this season, averaging 17.5 points per game. Protecting her comes down to her mental approach. New coach Tyler Marsh will have to determine whether or not Carter is someone he can get to buy into his system, which will require behavior detrimental to the team’s overall success to be left in 2024.
The WNBA opted not to make protected lists public — a decision that ultimately serves to shield teams from player blowback. Below are the Sun-Times predictions for who each team may protect.
Sky:
Angel ReeseKamilla CardosoElizabeth WilliamsMichaela OnyenwereChennedy CarterRachel Banham
Fever:
Caitlin ClarkAliyah BostonNaLyssa SmithKelsey MitchellTemi FagbenleLexie Hull
Mercury:
Kahleah CopperNatasha CloudSophie CunninghamRebecca AllenDiana TaurasiNatasha Mack
Liberty:
Breanna StewartSabrina IonescuJonquel JonesNyara SaballyLeonie FiebichBetnijah Laney-Hamilton
Storm:
Jewell LoydSkylar Diggins-SmithGabby WilliamsEzi MagbegorJordon HorstonNika Mühl
Lynx:
Napheesa CollierKayla McBrideCourtney WilliamsAlanna SmithBridget CarletonDiamond Miller
Sun:
Marina MabreyAlyssa ThomasDiJonai CarringtonOlivia Nelson-OdodaLeila LacanTyasha Harris
Wings:
Arike OgunbowaleTeira McCowanSatou SaballyMaddy SiegristJacy SheldonCarla Leite
Aces:
A’ja WilsonKelsey PlumChelsea GrayJackie YoungAlysha ClarkKate Martin
Sparks:
Dearica HambyAzurá StevensRae BurrellJulie AllemandCameron BrinkRickea Jackson
Mystics:
Brittney SykesAriel AtkinsJade MelbourneShakira AustinAaliyah EdwardsElena Delle Donne
Dream:
Jordin CanadaAllisha GrayRhyne HowardNaz HillmonNyadiew PuochIsobel Borlase
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