After a whirlwind offseason, training camps opened across the WNBA on Sunday. Teams can now practice together and rookies, including No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, will hit the court with their new teams for the first time.
Over the next three weeks, teams will prepare for the season and finalize their rosters, which have to be set by May 7 ahead of opening night on May 8. As cuts begin to roll in and rosters take shape, CBS Sports will keep you up to date on the biggest moves.
Admin heard this clip was highly requested 😁 AZZI FOR THREEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/5JQ2ysx9jk
Here's a quick glossary on the different types of roster contracts:
The Dream brought back their entire core in free agency, traded for Angel Reese, drafted Madina Okot and convinced former first-round pick Isobel Borlase to come over to the WNBA out of the Women's National Basketball League. Their rotation is set, but there are a few open spots at the back-end of the roster, which is why they invited 19 players to camp. Notably, one of the camp invitees is Brionna Jones' sister, Stephanie.
The Sky completely revamped their roster in the offseason with a clear eye on returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2023. Out went Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins, and in came Skylar Diggins, Azurá Stevens, Rickea Jackson, DiJonai Carrington, Jacy Sheldon and Gabriela Jaquez via free agency, trades and the draft. They have a clear top-10, but the final spots are up for grabs.
Ajša Sivka, the No. 10 overall pick in 2025, is not on the training camp roster, but is expected to join the team this season. Hailey Van Lith, who went one pick later at No. 11, will have to fight to stay on the roster.
The Sun will field an extremely young roster for their final season in Connecticut before moving to Houston. Only three players in camp have five or more years of experience, and one of them, Shey Peddy, is on a training camp deal. Even though the Sun don't have many established players, there aren't many spots up for grabs. The most interesting thing to watch is how many of their rookies will make the team. Nell Angloma and Gianna Kneepkens seem like good bets, but what about Charlisse Leger-Walker, Taylor Bigby or Raegan Beers?
Like so many teams, the Wings will look completely different this season after making some major moves in free agency and drafting Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick. In addition to signing 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, the Wings also brought former No. 2 overall selection Awak Kuier back stateside.
The Wings' top seven is locked in, but they have a ton of decisions to make at the end of the roster, which is why they've brought a whopping 22 players to camp.
The Valkyries signed Gabby Williams in free agency, which was a big get, and lost a few deep rotation players, including Temi Fágbénlé, but are mostly bringing back the same team. In terms of minutes played, seven of their top nine from last season returned, which means their rotation won't look too different.
Notably, No. 5 overall pick Justė Jocytė will be coming over to the WNBA this season, though she will be a late arrival to camp. The Valkyries have brought in 21 players as they look to fill out the back-end of the roster.
The Fever re-signed Kelsey Mitchell in free agency, which was their top priority, and also brought back Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham. Free-agent signings Monique Billings, Tyasha Harris and Myisha Hines-Allen, as well as No. 10 overall pick Raven Johnson, will fill out the rotation around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. There won't be much intrigue at Fever camp, which is why they only brought in 16 players.
Unsurprisingly, the Aces are largely running it back after winning their third title in four years, and they don't anticipate having an eventful training camp. They may have set a record by only inviting 13 players, and the final spot will likely come down to draftees Janiah Barker and Jordan Obi.
Assuming that's the case, former lottery pick Chennedy Carter has all but locked up a roster spot. She has gone unsigned in two of the last three seasons, but the Aces are betting on her talent.
The Sparks went all in this offseason. They brought back franchise icon Nneka Ogwumike, who had spent the last two seasons in Seattle, re-signed Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby and traded former lottery pick Rickea Jackson for Ariel Atkins. But even though the Sparks hope to contend, they have some questions about their depth and the back-end of their roster, and there will be some spots up for grabs.
The Lynx's three leading scorers from last season -- Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams -- are all back, but almost nothing else remains the same in Minnesota. There was a mass exodus in the expansion draft and free agency, and while they have made some notable additions, such as No. 2 pick Olivia Miles and veteran forward Natasha Howard, there are going to be real minutes up for grabs in camp, let alone roster spots.
The Lynx will certainly be a team to watch over the next few weeks to see how their roster shakes out.
The Liberty were one of the big winners in free agency, as they brought back their Big Three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, and also convinced All-Star forward Satou Sabally to take a discount to come to the Big Apple.
While the front-end of the Liberty's roster is stacked, there are still questions about how the back-end of their rotation, especially with Natasha Cloud and Marine Johannès both still unsigned. The Liberty have brought 19 players to camp, including a number of internationals.