After being waived by the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, Shyanne Sellers has been picked up by the Atlanta Dream, per the WNBA’s transactions web page. The Dream have been awarded Sellers off waivers two days after it was introduced she had been reduce by the Valkyries simply days into coaching camp, earlier than their first preseason recreation. Sellers was drafted No. 17 total by the Valkyries this 12 months after being projected as a first-round decide, then falling into the second spherical.
The Valkyries’ determination to chop Sellers was met with a ton of criticism on-line. Sellers was among the finest prospects to be drafted within the 2025 draft, regardless of falling into the second spherical. Hypothesis about her well being was all followers might provide you with when attempting to place collectively why she was reduce. Sellers struggled with a knee damage whereas taking part in at Maryland, however was cleared for play earlier than being drafted.
Over the weekend, Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase advised the media that her choices are being made primarily based on match, not expertise.
Natalie Nakase on this transfer: “she picked up every part we requested her to, did every part that we requested. It’s simply that I’ve to decide on the very best 12 which can be going to suit. Doesn’t imply it’s essentially the most proficient, it means it’s the very best 12.” https://t.co/3Ch1TuGuDX
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) Could 3, 2025
Now, Sellers will head to Atlanta to attempt to make their roster. For the reason that Dream picked Sellers up inside 48 hours of her being waived by the Valkyries, they assumed her whole rookie contract as a substitute of signing her as a free agent. It’s (contractually) like they drafted her themselves. Which is why the terminology is “awarded off waivers” as a substitute of “signed as a free agent.”
The possibilities of Sellers making Atlanta’s roster aren’t 100%, although. Atlanta has six protected veterans and two protected rookie contracts on their wage cap this season. Meaning 8/12 roster spots are already claimed by Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada, Allisha Grey, Nia Coffey, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon. The Dream have three or 4 spots left to fill, with eight gamers within the combine for these spots. Of these gamers, three (together with Sellers) are rookie draft picks, one is a returning participant (Haley Jones), and the remaining are coaching camp contract signees. However because the Dream’s highest draft decide from this 12 months, Sellers has a shot.
Atlanta was near with the ability to draft Sellers initially on draft evening — that they had the 18th decide, and Sellers was drafted seventeenth. They picked up Te-Hina Paopao at No. 18, and now have Sellers at No. 17, basically getting back-to-back second-round picks with out having to make a commerce.
The Atlanta Dream play their first preseason recreation on Wednesday, Could 7, in opposition to the Washington Mystics.
