WNBA roster cut wave: Madison Scott waived by Mystics, Wings drop six, deadline today

The cuts are stacking up. Final WNBA roster deadline is Thursday at 5 PM ET — and teams aren't being subtle. The Mystics waived three on Tuesday: Madison Scott (the No. 14 pick from the 2025 draft, who signed in September), rookie Christeen Iwuala, and Nyla Harris. Dallas dropped six, including Lindsay Allen, Grace Berger, and Rayah Marshall. Golden State waived rookie Marta Suárez — the same player they just traded for on draft night.

Under the new CBA, every team can keep 12 players plus two developmental spots, and salary-cap exceptions exist for injured and pregnant players. That's actually slightly more roster room than last year. Doesn't matter — 17+ veterans and rookies have been cut in the last 48 hours, and the league is at 15 teams for the first time. Math problem: more spots, but every team is also fighting for prime opening-night minutes.

For every Hailey Van Lith landing on her feet — Chicago waived her Sunday for "style of play" reasons, the Sun grabbed her on waivers Wednesday — there's a Madison Scott waiting on a phone call. The 12-player WNBA roster is the hardest job to keep in pro sports right now.