With EuroBasket set to tip off on Wednesday and injuries mounting league-wide, WNBA teams are filling out dwindling rosters with more short-term contracts — and calling back some familiar faces along the way.
While some European standouts withdrew from EuroBasket consideration — including Phoenix’s Satou Sabally and Seattle’s Gabby Williams — others, like New York’s Leonie Fiebich and Golden State’s Temi Fagbenle, will join their national teams for the regional FIBA tournament through the end of June.
Due to these planned absences, WNBA teams temporarily suspend their EuroBasket players’ contracts, allowing squads to add others to their rosters.
Players signed due to temporary absences are technically on rest-of-season deals, though the agreements can end whenever the missing athletes return.
In contrast, the league requires that teams release any hardship signings due to injury once squads tally enough healthy original players to satisfy the WNBA’s 10-athlete roster minimum.
Featuring a lineup stacked with international talent, Golden State made the most transactions this week, temporarily suspending four regular contracts as 2025 EuroBasket stars departed for the annual competition.
To bolster their depleted bench, the Valkyries brought back 2025 WNBA Draft Cinderella pick Kaitlyn Chen and recent training camp participant Laeticia Amihere on short-term contracts, in addition to guard Aerial Powers and forward Chloe Bibby.
Elsewhere, after losing forward Maddy Siegrist to injury and temporarily suspending the contracts of centers Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, Dallas acquired center Li Yueru from Seattle — with the Wings possibly needing additional hardship signings in the coming days.
The Storm snagged two future draft picks in the Saturday deal — a second-round selection in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2027.
Ultimately, teams are striving to find a balance between stocking up and maintaining consistency, all while operating under the WNBA’s roster constraints — with further league expansion fast approaching.
