Sun waive Fraser, Goodman
The Connecticut Sun waived rookies Brianna Fraser and Aleah Goodman on Tuesday, bringing its roster down to 12 players.
WNBA teams must cut their rosters down to at least 12 by Thursday, one day before the start of the regular season. Connecticut will carry 11 players due to salary cap constraints.
The Sun are in an unusual situation in that starting forward Alyssa Thomas will count as one of their 11 players even though she suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in January while playing overseas. She was a free agent at the time which gave her the right to be paid by any team that signed her.
Connecticut will also be without starting point guard Jasmine Thomas to start the season due to her overseas commitments. It opens at the Atlanta Dream on Friday.
“With Jasmine not here and AT injured, all the sudden (we have) nine (players), which triggers the salary hardship waiver opportunity,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said last Saturday. “There’s a lot of nuances that come through the CBA and salary cap exceptions and hardship waivers. We have a lot of moving parts down the stretch here.”
DeWanna Bonner (forward-guard), Briann January (guard), Jonquel Jones (forward), Brionna Jones (forward) and the Thomases all have guaranteed contracts. Guard Natisha Hiedeman, DiJonai Carrington (guard-forward), Kaila Charles (guard-forward) and forward Beatrice Mompremier (forward) should make the final roster, too.
Rookie forward Stephanie Jones and wing Kamiah Smalls are the other two Sun players currently rostered.
Fraser, a forward from Maryland, was invited to training camp by the Sun while Goodman, a guard from Oregon State, was Connecticut's final pick in last month's WNBA draft at No. 30 in the third.
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