Monday night was the deadline for all 12 WNBA teams to submit their protected lists ahead of the Dec. 6 expansion draft.
The quick explainer is that the Valkyries can select up to 12 players in the draft, one from each team. Available players include anyone on a team’s active roster, draftees who have to play in the WNBA and even suspended players or those who have not officially retired whose rights still belong to a team. The Valkyries aren’t required to make 12 selections if, for example, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin would prefer to leave roster space available for free agency and the 2025 WNBA draft.
The Valkyries can select just one unrestricted free agent who is still eligible to be cored. This means players like Mercury center Brittney Griner, Dream center Tina Charles and Sun forward DeWanna Bonner are uneligible to be drafted by the Valkyries next week.
Most teams have about four players that are obvious non negotiables to protect before it gets tricky. For the Sky, those four players are Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Elizabeth Williams and Michaela Oyenwere.
Chennedy Carter led the Sky in scoring this season, averaging 17.5 points per game. Protecting her comes down to her mental approach and if new coach Tyler Marsh believes Carter can buy into his system. To do so, she must prove she’s learned from past behavioral
issues that showed a lack of discipline and impacted locker room cohesion.
The WNBA opted not to make protected lists public — a decision that ultimately serves to shield teams from player blow back. Below are the Sun-Times predictions for who each team may protect.
Sky
Angel Reese
Kamilla Cardoso
Elizabeth Williams
Michaela Onyenwere
Chennedy Carter
Rachel Banham
Fever
Caitlin Clark
Aliyah Boston
NaLyssa Smith
Kelsey Mitchell
Temi Fagbenle
Lexie Hull
Mercury
Kahleah Copper
Natasha Cloud
Sophie Cunningham
Rebecca Allen
Diana Taurasi
Natasha Mack
Liberty
Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu
Jonquel Jones
Nyara Sabally
Leonie Fiebich
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Storm
Jewell Loyd
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Gabby Williams
Ezi Magbegor
Jordon Horston
Nika Mühl
Lynx
Napheesa Collier
Kayla McBride
Courtney Williams
Alanna Smith
Bridget Carleton
Diamond Miller
Sun
Marina Mabrey
Alyssa Thomas
DiJonai Carrington
Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Leila Lacan
Tyasha Harris
Wings
Arike Ogunbowale
Teira McCowan
Satou Sabally
Maddy Siegrist
Jacy Sheldon
Carla Leite
Aces
A’ja Wilson
Kelsey Plum
Chelsea Gray
Jackie Young
Alysha Clark
Kate Martin
Sparks
Dearica Hamby
Azurá Stevens
Rae Burrell
Julie Allemand
Cameron Brink
Rickea Jackson
Mystics
Brittney Sykes
Ariel Atkins
Jade Melbourne
Shakira Austin
Aaliyah Edwards
Elena Delle Donne
Dream
Jordin Canada
Allisha Gray
Rhyne Howard
Naz Hillmon
Nyadiew Puoch
Isobel Borlase