Indiana Fever made first cuts. Who is still fighting for spot on 2025 roster?
INDIANAPOLIS — In an effort to pare down to the opening day roster, Indiana Fever made their first round of roster cuts Monday after a back-to-back weekend of preseason games.
The Fever waived Jillian Alleyne, a 30-year-old forward who was on a training camp contract, and 2025 No. 20 draft pick Bree Hall. Alleyne and Hall didn't appear in the Fever's preseason opener, which was an overtime win over the Mystics on Saturday, but got ample minutes against the Brazilian National team in Iowa City on Sunday.
Alleyne played the entire fourth quarter, with three points and seven rebounds in 10 minutes. Hall played more than 16 minutes in the second half, scoring nine points on 4-of-9 shooting.
The first cuts came just one week into training camp, but the Fever hope Alleyne and Hall can land on other teams with two weeks left until the regular season.
'It's always hard. This is the worst part of the job,' Fever coach Stephanie White said Monday. 'I think we always wish there were more roster spots so that we can have some of those development positions but we also know (roster cuts are) part of it, and it sucks. But giving players opportunities to potentially get on other teams is important to us as an organization, and important to them for their careers.'
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The Fever roster stands at 13. Teams can carry up to 12 players on the regular-season roster, but Indiana will likely only be able to carry 11 because of salary cap limitations. So, the Fever will need to make two more roster cuts by May 15 to finalize their opening day roster.
Players fighting for Fever's 11th roster spot
Jaelyn Brown, who is on a training camp contract, and 2025 draftees Makayla Timpson and Yvonne Ejim are the three players likely fighting for Indiana's 11th and final spot on the opening day roster.
Timpson, a forward who the Fever drafted at No. 19 last month, has impressed the coaching staff. She's an elite rim runner, can draw fouls and plays with poise despite being a rookie against experienced and veteran WNBA players.
Timpson was the only one of those three to play in the first quarter of Indiana's game against Brazil on Sunday, running with Indiana's starters and rotation. She played nine minutes against Brazil and scored nine points, going 2-of-4 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
'The thing that impresses me the most about KK (Timpson) is just her poise,' White said. 'She doesn't get rushed. She stays patient. If she doesn't know what to do, she doesn't get antsy. And that's something you can't teach, and I'm really impressed with that. Her activity level is really good on the defensive end of the floor. I think that when you look at her, and you watch her in college, you know she really is just scratching the surface of her ability.'
Timpson played the least of the three Sunday, but that doesn't necessarily mean much in terms of her chances to make the roster; she also played the most time in the rotation.
Brown, a 26-year-old guard who came to Indiana from Dallas in a four-team trade in February, is on a training camp contract. She played 15 minutes, mostly in the second half, on Sunday, including the entire fourth quarter that saw only rookies and backups. She scored two points on 1-of-6 shooting, along with three rebounds. She did showcase her defensive ability, with four steals.
Ejim, the Fever's No. 33 pick in the draft, played 12 minutes Sunday, mostly in the fourth quarter. The forward went 3-of-5 from the field for six points.
The Fever will likely make another round of cuts following their final preseason game at Atlanta this weekend. They would then have a few more days of practice to finalize rotations and lineups with their 11-player roster ahead of the regular-season opener on May 17.
2025 Indiana Fever roster? Who are Caitlin Clark's teammates?
As of May 6.
Name POS AGE COLLEGE
DeWanna Bonner F 37 Auburn
Aliyah Boston F 23 South Carolina
Jaelyn Brown G 26 Cal
Caitlin Clark G 23 Iowa
Sydney Colson G 35 Texas A&M
Sophie Cunningham G 28 Missouri
Damiris Dantas F 32 Brazil
Yvonne Ejim F 23 Gonzaga
Natasha Howard F 33 Florida State
Lexie Hull G 25 Stanford
Kelsey Mitchell G 29 Ohio State
Makayla Timpson F 22 Florida State
Brianna Turner F 28 Notre Dame
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