This past week in the WNBA was defined by some standout performances by some of the league’s brightest stars. Angel Reese picked up her first-ever triple-double in the Sky’s 78-66 win over the Sun on Sunday, and last week featured a multitudinous amount of 30-pieces put up by eight different players. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jackie Young all scored 30 or more points for their respective teams.
But before I dive into the games to pay attention to, which include games of consequence for the Commissioner’s Cup Final, I want to provide an explanation of assorted contracts which include hardship and rest-of-season (ROS) contracts. These are types of contracts which have popped up frequently in the league since the month of June began as many more injuries and overseas commitments (namely the EuroBasket qualifiers) have impacted rosters throughout the league.
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It’s vital to understand what these contracts are especially when managing fantasy teams, and when players who didn’t begin the regular season on rosters begin playing games. From May 20 through June 17, WNBA teams have signed a total of 12 different assorted contracts.
Especially with three different assorted contracts signed on Tuesday including Grace Berger signing with the Sparks, and Haley Jones and Kaila Charles signing with the Wings, some of these players will see meaningful minutes.
What are hardship contracts?
Hardship contracts are the path that most teams take when players on roster are injured or otherwise unable to play for an extended period of time. In the WNBA there currently isn’t a mechanism like an injured reserve or injured list like in the NFL or MLB which allows for teams to open up additional roster spots.
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But what if a team doesn’t have enough salary cap or roster space to be able to sign a player to fill the gap?
Instead, the WNBA requires that teams have 10 healthy players able to play, and if a team does not, then a general manager or executive is able to sign a free agent player who can suit up so the team has at least 10…
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