By King Jemison<\/b><\/p>\n
Medill Reports<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
With the New York Liberty trailing by 26 points in a meaningless preseason contest, rookie Jaylyn Sherrod entered the game and immediately bodied up veteran Chicago Sky guard Dana Evans. Sherrod stripped Evans and streaked down the court for a sweeping layup. On the next possession, her physical defense forced another turnover. As the Sky called timeout, Sherrod fist-pumped despite her team\u2019s large deficit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t meaningless to Sherrod. She was fighting for her WNBA future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEnergy is just what I play with,\u201d Sherrod said. \u201cIt\u2019s just about going in and playing hard and really just maximizing the opportunity.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The score might not have mattered in the 101-53 Sky victory on May 7. But the opportunity certainly did to players on both teams seeking to earn one of 144 coveted roster spots in the league. Weeks after the women\u2019s college basketball national championship drew more viewers than the men\u2019s, the gap in professional opportunities remains as wide as ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In their preseason matchup, the Sky carried 14 players, while the Liberty had 18. Both teams had to cut their rosters to 12 the following week. The Sky ultimately waived rookies Taya Reimer and Brynna Maxwell, both of whom were out with injury for the Liberty game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Liberty made seven cuts in total, opting to start the season with 11 players. Despite her strong preseason performance, Sherrod was one of the final two players waived on Monday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaking a roster is hard,\u201d said Sky forward Isabelle Harrison, who has been in the league since 2015. \u201cThere\u2019s limited spots, but I feel like the talent every year just gets more and more competitive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Last year, just 42% of WNBA draftees made an opening night roster. In the NBA, that number was 76%. Of the 14 NBA draft picks who did not earn full contracts by the start of the season, 10 signed two-way deals, allowing them to split time between the NBA and G League. The WNBA has no such option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n