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Message: [QUOTE="oldhusky, post: 4306873, member: 9844"] It has always been hard to make a WNBA roster with only 12 teams, a maximum roster of 12 vs. 15 for the NBA, but the more recent contract made it even more so. With the ceiling for maximum salaries being raised last year while the minimums were close to the same, the cap management strategies have changed quite a bit. Many teams now consider it strategic to spread their dollars over 11 players instead of 12. In many ways I think it makes sense, instead of spending $60-70M or so on a draftee or vet minimum contract for your 12th player, take that money and maybe upgrade your 6th or 7th best player in the rotation above the minimums. The bottom line is you can't afford to pay players out of the rotation much more than the minimum. Spend most of your money on the top 7 or 8, close to the minimum for the rest and limit it to a roster of 11. The main issue for draftees is the reduced rosters, but it can also handicap the marginal vet who makes more than the minimum. If you are say the 9th or 10th best player on the team and make 20 or 30 thousand more than the minimum, you might be replaced by a lesser minimum contract player. Filling out the tail end of the roster is often finding the best minimum player you can get. With this new contract, a hard cap, and incentives to use your limited resources on the top of the roster, I think the really good teams will be more likely to keep 11 than 12 players, and that hurts the prospects for borderline players, both newcomers and vets. [/QUOTE]

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