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Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks players huddle around forward Cameron Brink during the game against the Seattle Storm at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cameron Brink Comments on Expanding WNBA Roster Sizes

Originally posted on Stanford Cardinal on SI
By Dylan Grausz | Last updated May 28, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Earlier this month, the 2025 WNBA regular season began, marking a new era of basketball in the W, with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. But before the regular season could begin, each team had to make a large number of roster cuts, trimming their roster from their training camp size to 12 players.

While the W has always had 12 players per roster, some believe that there needs to an expansion to the number of players each team carries.

Former Stanford standout and current Los Angeles Sparks star, Cameron Brink, recently spoke out about roster sizes on her Straight to Cam podcast, expressing how before the WNBA worries about expansion teams, it should expand the size of its rosters.

"It’s so unfortunate that the roster can only hold 12," Brink said on her podcast with Sydel Curry-Lee. "Personally, I think roster sizes need to be expanded before we add any more expansion teams. It’s kind of crazy. 12 people for a roster. It’s insane."

Each and every training camp, teams bring in countless numbers of budding superstars who hope to make a WNBA roster. But, a lot of those players get cut before seeing regular season action, as was the case with the Golden State Valkyries this season when they cut all of their picks from the 2025 draft.

The Valkyries are the latest expansion team to join the league, with 2026 seeing Toronto and Portland franchises enter the mix as well. But despite the WNBA increasing to 15 teams and creating more opportunities for players to join the league, each franchise will continue to carry only 12 players.

With injuries being a big part of the game, a 12-player roster can create difficulties for the current franchises when it comes to maintaining their rotations for 40-plus games.

Brink, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL she suffered last June, is still set to miss some time this season, potentially returning sometime in June. Hardship contracts are one way to combat numerous injuries to the roster, but the limit still exists for how many women can get paid a living wage.

However, any more injuries could seriously affect how the Sparks are able to proceed the rest of the season and could create issues down the line. While hardship contracts are helpful, they're meant to get a team through a tough period, not necessarily help build a winning roster.

Curry-Lee, sister of NBA star Stephen Curry, added that because of the small roster size, injuries early in the season could make things very tough when it comes to figuring out who to play in any given game.

"You have nine active players going into the second game of your season," Curry-Lee said.

Over the last couple of seasons, the WNBA has gained a lot more traction in terms of popularity, especially since Caitlin Clark joined the league. And with the number of fans increasing and the interest growing, it is very possible that we could see more change in the near future.

The expectation is that there will be a new CBA in place for next season, which will lead to higher salaries, and potentially even more roster spots. The game is going to continue to grow.

This article first appeared on Stanford Cardinal on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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