WNBA Player Reveals She Was Released by Team Boarding Bus for 1st Career Game in League

Life as a WNBA player can be unforgiving.

Rookie guard Holly Winterburn said she was preparing to make her debut when the Atlanta Dream waived her as she boarded the team bus:

The Dream originally signed Winterburn to a training camp contract in February 2025, but an injury sidelined her for the entire season. The 25-year-old has played professionally in England, Turkey and Greece before making the jump to the United States.

Winterburn saw the floor in Atlanta's 83-72 preseason loss to the Washington Mystics on May 3. She finished with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes.

Atlanta waived her on May 9 to open a roster spot for another guard, Aaliyah Nye.

The Portland Fire subsequently signed Winterburn to a developmental contract, which is a new wrinkle included in the collective bargaining agreement. Developmental players don't count toward a team's 12 roster spots.

The opportunity allows for Winterburn to keep honing her game, and the Fire have an obvious incentive, as an expansion franchise, to elevate younger players who could grow into long-term contributors.

Winterburn also played for Fire coach Alex Sarama on the London Lions in 2023-24.