The Seattle Storm have waived Taina Mair, making her the first 2026 first-round pick to be cut. Mair, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Duke, was selected No. 14 overall.
The Storm’s decision comes after signing veteran playmakers Natisha Hiedeman and Jade Melbourne to guaranteed deals.
Mair’s Performance and Roster Competition
In two exhibition games, Mair averaged 2.0 points and 4.5 assists in 14.7 minutes. She shot 16.7% (1 of 6) from the field.
Notable performances from veteran guards Zia Cooke (15.5 points per game) and Lexie Brown (7.5 ppg., 4.5 rebounds per game and 41.7% field goal shooting) may have made it more difficult to retain Mair.
WNBA Roster Limits and Development Player Options
WNBA teams must reduce their rosters to 12 players by Thursday.
Mair could potentially return to Seattle as a developmental player, but she would first need to clear the 24-hour waiver period. According to the new collective bargaining agreement, teams can sign two developmental players who have less than three years of WNBA experience. Five players – Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Justine Pissott, Frieda Bühner, Laura Ziegler and Marine Fauthoux – have signed developmental player contracts.
Impact of Expansion Teams
The addition of three WNBA expansion teams in the past two seasons was expected to alleviate the issue of talented first-round draft picks struggling to find roster spots. The league now has at least 36 — and possibly 42 — more spots than in 2024.
Before Mair, Marta Suarez, the No. 16 overall 2026 pick, was the most notable roster cut. Suarez was chosen by the Storm and traded to the Valkyries in a swap that included first-rounder Flau’jae Johnson.
The Storm currently have 15 players on their roster.