After Franketnsteining my predictions yesterday and leaving Haley Jones off the list for literally no reason, here is the list with no bells, whistles, or brain-dead editing:
Guards (5)
Carla Leite
Sarah Ashlee Barker
Sug Sutton
Karlie Smauelson
Jordan Harrison
Wings (5)
Bridget Carleton
Emily Engstler
Nyadiew Puoch
Haley Jones
Freida Buhner
Bigs (3)
Luisa Geiselsoder
Meg Gustafson
Serah Williams
Out (2)
Kamiah Smalls
Teja Oblak
Here’s where things stand as of 12:00PM PST, two hours before the roster deadline:
The Fire are practicing right now. I’m sure it will end before decisions are sent out, but they are working until the last minute, which reads to me like these decisions are close.
The Fire have 15 players in training camp, and they have to get down to at least 14 (12 roster + 2 development spots). I was wrong yestreday in thinking that Portland could carry 11 rostered players into the season; that source was old and bad. It is a full 12 for everyone.
The Fire have a development spot available to them, but in order to use it, they would have to cut a training camp player, allow them to clear waivers (a.k.a. not get signed by another team), and then re-sign them as a development player.
And, of course, as soon as today is over, the Fire can start making any other moves they want. Players were regularly waived from their teams throughout the entire season last year, and that seems to be the modus operandi for a league that remains pretty small that has a lot of talent waiting to find the right team.
I’ll check back in soon after the final decisions are made.
Have a good afternoon!