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Atlanta Dream Waives Holly Winterburn Days After Signing

5/14/2026

Summary

Atlanta Dream Waives Winterburn

Atlanta Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn on May 9, 2026, after signing her on May 7.
Winterburn recorded 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes against the Washington Mystics in a preseason game.
Winterburn played at Oregon and signed with Atlanta as a free agent before the 2025 season.
The Dream retained her rights after she missed the 2025 rookie year and re-signed her for 2026.

Summary

Fire Signs Winterburn

Fire signed Katie Winterburn to a developmental contract, a CBA provision that excludes players from the 12-player roster limit.
The contract lets injured or emerging talent train while teams assess long-term fit.
Winterburn was waived by Atlanta Dream as she boarded their bus after a February 2025 signing and a season-ending injury.
The Fire will use the slot to develop younger players, with Winterburn adding experience from England, Turkey and Greece.

Summary

Winterburn Cut

The Atlanta Dream cut Holly Winterburn just before her debut.
Fans flooded Winterburn’s Instagram with supportive comments after the cut.
The Instagram story spread across WNBA community, prompting discussion of basketball’s realities.
The Dream gave no official statement, leaving the timing open to speculation.
AI-powered insight tools generated a public Q&A on her injury history, debut delay and emotional impact.
Winterburn’s final message emphasized gratitude and optimism despite the setback.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA’s first CBA in 1999 capped salaries at $75,000 and set a 12-player roster limit. Rules later cut rosters to 11 in 2009, then restored 12 in the 2014 CBA, while the 2020 CBA kept the limit but tightened caps. Thus the Atlanta Dream’s waiver of Holly Winterburn and the Connecticut Fire’s signing of Katie Winterburn echo those long-standing roster constraints.

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Atlanta Dream Waives Winterburn

Atlanta Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn on May 9, 2026, after signing her on May 7.
Winterburn recorded 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes against the Washington Mystics in a preseason game.
Winterburn played at Oregon and signed with Atlanta as a free agent before the 2025 season.
The Dream retained her rights after she missed the 2025 rookie year and re-signed her for 2026.

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