A new provision of the 2026 WNBA CBA is development players.
In addition to the required 12 regular roster players, teams are permitted to add up to two development players.
As the designation suggests, development players are young players, as only those with 0-3 years of WNBA service are eligible for such contracts, whom organizations can invest in developing, albeit without them assuming a standard roster spot. Traditionally, the roster crunches faced by WNBA teams have resulted in them having to cut ties with young players to meet their win-now needs, even if the team recognized the future potential of a young player.
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In theory, development-player contracts can address this conundrum. We’ll have to see how it plays out in practice.
Development players can participate in all training sessions and practices, as well as travel with the team, but they can only be on the active roster for 12 games. In total, every WNBA team can benefit from 24 active games from development players, meaning they cannot cut one development player and sign another in order to access extra active games from their development roster spots.
Development players receive approximately $6,000, or the pro-rated minimum, for their active games. Otherwise, they will earn a $750-per-week stipend with standard player benefits.
A team can switch an eligible player from a standard contract to a development-player contract. However, the team must waive the player to do so. Such a transaction risks a player not clearing waivers, and therefore no longer being available to the waiving team for the development roster spot. Conversely, a team can upgrade a player from a development to standard contract without going through the waiver process.
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So far, five teams have designated one development player. Here are the WNBA’s first-ever development players.
A 6-foot-1 athletic wing, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs spent all four years of her college career at Baylor, twice earning All-Big 12 honors and making the Big 12 All-Defense team as a senior.
Selected No. 30 overall in the 2026 draft by the Mystics, Littlepage-Buggs’ work on the boards profiles as her signature WNBA skill. As a junior and senior, she pulled down at least 10 rebounds per game. The offensive end is where Littlepage-Buggs will need to progress to stick with the Mystics or somewhere else in the W. A shaky shooter, Littlepage-Buggs has to prove she can score in ways beyond hustle buckets.
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Justine Pissott’s potential WNBA value is clear: She can shoot.
More than that, she’s a tall shooter. Standing 6-foot-4 with a quick release, Pissot attempted 6.6 3s per game as a senior at Vanderbilt, draining 42.2 percent of them.
Can Pissott, whom the Fever selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 draft, survive on the other end of the floor? Not the most fluid athlete, Pissott likely needs to refine her lateral movement and reactive athleticism in order to become more than a situational shooter for the Fever or another WNBA team.
The Fire drafted Frieda Bühner with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Just 21-years-old, the 6-foot-1 wing from Germany makes sense as a developmental bet for one of the WNBA’s two expansion teams.
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Experienced with the German National Team, Bühner was particularly impressive during Germany’s recent 4-1 run in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France. Across the five games, she averaged 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 35 percent from 3. Rounding out her ancillary skills, in addition to building strength, should be the developmental priorities for Bühner in Portland.
Laura Ziegler is a quintessential modern, offensive big.
She can stretch the floor, taking over four 3s per game across her college career and hitting 36.1 percent as a senior, as well as facilitate the offense as an elbow hub, registering 4.3 assists per game as a senior. Ziegler, a native of Denmark, also already proved that she can level up, becoming one of the most important players for Louisville as a senior after three successful years at Saint Joseph’s.
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Ziegler also has been solid on the boards, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game over her four college seasons. But, at just 6-foot-2, it is questionable if she has the size, as well as the athleticism, to be effective in the WNBA.
Drafted No. 29 overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Liberty, Marine Fauthoux has yet to make her WNBA debut, and now it looks like she’ll do so as a development player.
The 25-year-old point guard has extensive international and overseas experience, playing for the France and competing professionally for various Ligue Féminine (LFB) clubs. Since 2024, she has been a member of the Turkish club, ÇBK Mersin.
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Currently, Fauthoux is recovering from an ACL surgery, suggesting the Liberty are using one of their development spots to have her on a cheaper contract as she recovers, while still allowing her to be around the team. Possibly, if all goes well, she could eventually claim a standard roster spot. It will be interesting to see if any other teams use their development-player contracts in a similar manner.
