The Golden State Valkyries released Bree Hall on Monday before her 7-day contract expired as the team no longer qualified for the hardship exception that was used to go over the roster limit to sign her. She only appeared in one game in her second stint with the team, but ensured that the team had as many players as available as possible during a period with injuries.
The Team Gets Healthier
Bree Hall having to be released was certainly not a positive on its own, but the Valkyries had to do so for reasons that could be a boost. Golden State is set to have ten available players even without Hall for their game on Tuesday, which led to the release. Monique Billings is available again after missing more than a month, having gotten hurt in a game where she was already returning from an injury. Both Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini are set to miss another game though.
Agreeing to Hardship Contracts
The Valkyries have had more flexibility than most teams this year when it comes to bringing in more players, but that has occasionally led to strong emotions whenever the team has had to make follow-up moves to get back into roster compliance. Free agent players absolutely have the ability to decline a contract if they do not feel that it is worth it to join a team on a short-term basis before having to depart. For most of these signings, there is a clear timeline on how long players will be there.
In the case of Bree Hall’s most recent contract, she was going to need to be released as soon as the Valkyries had enough healthy players to no longer qualify to go beyond the roster limit. Her previous experience with the team made her an obvious candidate as soon as they were able to qualify for another hardship. As a rookie, it made sense for her to take the opportunity again as the upcoming expansion of the league will be provide chances for players with WNBA experience to stake their claim to the new roster spots that are created.
Nevertheless, it is often tough for teams to find available players late in the year, especially on the short notice that can be required when hardship situations arise. Players who are available have to pretty much be ready to fly out to another city immediately. Golden State will host the Dallas Wings on Thursday and their opponents qualified for an extreme hardship signing after falling below the eight players required to start a game. Signing a player ended up being difficult for them with players outside of the WNBA who will be playing overseas having already started to get ready for their seasons, including departing the country.
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