CHICAGO - The Lynx waived forward Alissa Pili on Saturday, just ahead of the WNBA’s July 13 cutdown deadline — the date when nonguaranteed contracts become fully guaranteed for the season.
Pili, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Utah, signed a three-year deal with the Lynx in April that year. In 15 games this season, she averaged 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.
The timing of Pili’s release is significant. After Sunday, teams can no longer waive players on unprotected contracts without absorbing their full salary. That includes rookie contracts, which don’t become fully guaranteed in the WNBA until a player’s fourth season.
Waiving Pili gives Minnesota roster flexibility, important considering that elite Belgian forward Emma Meesseman is poised to return to the WNBA.
Meesseman, widely considered the best player in the world not on a WNBA roster, led Belgium to the EuroBasket championship June 29 and was named tournament MVP. She has ties to the Lynx — including playing with Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride overseas for powerhouse Fenerbahçe — and was coached by Eric Thibault, now an associate head coach in Minnesota.
“I think Emma would fit so perfectly,” Collier told the Minnesota Star Tribune on July 6.
The 6-4 Meesseman, a two-time WNBA All-Star and 2019 Finals MVP with Washington, last played in the league in 2022 with the Chicago Sky. Her addition would further strengthen a Lynx team that already leads the WNBA standings heading into the All-Star break.
“It would give us an even better chance of winning,” Collier said. “I love playing with Emma. She’s such an elite player. Not only a great player but also a great person.”
