Former No. 1 overall pick Charli Collier has been waived by the Dallas Wings, the organization announced Wednesday.
Collier, the top pick of the 2021 WNBA draft out of Texas, averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game across 45 appearances for the Wings the past two seasons. She also started 18 games in 2021.
"Today is a hard day, but I am proud of the work I have put in to get here and know there are better things ahead," Collier posted in a statement on social media. "I went overseas, grew as a person and got better. All the feedback I got through camp was positive. Today I was told that if not for injuries at other spots I would have been on the team. That's a hard thing to hear."
The Wings also announced Wednesday that star Diamond DeShields, whom they traded for in the offseason, will miss extended time this summer as she recovers from a knee injury, and that rookie Lou Lopez Senechal will miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing knee surgery next week. According to head coach Latricia Trammell, the team thought it needed to shore up its depth on the wing given DeShields' prolonged absence.
"To be a No. 1 pick is a privilege and it comes with pressure, but I am thankful for every lesson and will use all the negativity that comes today as fuel to be great," Collier said. "Work is never done and I'm ready for my next opportunity."
God doesn't make mistakes. pic.twitter.com/DX9bPcdfpE
— Charli Collier™ (@charlicollier) May 17, 2023
Trammel indicated that the Wings could look at picking Collier up later in the season when Teaira McCowan is away most of June competing overseas.
"Charli did a great job," Trammell said. "Charli came in with an incredible mindset. She is a good person, and I only know that the ceiling is high for her. She deserves to be in the league. And I hope someone picks her up, whether it be us bringing her back or another organization. I was proud of Charli."
Players from the 2021 draft class have had trouble sticking in the league. Only the No. 2 (Awak Kuier, drafted by Dallas), No. 3 (Aari McDonald, drafted by Atlanta) and No. 12 picks (Iliana Rupert, drafted by Las Vegas and later awarded to Atlanta on waivers) from the first round of that draft are currently on WNBA rosters.
The shorthanded Wings, led by Trammell in her first year as head coach, begin their season Saturday when they host the Atlanta Dream.
"When you hit adversity, and then these players are professional, it brings people closer together. I think those relationships are closer now because of it," Trammell said. "They definitely have talked about it, but it's onward and upward. We want to support our teammates in their journeys that they're about to go on, but we're also going to be fighting for something bigger, and people are stepping up in their spots, so it's more of trying to stay positive, move forward in a positive way and continue to coach them up like we had all 12."