Angel Reese’s former Atlanta Dream teammate is getting a new opportunity in Seattle. With Ezi Magbegor sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a heartbreaking ACL tear, the Storm have moved quickly to bring Jaylyn Sherrod aboard to fill that void for the remainder of the season.
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As shared by Underdog WNBA on X and confirmed by the Storm in an official statement, Jaylyn Sherrod has signed a developmental contract with the Seattle Storm as the second such player on the roster.
The 5-foot-7 dynamic guard known for her efficient scoring, who won a WNBA championship with the New York Liberty in 2024, most recently appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Dream this season, averaging 2.3 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.5 steals per game. She was, however, eventually waived due to WNBA developmental contract limits and the need to free up a roster spot.
Under WNBA rules, players signed to a player development contract can only be active for a maximum of 12 regular-season games. By mid-August, Sherrod was already activated for 11 games. So the Dream front office reached a deadline where they either had to waive her or convert her to a standard, fully guaranteed active-roster contract.
They, however, chose to use their final roster resources to sign veteran forward and two-time WNBA champion DeWanna Bonner for the rest of the season. And because of salary-cap restrictions and roster space, the Dream had to waive Sherrod to accommodate Bonner’s arrival.
After being a free agent for a little over a couple of weeks, for Sherrod, signing this contract represents another opportunity to remain in the WNBA and potentially make an impression with a new franchise.
Ezi Magbegor’s tragic season-ending right ACL tear happened just about four days ago, on September 9, while playing for Australia at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Magbegor, who was serving as the Australian Opals’ team captain, planted her right leg awkwardly during the first quarter of a qualification match against Italy. The awkward landing saw her collapse immediately, and she had to be helped to the locker room.
While Ezi Magbegor has been the defining foundation of the Seattle Storm franchise, this 2026 WNBA season has been quite turbulent for her as she has struggled with injuries. She missed the first seven weeks of the WNBA season as a result of a foot injury. And just three weeks after making her season debut, she suffered a broken bone in her face. In total, she has only played 14 games this season, starting nine games. As a result of all this, the 2023 WNBA All-Star and four-time WNBA All-Defensive Team selection saw her production drop to the lowest marks since her sophomore year in the league.
While the Seattle Storm have failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, the season is not over yet. The Storm will play four more regular season games once the WNBA resumes following the FIBA World Cup. In fact, they have a tough four-game schedule where they’ll face the defending champions Las Vegas Aces twice, the current No. 2 Golden State Valkyries, and No. 8 Dallas.
While Seattle is already out of the playoffs, with an 8-32 record and last in the WNBA standings, this move could signify that they are already trying to rebuild the roster amid this disastrous season.
In other words, the Storm are essentially using their final four regular-season games as an extended tryout and preparation for next year.
But at the end of the day, it’s indeed a step forward for Sherrod, who will be hoping she can do enough to secure a more stable spot on the team, or do enough to attract other WNBA franchises that might be watching.