The deadline for all 12 WNBA teams to submit their protected-player lists ahead of the Dec. 6 expansion draft was Monday night.

The Golden State Valkyries can select up to 12 players in the expansion draft, one from each team, while each existing team can protect up to six players. Available players include anyone on a team’s active roster, draftees who have yet to play in the WNBA and even suspended players or those who have not officially retired whose rights still belong to a team. The Valkyries aren’t required to make 12 selections giving general manager Ohemaa Nyanin the option to leave roster spots available for free agency or the 2025 draft.

The Valkyries can select just one unrestricted free agent who is still eligible to be cored, meaning players such as Mercury center Brittney Griner, Dream center Tina Charles and Sun forward DeWanna Bonner can’t be drafted.

Most teams have about four players who clearly will be protected, but then it gets tricky. For the Sky, those four players are Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Elizabeth Williams and Michaela Onyenwere.

Chennedy Carter led the Sky in scoring (17.5 points per game) in 2024. The decision on protecting her hinges on her mental approach and if new coach Tyler Marsh believes she can buy into his system. To do so, she must prove she has learned from past behavioral issues that showed a lack of discipline and impacted locker-room cohesion.

The WNBA opted not to make protected lists public — a decision that serves to shield teams from player blowback.

Below are the Sun-Times predictions for who each team may protect.

Sky

Protected:
Angel Reese
Kamilla Cardoso
Elizabeth Williams
Michaela Onyenwere
Chennedy Carter
Rachel Banham

Unprotected:
Dana Evans
Lindsay Allen
Isabelle Harrison
Moriah Jefferson
Diamond DeShields
Brianna Turner
Maria Conde
Nikolina Milic
Kaela Davis
Kysre Gondrezick

Fever

Protected:
Caitlin Clark
Aliyah Boston
NaLyssa Smith
Kelsey Mitchell
Temi Fagbenle
Lexie Hull

Unprotected:
Damiris Dantas
Grace Berger
Katie Lou Samuelson
Victaria Saxton
Erica Wheeler
Kristy Wallace

Mercury

Protected:
Kahleah Copper
Natasha Cloud
Sophie Cunningham
Rebecca Allen
Diana Taurasi
Natasha Mack

Unprotected:
Monique Billings
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
Klara Lundquist
Charisma Osborne
Celeste Taylor
Amy Atwell

Unavailable:
Brittney Griner

Liberty

Protected:
Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu
Jonquel Jones
Nyara Sabally
Leonie Fiebich
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton

Unprotected:
Courtney Vandersloot
Kayla Thornton
Marine Johannes
Han Xu
Jaylyn Sherrod
Rebekah Gardner
Ivana Dojkic
Marquesha Davis
Kaitlyn Davis
Raquel Carrera
Kennedy Burke
Marine Fauthoux

Storm

Protected:
Jewell Loyd
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Gabby Williams
Ezi Magbegor
Jordan Horston
Nika Mühl

Unprotected:
Mercedes Russell
Sami Whitcomb
Victoria Vivians
Joyner Holmes
Mackenzie Holmes

Unavailable:
Nneka Ogwumike

Lynx

Protected:
Napheesa Collier
Kayla McBride
Courtney Williams
Alanna Smith
Bridget Carleton
Diamond Miller

Unprotected:
Myisha Hines-Allen
Jessica Shepard
Natisha Hiedeman
Alissa Pili
Dorka Juhasz
Cecilia Zandalasini
Olivia Epoupa
Maia Hirsch

Sun

Protected:
Marina Mabrey
Alyssa Thomas
DiJonai Carrington
Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Leila Lacan
Tyasha Harris

Unprotected:
Astou Ndour
Veronica Burton
Caitlin Bickle
Abbey Hsu
Tiffany Mitchell

Unavailable:
DeWanna Bonner

Wings

Arike Ogunbowale
Teaira McCowan
Satou Sabally
Maddy Siegrist
Jacy Sheldon
Carla Leite

Unprotected:
Kalani Brown
Awak Kuier
Stephanie Soares
Lou Lopez Sénéchal
JaelynBrown
Sevgi Uzun
Paige Robinson
Bella Alaire

Unavailable:
Natasha Howard

Aces

Protected:
A'ja Wilson
Kelsey Plum
Chelsea Gray
Jackie Young
Alysha Clark
Kate Martin

Unprotected:
Kiah Stokes
Megan Gustafson
Tiffany Hayes
Sydney Colson
Kierstan Bell
Queen Egbo
Elizabeth Kitley

Sparks

Protected:
Dearica Hamby
Azurá Stevens
Rae Burrell
Julie Allemand
Cameron Brink
Rickea Jackson

Unprotected:
Lexie Brown
Zia Cooke
Li Yueru
Stephanie Talbot
Maria Vadeeva
Kia Nurse
Shaneice Swain
Aari McDonald

Mystics

Protected:
Brittney Sykes
Ariel Atkins
Jade Melbourne
Shakira Austin
Aaliyah Edwards
Elena Delle Donne

Unprotected:
Stefanie Dolson
Karlie Samuelson
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
Sika Koné
Emily Engstler
Sug Sutton
Julie Vanloo
Li Meng
Nastja Claessens
Txell Alarcon

Dream

Protected:
Jordin Canada
Allisha Gray
Rhyne Howard
Naz Hillmon
Nyadiew Puoch
Isobel Borlase

Unprotected:
Laeticia Amihere
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
Aerial Powers
Iliana Rupert
Matilde Villa
Haley Jones
Maya Caldwell
Maite Cazorla
Lorela Cubaj
Nia Coffey

Unavailable:
Tina Charles