Holly Winterburn Says Dream Waived Her While Boarding Bus

holly winterburn said the Atlanta Dream waived her while she was getting on the team bus for her first ever game. She said her welcome to the WNBA came before tipoff against the Dallas Wings, not on the court.

Winterburn and the Dream

Winterburn wrote on her Instagram Story that she thought her welcome to the WNBA would happen on the court, not as she got on the bus for her first ever game. She added that she would always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave her.

She also said, “I’m built for this. Thank you to everyone who has checked in on me & sent love. Everything happens for a reason and I’m so excited for what’s next.” The message turned a routine roster move into a public snapshot of how quickly a team can change a player’s day.

Kate Martin’s Cut

The move fits a wider pattern in roster decisions across the league. Kate Martin was cut from the Golden State Valkyries squad last week and later signed a developmental contract with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Martin said on Wednesday that the cut happened that day, adding, “It was not easy at all. Yeah. Sorry. Um, it happened on Wednesday and like, obviously it’s a business decision” and “That’s what professional sports is. It’s a business. And, um, you know, I just had to do what was best for me and my career.”

Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings

For Winterburn, the timing was the story. She was waived before the Dream’s game against the Dallas Wings, and her own words showed how quickly that reality hit: one moment she was headed to the bus, and the next she was off the roster.

That leaves the Dream with their decision in place before the game against Dallas, while Winterburn is already pointing past it. Her note that she was excited for what was next read like a player moving on immediately after a cut that arrived before she had even reached the floor.