WNBA player says she was cut 'as I'm getting on the bus' for first game

There's no good way to tell a player they're being released. But being informed you've been waived just as you're getting ready to board the team bus for the season opener has to be one of the worst.

That's what happened to former Atlanta Dream guard Holly Winterburn right before the team's first game of the WNBA season on Saturday, May 9.

"I thought my welcome to the W moment would happen on the court, not as I’m getting on the bus for my first ever game. But that’s the reality of this business & I will always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave me," Winterburn wrote Tuesday, May 12, in an Instagram story.

She made the team's initial roster when it was announced earlier in the week, but then the Dream signed former Las Vegas Aces guard Aaliyah Nye. And Winterburn became expendable.

A native of Great Britain, Winterburn played college basketball at Oregon and signed with the Dream as an undrafted free agent last year. However, she missed the entire season with an injury.

She returned to the Dream, playing throughout the preseason, and was poised to play a reserve role. That dream was shattered, but she insists she's not giving up.

"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."