Megan Gustafson signs with same WNBA team that cut her less than a month ago

It didn't even take a month away for Megan Gustafson to find another place in the WNBA.

The next place for the reigning national women's player of the year is the same place she got her briefest of starts.

Beset by injuries and other temporary absences, the Dallas Wings announced Thursday they had signed the former Iowa Hawkeye for a second time.

The WNBA franchise selected Gustafson in the second round of April's draft after she led the nation in scoring for the second straight season, averaging 27.9 points and became the fourth player to reach 1,000 points in a year. She helped the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight tournament appearance since 1993. Following a three-game preseason in which she averaged just 2.6 points and three rebounds per outing over 11 minutes, Dallas cut Gustafson from its 12-woman roster May 22.

"I thought it was going to be a good place for me," she told Hawk Central at the time. "But obviously, it was just a stopping point."

Now, it's again the next stop, at least for a little while. The winless Wings (0-4) are without Tayler Hill (knee surgery) and Moriah Jefferson because of injuries. Rookie Arike Ogunbowale suffered an ankle injury Sunday and is doubtful for the team's Thursday game. They're soon losing Glory Johnson to international duty, and Skylar Diggins-Smith remains out after giving birth.

So, they've called in reinforcements in a player they have scouted, have drafted, and yes, have cut.

“We are currently dealing with a series of roster challenges and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to sign a player of Megan’s character and ability," Wings president Greg Bibb said in a team news release. 

Gustafson had been working out in Iowa City and is already scheduled to play for Iowa United in The Basketball Tournament, a summertime event spread over the next two months that offers a $2 million prize. She appears to be taking a pragmatic approach to this latest opportunity in the women's game.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to further pursue my dream of playing in the WNBA,” Gustafson said in the Wings' release. “I have learned that nothing in this life is guaranteed, but I will take full advantage of this second opportunity with the Dallas Wings, whether it is for one day, one week, or 10 years.”

MORE: Megan Gustafson's Iowa legacy goes beyond her stellar stats