The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA's first expansion franchise since 2008, were first introduced back in October of 2023. It wasn't until Friday night's highly-anticipated expansion draft, however, that they actually added some players to their roster.
The other 12 teams were allowed to protect six players, including those on the current roster and those whose draft rights they hold, making them ineligible for selection. Once the protected lists were turned in to the league, that created a pool of players from which the Valkyries pick. They could only choose one player from each of the other 12 teams, however, and one player in total who is an unrestricted free agent this winter.
"We're trying to build a very, very competitive culture, we're gonna play fast paced, and we're gonna shoot some 3s," Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said prior to the draft. "I have three non-negotiables [in players]. They have to be ultra competitive, they have to really love winning, and they have to hate to lose. They have to be high character, they have to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. And they have to have a never satisfied mindset. I like players that like to play with a chip on their shoulder."
Valkyries' expansion draft selections
| Former team | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
Iliana Rupert | Center | |
Maria Conde | Forward | |
Veronica Burton | Guard | |
Carla Leite | Guard | |
Temi Fagbenle | Center | |
Kate Martin | Guard | |
Stephanie Talbot | Forward | |
Cecilia Zandalasini | Forward | |
Kayla Thornton | Forward | |
Monique Billings | Forward | |
Pass | N/A | |
Julie Vanloo | Guard |
The biggest surprise of the night was that the Fever left Temi Fagbenle unprotected. She formed a strong connection with Caitlin Clark last season and had a plus-6.3 net rating differential. In fact, the veteran center was so important to the Fever's success after the Olympic break that she was inserted into the starting lineup for their final playoff game. It would be interesting to see who the Fever protected instead of her, but the league has decided not to release that information.
Another notable decision was that the Valkyries passed on selecting anyone from the Seattle Storm. They were not required to take a player from each roster, and decided that no one left unprotected by Seattle made sense for their project. Instead, they left that roster spot open ahead of their inaugural offseason.
Now that the expansion draft is complete, the Valkyries can operate like any other team the rest of the winter. That includes making trades, signing free agents and participating in the 2025 WNBA Draft, where they will have the No. 5 overall pick. It's also worth noting that the players the Valkyries selected -- some of whom are free agents -- are not guaranteed a roster spot.
The Valkyries' first game is set for opening night of the 2025 season on May 16 at home against the Los Angeles Sparks.