Thanks to Friday night's expansion draft, the Golden State Valkrees finally have a team. The WNBA's 13th team has selected the following players, all of whom remain unprotected by their previous teams.
- Kayla Thornton (New York Liberty)
- Monique Billings (Phoenix Mercury)
- Julie Vanloo (Washington Mystics)
- Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Cecilia Zandarasini (Minnesota Lynx)
- Temi Fagbenle (Indiana Fever)
- Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces)
- Veronica Burton (Connecticut Sun)
- Maria Conde (Chicago Sky)
- Ileana Rupert (Atlanta Dream)
- Carla Leite (Dallas Wings)
The first eight players on that list played in the WNBA last season, while the last three are players whose existing teams had rights to them but are not actively playing for a WNBA team in 2024.
Here's who won and who lost in the Golden State Valkyries' expansion draft.
winner
Natalie Nakase and Valkyrie
This may be too obvious, but it has to be said. On all fronts, Valkyrie is in great shape heading into 2025 WNBA season. Not only do they have a reliable ownership group combined with one of the most successful modern franchises in the NBA (Golden State Warriors), but they also have the bones of at least a 2025 roster, starting with Not bad for a location.
Veronica Barton, Temi Van Benle, and Kayla Thornton are three very capable defenders the Valkyries can build around, while Carla Leite is an elite prospect in Europe and has a lot of potential for her coming to the WNBA. If he decides to, he could end up being a cornerstone of this roster. The Valkyries don't have any big contracts here, which puts them in a good position to make a splash in free agency while stocking up on the rights to acquire overseas talent. The combination of a veteran like Thornton and a young player like Kate Martin will also put them in a good position for next season.
Head coach Natalie Nakase said on ESPN that the Valkyries prioritized culture fit when building this roster.
“We are trying to build a very competitive culture,” Nakase said. “We're going to play at a fast pace and obviously we're going to shoot some threes. That's what we're going to do.”
The first-year head coach has also outlined three non-negotiable traits that he wants every Valkyrie player to have, and at first glance, the players on the Valkyrie's initial roster reflect these traits. I am doing it.
- Be very competitive. “They really have to love winning and hate losing,” she said.
- Have high character. “You always have to make sacrifices for the greater good of the team.”
- Maintain a never-satisfied mindset of “They have to play even with a little chip on their shoulder.”
international basketball
As you'll soon see, this is a very international roster. Of the 11 players selected, Iliana Rupert (France), Carla Leite (France), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Cecilia Zandarasini (Italy), Stéphanie Talbot (Australia), Maria Conde (Spain) ) were born outside the United States. ).
Three of the Valkyrie players, Rupert, Leite and Conde, did not play in the WNBA last year as they prioritized their responsibilities overseas. It's unclear what plans they have for next season. Either way, the selection of the Valkyries shows the growth of women's basketball overseas.
kate martin
Martin was reportedly a great fit for Las Vegas and was well-liked. However, at 24 years old and just completing her first season in the league, she is still developing and would probably be an even better fit for the Valkyries.
“I'm really excited,” Martin told ESPN shortly after the news broke. “This league is all about chances and all it takes is one shot, right? I'm so grateful for the Aces and everything I learned there, but for this new beginning and building something from the ground up with the Valkyries.” I’m really excited to do it.”
loser
Kayla Thornton
Thornton is a veteran of the Liberty team, and there's a good chance he'll stick around next season. It was a good situation where she logged consistent bench time and appeared to be a strong culture fit.
Now she's headed to a brand new organization that won't compete in the short term. Thornton might enjoy the opportunity. The Valkyries are an exciting franchise that could get plenty of resources from the jump, and she could very well play a bigger role in Golden State than in New York. But if her goal was to win more championships, she was in a pretty good place in New York.
san, connecticut
Veronica Barton is a big loss for the Sun Team as they enter an offseason filled with uncertainty. Barton is a fully serviceable backup point guard and was a perfect fit on the Sun's roster after being acquired midway through the season. She was tasked with guarding the opposing team's top guard in ball games and provided much-needed relief to starting guard Dijonai Carrington.
Connecticut likely had to make a difficult decision to keep either Olivia Nelson-Ododa or Barton, with the Sun likely opting for the former considering the possibility of losing a post player in free agency. Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Breonna Jones will all become unrestricted free agents this summer, while Carrington will become a restricted free agent. In an ideal world, the Suns would turn things around with a backcourt trio of Ty Harris, Carrington, and Burton, but the Valkyries had other plans.
As a result, Connecticut was one of the few teams to lose an impactful rotation player, but with so much uncertainty in the offseason, they weren't in the best position to lose a key player. There wasn't.
indiana fever
Like Connecticut, Indiana also lost a key player, Temi Fagbenle, to the Valkyries in the expansion draft. The 32-year-old averaged 6.4 points, 50.9 percent shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game for Indiana University last season. She often served as one of the team's most reliable rim runners and was also a well-rounded and reliable defender. Confidence in Fagbenle grew throughout the season. She also started in Indiana's final playoff game in place of Nalyssa Smith.
The Fever is well-positioned for the future, with a core of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. Fagbenle had no intention of joining the roster or killing the roster. Still, she seemed to be a fixture in the locker room and eventually established herself as one of Indiana's most reliable bench players.
