It's been a month since the Liberty paraded through the Canyon of Heroes with the WNBA Championship trophy.
The cheery cries of fans that filled the streets that day have been replaced by car horns, and the white confetti that danced in the streets has long since disappeared.
But general manager Jonathan Kolb has already stepped up efforts to keep the Liberty's championship slot wide open for at least another year as he prepares for the WNBA's first expansion draft since 2008. .
The league's expansion into more markets has been talked about for years, and it's finally happening. The WNBA plans to expand from 12 teams to 15 within the next two years.
The first round of expansion will take place in 2025 when the Golden State Valkyries make their debut. The main thing the Valkyries are missing right now is an actual roster.
That's where the expansion draft comes in on Dec. 6 (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Here's what you need to know: The Valkyries, like the Warriors, will play their home games at San Francisco's Chase Center starting next season, and the team's home base will be at the Warriors' old practice facility in Oakland.
Who is Valkyrie?
Warriors owner and venture capitalist Joe Lacob has long said he would like to bring a WNBA team to the Bay Area.
The Warriors have officially won a bid to bring a WNBA franchise to the Bay Area in October 2023. In May, the franchise revealed that they would be known as Valkyries. Valkyries comes from Norse mythology and is a word that refers to many female warriors. Fearless and unwavering, he flies through the skies and seas alike, according to a press release.
Under Lacob, the Warriors won four NBA Finals and made six Finals appearances in eight years, establishing a reputation as a perennial winner. He is expected to bring the same mentality to the Valkyries.
Golden State has named former Liberty assistant general manager Ohemaa Nyanin the team's first general manager. She was instrumental in hiring former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase as the first head coach.
How do extended drafts work?
Each of the WNBA's 12 teams was to submit a list of six “protected players” to Valkyrie by Monday afternoon. Players not listed as protected will be acquired by Golden State.
The Valkyries will then have the opportunity to acquire the contract or rights to one unprotected player per team.
It also allows them to forego selecting players from specific teams and maintain additional roster flexibility for free agency and next spring's draft, where they retain the No. 5 overall pick.
Which players are eligible to be drafted?
In addition to players signed to 2025 contracts, pending free agents and unsigned draft picks (such as players based overseas) will not be eligible to be acquired by the Valkyries from their current organization. must be protected by. If selected, the Valkyries would maintain the same rights to the player as his previous team.
The Valkyries can acquire up to one player who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in February. But those players don't need protection because they can't acquire players like Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner who are on core player contracts for at least two seasons.
Which players are protected?
The WNBA has chosen not to release its player list. This is different from the NHL, which recently made protected/unprotected player lists available for the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken expansion drafts. The recent NWSL expansion draft was no different.
What else could happen?
The Valkyries could sign a deal with another team in exchange for draft picks or other assets to avoid drafting an unprotected player. Similarly, the Valkyries could use the power they have in the expansion draft to orchestrate a multi-team trade that could send players to teams other than Golden State.
It's worth noting that these types of trades likely won't be completed until January to avoid the team hitting the cap in 2024.
When is the next expansion draft?
The Toronto and Portland franchises are scheduled to begin play in 2026. The expansion draft for these future teams is scheduled to take place next year.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league will pursue expansion into the 16th market as interest remains high. Just last week, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert threw his hat into the ring to bring the team back to Cleveland. St. Louis and Philadelphia have also been mentioned as future locations.
