The WNBA finally has its first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream joined the league in 2008. Fans had been waiting for this moment for a while already, so excitement for the new Golden State Valkyries was extremely high even before anyone knew who would be on the initial roster.
After the expansion draft on December 6, the Valkyries now officially have their first eleven players. The expansion draft provided the Valkyries with an opportunity to select one unprotected player from each team in the league. Other teams were able to protect their top six players to ensure they would not lose any key pieces.
Despite the protections, the Valkyries got some interesting talent—only the Seattle Storm had no one of interest it appears—and certain picks took fans by surprise.
4. Temi Fagbenle was left unprotected by the Fever
The consensus among Indiana Fever fans seems to have been that the team should protect its starting five from the 2024 season—Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith, and Aaliyah Boston—and Temi Fagbenle. As a result, there were a lot of shocked reactions when the Golden State Valkyries announced that they would draft the Indiana Fever forward.
Fagbenle is currently putting together a great season overseas and will leave a significant hole in the Fever’s frontcourt that is already struggling to incorporate NaLyssa Smith. Before the draft, it seemed that Katie Lou Samuelson would be the most likely Fever player to be selected, as the Valkyries were reportedly looking for players to space the floor.
But every team also needs bigs, and the Valkyries already got several 3-point shooters in the draft.
3. The Lynx did not lose any of their young players
Going into the expansion draft, it was widely expected that the Minnesota Lynx would lose some of their young talent. Between the starting five that played its way to Game 5 of the WNBA Finals and three talented players under the age of 25, it seemed certain that the Lynx would lose one of Diamond Miller, Dorka Juhasz, and Alissa Pili.
Especially the latter was projected to be of great interest to the Valkyries. With the Lynx, Pili did not get many chances to play and could be someone to break out on an expansion team with little incentive to win right away. Instead, the Valkyries selected Cecilia Zandalasini, a floor-spacing, two-way veteran.
Zandalasini may not have been one of the Lynx’s primary contributors in 2024, but she is a great role player, who provides 3-point shooting, size, experience, and defense on the wing. Seeing her selected by the Valkyries was a rather unexpected twist.
2. The Valkyries focused on veteran and international players
When it was first announced that the Valkyries would be joining the WNBA for the 2025 season and hold their expansion draft in December, many fans expected them to have their eyes on young players who have already shown flashes in the WNBA but did not get many chances to play. The Valkyries got one of those players when they snagged Kate Martin from the Las Vegas Aces.
The other players currently on the roster under the age of 25 are Veronica Burton, Carla Leite, and Iliana Rupert. Out of that group, only Burton has significant WNBA experience. Leite and Rupert, who are both French, still have to prove that they can (and want to) succeed in the WNBA.
Other than that, the Valkyries focused on veteran role players, four of which are also international players. Between options to make trades, sign free agents, and secure high picks in the upcoming WNBA Drafts, the Valkyries will still have plenty of chances to land additional young talent. For now, fans can expect to watch a team that will shoot threes, defend, and maybe discover a hidden gem or two among the players yet to make a name for themselves in the WNBA.
1. There were no expansion draft trades
The Valkyries had the option to make trades with the other teams in the league during the expansion draft. It could have been an opportunity for the Valkyries to secure future draft picks and for other teams to persuade Golden State to not draft certain players.
The New York Liberty, for example, had too many impactful rotational players to protect all of them and could have offered the Valkyries a deal to protect Kayla Thornton. Likewise, one could imagine the Las Vegas Aces wanting to keep around Kate Martin even if she did not make the list of protected players.
Apart from the selections, the draft was rather uneventful, though. No trade happened. ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported it was because Ohemaa Nyanin, the Valkyries’ GM, liked the group of players she assembled and wanted to “go all in” with them.
It may be a somewhat surprising decision, but not a bad one. The Valkyries now have several proven veterans, who will likely improve their trade value with the opportunity to play a bigger role on a team that has no established star yet, and young players they can develop. Carla Leite, for example, is only 20 years old and one of the most interesting guard prospects currently playing in the EuroLeague. The Wings spent a first-round pick on her in 2024 for a reason.
As for the veterans on the team, Kayla Thornton is one player teams will likely monitor throughout the 2025 season. She already has a reputation as a proven role player who can help serious contenders, and if she averages 10+ points with the Valkyries while playing well overall, her trade value will only increase.