The Valkyries have already distinguished themselves as one of the league's most dangerous teams this season. The team's defensive intensity, paired with the scoring potential of Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton, has made this team hard to beat, and now, with a complete roster, there's no telling where their limit is.
Juste Jocyte, the Valkyries first draft pick in franchise history, has been highly anticipated for Golden State fans. After being drafted No. 5 in the 2025 Draft, Jocyte opted to stay in Europe, where she played for Spar Girona in Spain, which finished 4th in the EuroLeague. The 20-year-old averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Jocyte recently touched down in the States and practiced with the Valkyries for the first time on Sunday. Coach Nakase praised how fast she's "picked things up," but also acknowledged how little she's gotten to see of the young phenom. Despite this apparent unfamiliarity with the exact role Jocyte will play for the team, she checked in for the first time on Monday.
Jocyte only played five minutes, but the potential fans have been waiting for was immediately on display. In the blink of an eye, the Lithuanian guard curled around a screen and shot a quick 2 to score her first ever WNBA points. A few possessions later, she spotted up for a 3, sinking it on the way to a dominant 97-70 win against the Connecticut Sun.
Justė's Ballhalla debut is here 🙂↔️🙂↔️🙂↔️ pic.twitter.com/vnH5M1MsvX
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 26, 2026
Depth is going to be key to the Valkyries’ success
Cecilia Zandalasini and Ashten Prechtel also made their season debuts for the Valkyries, scoring six and five points, respectively. In fact, 12 of the team's 13 active players scored on Monday, tying a WNBA record. Of course, this was against the worst team in the league, so we cannot make drastic claims based on this game, but the team's potential for greatness really shone tonight as they got stops, scored in transition, and shot impressively from beyond the arc.
"This is a long season. This is a real long season, so our depth is gonna be our strength," said Williams after the game. Based on what we've seen this season, she's absolutely correct: the best thing this team does is let its stars rest while the second unit works hard. Williams led all scorers with 15 points in the game against the Sun, but only had to play 18 minutes due to Kaitlyn Chen, Laeticia Amihere, Tiffany Hayes, and Janelle Salaün producing on their own.
When you add Jocyte and the rest of the roster to that equation, it's hard to see this Valkyries squad dropping many games. They can score from everywhere on the floor and to stop any team's best player from doing the same, all while having a textbook mixture of veteran presence and youthful energy.
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