Due to Friday night’s growth draft, the Golden State Valkryies lastly have a workforce. The WNBA’s thirteenth workforce picked the next gamers, all of whom had been left unprotected by their earlier squads.
- Kayla Thornton (New York Liberty)
- Monique Billings (Phoenix Mercury)
- Julie Vanloo (Washington Mystics)
- Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles Spark)
- Cecilia Zandalasini (Minnesota Lynx)
- Temi Fagbenle (Indiana Fever)
- Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces)
- Veronica Burton (Connecticut Solar)
- Maria Conde (Chicago Sky)
- Iliana Rupert (Atlanta Dream)
- Carla Leite (Dallas Wings)
The primary 8 gamers on that listing had been lively within the WNBA final season, whereas the latter three are gamers that current groups had rights to — however not gamers that had been actively taking part in for WNBA groups in 2024.
Right here’s who gained and who misplaced within the Golden State Valkyries growth draft.
Winners
Natalie Nakase and Valkyries
This one is perhaps too apparent, however it must be mentioned. On all fronts, the Valkyries are in an ideal scenario heading into the 2025 WNBA season. Not solely have they got a dependable possession group paired with one of many NBA’s most profitable trendy franchises (the Golden State Warriors), they now even have at the very least the skeleton of their 2025 roster, and it’s not a nasty place to begin.
Veronica Burton, Temi Fangbenle, and Kayla Thornton are three extremely efficient defenders the Valkyries can construct round whereas Carla Leite is an elite European prospect who might finally be a cornerstone of this roster if she decides to return to the WNBA. The Valkyries didn’t tackle any huge contracts right here, so that they’re well-positioned to make a splash in free company whereas additionally stocking up on rights to abroad expertise. The combination of veterans, like Thornton, and younger gamers, like Kate Martin, additionally places them in good place for subsequent season.
The Valkyries prioritized tradition matches when assembling this roster, mentioned head coach Natalie Nakase on ESPN.
“We’re making an attempt to construct a really, very aggressive tradition,” mentioned Nakase. “We’re going to play a quick tempo, and clearly, we’re going to shoot some threes. That’s what we’re going to do.”
The primary-year head coach additionally outlined three non-negotiable traits she needed all Valkyries gamers to have, and at first look, gamers on the Valkyries’ inaugural roster replicate these traits.
- Be ultra-competitive. “They’ve to essentially love profitable, and hate to lose,” she mentioned.
- Have excessive character: “htey need to sacrifice for the larger good of the workforce, all the time.”
- Preserve a never-satisfied mindset: “They need to play with slightly chip on their shoulder.”
Worldwide basketball
Immediately, it is a very worldwide roster. Of the 11 gamers that had been chosen, six had been born exterior of the U.S: Iliana Rupert (France), Carla Leite (France), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy), Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Maria Conde (Spain).
Three of the gamers chosen by the Valkyries didn’t play within the WNBA final yr to prioritize their abroad tasks: Rupert, Leite, and Conde. It’s unclear what their plans are for the approaching season. Regardless, the Valkyries’ alternatives sign the expansion of girls’s basketball abroad.
Kate Martin
Martin was a great slot in, and reportedly very well-liked, in Las Vegas. However, at 24 years previous and contemporary off of her first season within the league, she’s nonetheless creating and is probably going a fair higher match on the Valkyries.
“I’m actually excited,” Martin mentioned on ESPN moments after the information broke. “This league is all about alternative and also you simply want one shot, proper? I’m very grateful for the Aces and every part that I received to study there, however I’m actually excited for this new starting and to construct one thing from the bottom up with the Valkyries.”
Losers
Kayla Thornton
Thornton was a veteran on a Liberty workforce that has a great likelihood at repeating subsequent season. It was a great scenario the place she noticed constant bench minutes and appeared to be a robust tradition match.
Now, she’s headed to a brand-new group that probably gained’t contend within the close to time period. Thornton would possibly relish the possibility — the Valkyries are an thrilling franchise that can be well-resourced from the soar, and she or he might very properly have an even bigger position in Golden State than she did in New York. However, if her aim was so as to add to her championship rely, she was in a reasonably good scenario in New York.
Connecticut Solar
Veronica Burton is a considerable loss for a Solar workforce that enters an offseason of uncertainty. Burton was a more-than-serviceable back-up level guard — and a seamless match on the Solar roster after she was acquired midseason. She was tasked with guarding opposing workforce’s high guards when within the ball sport and supplied beginning guard DiJonai Carrington with much-needed reduction.
Connecticut probably needed to make the troublesome determination of defending both Olivia Nelson-Ododa or Burton, and it seems that the Solar went with the previous, doubtlessly in anticipation of doubtless dropping a publish participant in free company. Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones are all unrestricted free brokers this summer season, and Carrington is a restricted free agent. In a super world, the Solar would run it again with their backcourt trio of Ty Harris, Carrington, and Burton, however the Valkyries had different plans.
Because of this, Connecticut was one of many few groups to lose an impactful rotation participant — and with a lot offseason uncertainty, they weren’t in an ideal place to lose a key participant.
Indiana Fever
Like Connecticut, Indiana misplaced out on a key participant within the Valkyries growth draft: Temi Fagbenle. The 32-year-old averaged 6.4 factors on 50.9% capturing and 4.7 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per sport final season for Indiana. She usually served as one of many workforce’s most dependable rim runners and was a well-rounded and dependable defender. Belief in Fagbenle grew all through the season; she even began Indiana’s ultimate playoff sport rather than NaLyssa Smith.
The Fever are well-positioned for the longer term, centered round a core comprised of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. Fagbenle wasn’t going to make or break the roster. Nonetheless, she appeared to be a fixture of the locker room and finally established herself as considered one of Indiana’s most dependable bench gamers.