On Friday, the Golden State Valkyries will introduce the first players in franchise history, added via the expansion draft (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
After projecting which six players the existing 12 WNBA teams might choose to protect, and explaining which players aren’t eligible for the expansion draft, now it’s time to break down who Golden State might end up drafting on Friday — with a twist.
As in the real expansion draft, we’re including trades where teams either get the Valkyries not to select some of their most talented players left unprotected or to choose a particular player. Those deals could be a mechanism for Golden State to add extra picks on top of the No. 5 selection in next April’s WNBA draft, plus choices in the second and third round.
I’ll be using my versions of protected lists as a starting point for the Valkyries, who can choose one unprotected player from every team. And, as in Friday’s expansion draft, I’ll have one spot to use on an unrestricted free agent that Golden State can choose to make its core player when free agency opens.
Keeping those ground rules in mind,…
