The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery is in the books, which means it’s time for the league to turn its attention to the next major item on the offseason agenda: the expansion draft to determine the Golden State Valkyries’ roster.
After years of discussion, expansion has finally arrived. The Valkyries, first announced in October 2023, will begin play in the 2025 season. They are the first new team to enter the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, and will be followed next season by yet unnamed Toronto and Portland franchises.
In order to fill out the Valkyries’ roster, the league will hold an expansion draft on Dec. 6. For a full explanation of the process, go here.
The short of it is this: the Valkyries can pick up to 12 players, but no more than one from each of the other 12 teams. The current teams, meanwhile, can protect six players who will be ineligible for selection. That includes those on the current roster, as well as those whose draft rights they hold.
The current teams must have their lists turned in to the league by Monday, which will give the Valkyries time to make decisions and discuss potential trades. Unfortunately, those lists will not be made public, but we can still predict…
