The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion franchise since 2008, were first introduced back in October of 2023. It wasn’t until Friday night’s highly-anticipated expansion draft, however, that they actually added some players to their roster.
The other 12 teams were allowed to protect six players, including those on the current roster and those whose draft rights they hold, making them ineligible for selection. Once the protected lists were turned in to the league, that created a pool of players from which the Valkyries pick. They could only choose one player from each of the other 12 teams, however, and one player in total who is an unrestricted free agent this winter.
“We’re trying to build a very, very competitive culture, we’re gonna play fast paced, and we’re gonna shoot some 3s,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said prior to the draft. “I have three non-negotiables [in players]. They have to be ultra competitive, they have to really love winning, and they have to hate to lose. They have to be high character, they have to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. And they have to have a never satisfied mindset. I like players that like to play with a chip on their shoulder.”
