SAN FRANCISCO Reaching every player with the news before they heard it elsewhere was the first obstacle after general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and her Golden State Valkyries staff had determined which players to select in the WNBA expansion draft.
This required taking into account possible sleep schedules, time zones, practice hours, and game schedules. When the roster started to take shape on Friday night, it all looked justified.
According to Nyanin, they are all a part of history and are going to be a part of something that is being created from the ground up.
Nyanin stated, “I just want these players to be happy.” I want them to realize how fortunate they are to have the chance to become historians. Your entire experience will change once you put on that jersey and sit in front of a crowded Chase Center.
The first players for the new Bay Area team that will start play next season were chosen by the Valkyries on Friday: forward Maria Conde from Chicago, guards Veronica Burton of Connecticut and Carla Leite of Dallas, and center Iliana Rupert from Atlanta.
Indiana center Temi Fagbenle, Las Vegas guard Kate Martin, Los Angeles forwards Steph Talbot, Cecilia Zandalasini of Minnesota, Kayla Thornton of New York, and Monique Billings of Phoenix, and Washington guard Julie Vanloo completed Golden State’s 11-woman roster. There was no Seattle player selected by the Valkyries.
After leading the Liberty to a WNBA championship, Thornton is feeling very proud. After averaging 11.5 minutes and 2.6 points as a rookie with the Aces, Martin, a second-round draft pick this year who played with Caitlin Clark at Iowa, could see a significant increase in playing time and productivity.
It’s a really awesome chance. I’m incredibly appreciative to be involved. According to Martin, the new WNBA squad is a part of history. It has been a very long time since they conducted an expansion draft. Being a part of it is absolutely awesome, and I’m honored that they picked me. Simply put, it will be a lot of fun. They will undoubtedly be hostile, and we will be adding more personnel. That’s what makes it so much fun to watch the roster come together and see how training camp will look.
According to Nyanin, forming a new team is a complicated procedure.
Nyanin, who also discussed trades, stated, “I think these athletes are a really good step forward in our journey.” The blank canvas thrilled me, but it was blank behind closed doors. My team and I worked very hard on it because no one’s name just showed up or anything. Since these are eleven human beings, I want to keep highlighting the intricacies around it. They all had the same thought, and they are members of the Golden State Valkyries. They either woke up today or are still asleep.
When free agency begins in February, the team intends to be operational.
Golden State discussed each player’s potential fit in a new system and conducted in-depth scouting.
According to coach Natalie Nakase, it’s a lengthy process, but it’s also a fantastic one for us. We sort of went through a loop where we worked together, talked, went to see a movie, and then did it again. This pattern continued for approximately two months. In the end, we selected the top players who matched our culture. As a result, we are eager and eager to begin.
Since the Atlanta Dream joined the WNBA in 2008, this was the league’s first expansion draft in sixteen years.
Each of the other 12 WNBA teams allowed Golden State to purchase the contract or negotiation rights to one of their players. One league player who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent may also be selected by the Valkyries.
The Valkyries will practice at the team’s Oakland training facility across the bay and play at Chase Center, the Golden State Warriors’ five-year-old home.
Warriors player Draymond Green, who missed Thursday’s victory against the Houston Rockets due to injury, wore a Valkyries jersey with the number 25 on the back for the first season of 2025.
The excitement in San Francisco and elsewhere is already high.
And when the players were first called upon, there was enthusiasm on both sides.
According to Nyanin, we had some excellent responses. The three of us discussed it in private, asking ourselves if we should have taped it or if we should have a screen capture or whatever. I am glad that we didn’t. We will have the opportunity to spend that time together, just the four of us, with each of the other athletes.
— Janie McCauley, athletic writer for AP
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