The Valkyries use the expansion draft to lay the foundation for a tough roster. originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The runway was built, the parts were secured, and finally, finally. The Golden State Valkyries are revving their engines.
The Bay Area’s next professional sports franchise took the first step toward building its roster Friday by selecting 11 players, including four guards, five forwards and two centers. In the WNBA Expansion Draft. Among the notables are Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin and Indiana Fever center/forward Temi Fagbenle.
Coach Natalie Nakase We made our priorities clear.
“We’re going to do our best on defense,” she said Friday on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Pregame Live.” “I’ve said that over and over again. We will be grumbling. We’re going to have a hard time. Every player we choose is battle tested. That means we’ll do whatever it takes to win.
“Offensively, we’re going to play the right way. The focus will be on execution. And we will focus on small details. “The little details matter in our offense.”
There is a large international presence on Golden State’s roster as seven of the 11 players have played on multiple continents.
The 12 existing WNBA teams were each allowed to protect six players, with the remainder (whose rights belong to the team or are on the active roster) offered to the Valkyries. They could pick one unprotected player. Golden State decided not to select anyone from the Seattle Storm.
“We’re competitive,” general manager Ohemaa Nyanin told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Every athlete has a chip on their shoulder. They are ready to work. Many of them haven’t been given the biggest platform within the WNBA, especially one to play on. Why not in the bay? Let’s go make ‘Herstory’ together.”
The following is an alphabetical list of those chosen as founding members of the Valkyries.
Monique Billings (Phoenix Mercury): The 6-foot-4 forward out of UCLA, a second-round draft pick in 2018, played for three different teams last season, splitting 37 games (13 starts) between Dallas and Phoenix.
Veronica Burton (Connecticut Sun): The 5-foot-9 guard out of Northwestern was selected by Dallas with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft but was waived after two seasons.
Maria Conde (Chicago Sky): The 6-foot-1 guard, who most recently joined the Sky’s roster, has spent the last six seasons in Europe, four of them playing for USK Prague in the Czech League. The Sky have held draft rights since 2019, but she has yet to make her WNBA debut.
temi Fagbenle (from Indiana Fever): The 6-foot-4 center, who played collegiately at Harvard and USC, was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Lynx in 2016. After five years abroad, she returned to the W with Fever last January. Fagbenle, 32, is the oldest member of the team.
Carla Leite (Dallas Wings): The 5-foot-9 guard, who grew up in France and attended Tony Parker Academy High School, was the Wings’ first-round pick (9th overall) in the 2024 draft but decided to remain overseas. At 20 years old, she is the youngest member of Valkyrie.
Kate Martin (from Ace): The 6-foot guard, who was a teammate of Kaitlyn Clark at the University of Iowa, was selected in the second round of the 2024 draft. On a Las Vegas roster loaded with star guards, she appeared in 34 games and made two starts as a rookie.
Illyana Rupert (from Atlanta Dream): The 6-foot-4 center was selected by the Aces in the first round of the 2021 draft (12th overall) and was part of the 2022 championship team. She won a silver medal as she prepares to compete with the French national team at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles Sparks): The 6-foot-2 forward was drafted in the third round in 2014 but has played most of his professional career in his native Australia. She appeared in 37 games (10 starts) for LA last season, ranking fourth on the all-time list.
Kayla Thornton (from Liberty, New York): Undrafted in 2014, the 6-foot-1 forward has spent her professional career globe-trotting, playing on three continents while also dipping her toes in the WNBA. She is considered a defense expert.
Julie Vanru (Washington Mystics): The 5-foot-8 point guard, who was born in Belgium, played overseas for 10 years before joining the Mystics last season. She played in all 40 games last season, making 34 starts, averaging 7.4 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Cecilia Jandalacini (Minnesota Lynx): The 6-foot-2 forward from Italy signed with the Lynx as an unrestricted free agent in 2017 but has spent most of his professional career in Europe. After spending three seasons in Europe, he renewed his contract with Minnesota last April.
The next step in building the Valkyries is free agency in February. The Valkyries made careful selections in the expansion draft, ensuring they have plenty of cap space to explore the market. Stars like Skylar Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, Brianna Jones, and DeWanna Bonner are available.
Golden State holds the 5th, 17th, and 30th picks in the WNBA draft on April 14.
“After we finish the first part of our journey, we want to bring in the next player who wants to hold Valkyrie close to their heart,” Nyanin said.
