During Friday’s growth draft, televised stay on ESPN, the Valkyries chosen 11 gamers to start filling out their inaugural roster for the 2025 season, and there have been some surprises. Perhaps foremost amongst them: Golden State made no trades (over the last WNBA growth draft in 2008, the Atlanta Dream made three).
There’s a global really feel to the Valkyries’ picks. Seven of their 11 selections hail from exterior the United States, together with a pair of former draft picks (Maria Conde and Carla Leite) who’ve but to play within the WNBA.
Additionally, Golden State appears to be establishing for a splash in subsequent 12 months’s free company. The Valkyries chosen simply three gamers at present below contract for 2025, giving them ample cap area to pursue greater stars who weren’t accessible within the growth draft. At the identical time, Golden State did not come out of the growth draft with any further draft picks to construct a core of younger expertise.
Overall, I’d give the Valkyries a B-. I believed they targeted a bit an excessive amount of on constructing the very best 2025 roster, fairly than an prolonged outlook that may have prioritized youthful expertise and trades for picks.
Let’s run by means of all 11 selections and what they imply for Golden State, sorting them from my favourite selections to my least favourite ones based mostly on which different gamers might need been accessible.
During the Fever’s closing sport of the 2024 playoffs, Fagbenle began and performed 35 minutes, ending one level and one rebound away from a double-double. Yet Indiana apparently selected to guard gamers below contract over Fagbenle, who might be a restricted free agent. Golden State will have the ability to match any provide sheet made to Fagbenle by one other crew.
Fagbenle spent the previous 5 years abroad, and he or she’s already 32. But her savvy sport and worldwide expertise ought to match effectively with the Valkyries’ younger expertise.
Carla Leite, G
Dallas Wings
Unsigned draft decide
Although she is not well-known stateside, Leite may contribute extra to Golden State than any participant taken within the growth draft. The No. 9 decide by Dallas final 12 months, Leite will not flip 20 till April and is already an necessary participant on EuroLeague Villeneuve d’Ascq, averaging 14.5 factors and three.8 assists this season.
The one concern — and maybe the rationale the Wings opted to not defend her — is Leite’s availability for the WNBA, which could possibly be difficult as she strikes into the French nationwide crew after enjoying on the junior degree.
I had Burton on Connecticut’s protected checklist, however the Sun presumably made the affordable alternative to guard middle Olivia Nelson-Ododa as a substitute. The No. 7 decide of the 2022 draft by the Wings, Burton was waived in 2023 after beginning 13 video games then discovered a second probability with the Sun. Improved 3-point capturing (35%, up from 27.5% in two seasons in Dallas) helped Burton keep on the courtroom lengthy sufficient to shine defensively.
Because Burton has simply three years of expertise, she’s a reserved free agent, and the Valkyries will inherit her unique negotiating rights.
I’m shocked the Aces left Martin unprotected. As a second-round decide, Martin proved she will contribute within the WNBA throughout her rookie season, beating out increased draft picks to turn into the one participant on a rookie contract in Las Vegas’ rotation. Golden State’s curiosity ought to have come as no shock to the Aces. Per league sources, former Las Vegas assistant coach and new Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was considered one of Martin’s largest supporters final season.
The solely growth draft decide on a rookie contract, Martin has two extra non-protected seasons earlier than Golden State should determine on her crew choice for 2027. That deal may show particularly invaluable with an anticipated leap within the WNBA wage camp after the 2025 marketing campaign.
One of the league’s higher perimeter defenders, Thornton began 11 video games final season for the Liberty, the place Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin — previously New York’s assistant GM — was a part of the deal that added Thornton and Finals MVP Jonquel Jones. The Liberty will miss Thornton, who performed 21 minutes within the deciding Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, however they needed to prioritize defending their 5 starters and youthful reserve Nyara Sabally.
That’s why New York had appeared like a very good choice to make a deal to guard their gamers, together with Thornton and youthful choices Marquesha Davis (the No. 11 decide in April) and Marine Johannes (a reserved free agent who would have introduced unique negotiating rights).
It’s not completely clear how Thornton, who turned 32 in October, matches on an growth crew. But if the Valkyries can land a giant title or two in free company, taking Thornton will make extra sense. Alternatively, they may attempt to commerce her to a different contender throughout the offseason or forward of the 2025 deadline.
Along with Thornton, Talbot is the opposite participant Golden State chosen with a protected contract. Talbot signed a one-year extension with the Sparks over the summer season value $125,000, per wage knowledge from HerHoopStats.com. The guidelines of the growth draft permit the Valkyries to waive these gamers and never have their wage hit their cap, however there’s little motive for that. Golden State is already sitting on $1.2 million in cap area, the league’s second-highest complete after the Sun, in line with Richard Cohen of HerHoopStats.
Another 3-and-D wing, Talbot slumped to 26% past the arc final season however is a profession 36% shooter who was a key reserve for Seattle Storm playoff groups in 2021 and 2022.
Like Fagbenle, Zandalasini went years between her WNBA stints. After enjoying two seasons for the Lynx beginning in 2017, she did not return to Minnesota till final season. Zandalasini was an efficient function participant for the league’s runners-up, making 44% of her 3s and contributing spot minutes within the playoffs.
The Lynx presumably needed to make considered one of their 2023 draft picks accessible, both No. 2 decide Diamond Miller or All-Rookie choice Dorka Juhasz, and it is fascinating that Golden State went for Zandalasini over a kind of youthful choices.
Iliana Rupert, C
Atlanta Dream
Suspended — contract expired
A primary-round decide in 2021, Rupert has but to make a lot impression within the WNBA. She’s been extra productive in EuroLeague play, together with averaging 13.0 factors, 8.8 rebounds and a couple of.8 assists in 4 video games this season for Turkish membership Mersin. Because she opted to sit down out the ultimate season of her rookie contract to play for host France within the Olympics, Rupert can negotiate solely with the Valkyries, much like a reserved free agent.
Maria Conde, F
Chicago Sky
Unsigned draft decide
A 3rd-round decide in 2019, Conde has but to signal a WNBA contract — and it is unclear whether or not we’ll see her in a Valkyries uniform, both. The Spain worldwide informed The Athletic in 2022 that her curiosity in enjoying within the league is secondary to enjoying for her nationwide crew. “If there wasn’t the nationwide crew, for positive I might be making an attempt to go,” Conde stated. “But nationwide crew, that is form of just like the precedence for me in the summertime.”
Vanloo wasn’t on the high of my checklist of gamers probably accessible from Washington. She began 34 video games in her first WNBA marketing campaign at age 31 as a global veteran, however Vanloo was extra of a quantity 3-point shooter (8.6 makes an attempt per 36 minutes) than an correct one (32%). Golden State is perhaps relying on Vanloo to regulate higher to the WNBA 3-point line in Year 2.
The huge title from the Mystics was unrestricted free agent Elena Delle Donne. Even if Delle Donne now not plans to play within the WNBA, Washington possible could not have protected all three of veteran starters Stefanie Dolson and Karlie Samuelson and reserved free agent Emily Engstler. I might have chosen any of them earlier than Vanloo.
This was a stunning alternative as a result of Billings was the one unrestricted free agent the Valkyries had been allowed to decide on. Waived by the Sparks in a roster crunch on the finish of coaching camp, Billings began 12 video games on a hardship contract in Dallas earlier than ending the season in Phoenix.
The concept of taking an unrestricted free agent within the growth draft is giving Golden State the chance to make use of its core designation. That could be an aggressive transfer for Billings, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with Los Angeles in free company final offseason. That stated, the choice for the Valkyries was in all probability passing on selecting a participant from the Mercury altogether, so they could simply view this to start their relationship with Billings earlier than free company.
Pass
Seattle Storm
Golden State did certainly choose to not choose a participant from Seattle. Because the Storm has so many unrestricted free brokers — considered one of whom, Nneka Ogwumike, was ineligible for the draft by advantage of getting performed the utmost two years on core contracts — the Valkyries’ solely reasonable alternative was in all probability taking the draft rights to 2024 third-round decide Mackenzie Holmes. Golden State may desire to take a look at its personal picks in coaching camp.
