Throughout Friday’s growth draft, televised dwell on ESPN, the Valkyries chosen 11 gamers to start filling out their inaugural roster for the 2025 season, and there have been some surprises. Maybe foremost amongst them: Golden State made no trades (over the past WNBA growth draft in 2008, the Atlanta Dream made three).
There’s a world really feel to the Valkyries’ picks. Seven of their 11 selections hail from exterior the USA, together with a pair of former draft picks (Maria Conde and Carla Leite) who’ve but to play within the WNBA.
Moreover, Golden State appears to be organising for a splash in subsequent 12 months’s free company. The Valkyries chosen simply three gamers at present underneath contract for 2025, giving them ample cap house to pursue greater stars who weren’t obtainable within the growth draft. On the similar time, Golden State did not come out of the growth draft with any additional draft picks to construct a core of younger expertise.
Total, I would give the Valkyries a B-. I assumed they targeted a bit an excessive amount of on constructing the absolute best 2025 roster, relatively than an prolonged outlook that may have prioritized youthful expertise and trades for picks.
Let’s run via all 11 selections and what they imply for Golden State, sorting them from my favourite selections to my least favourite ones primarily based on which different gamers may need been obtainable.
In the course of 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. But Indiana apparently selected to guard gamers underneath contract over Fagbenle, who can be a restricted free agent. Golden State will have the ability to match any supply sheet made to Fagbenle by one other group.
Fagbenle spent the previous 5 years abroad, and he or she’s already 32. However her savvy sport and worldwide expertise ought to match effectively with the Valkyries’ younger expertise.
Carla Leite, G
Dallas Wings
Unsigned draft choose
Though she is not well-known stateside, Leite might contribute extra to Golden State than any participant taken within the growth draft. The No. 9 choose by Dallas final 12 months, Leite will not flip 20 till April and is already an vital participant on EuroLeague Villeneuve d’Ascq, averaging 14.5 factors and three.8 assists this season.
The one concern — and maybe the explanation the Wings opted to not shield her — is Leite’s availability for the WNBA, which might be difficult as she strikes into the French nationwide group after taking part in on the junior stage.
I had Burton on Connecticut’s protected listing, however the Solar presumably made the affordable alternative to guard heart Olivia Nelson-Ododa as an alternative. The No. 7 choose of the 2022 draft by the Wings, Burton was waived in 2023 after beginning 13 video games then discovered a second likelihood with the Solar. Improved 3-point taking pictures (35%, up from 27.5% in two seasons in Dallas) helped Burton keep on the court docket lengthy sufficient to shine defensively.
As a result of Burton has simply three years of expertise, she’s a reserved free agent, and the Valkyries will inherit her unique negotiating rights.
I am shocked the Aces left Martin unprotected. As a second-round choose, Martin proved she will contribute within the WNBA throughout her rookie season, beating out increased draft picks to develop 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 one among Martin’s largest supporters final season.
The one growth draft choose on a rookie contract, Martin has two extra non-protected seasons earlier than Golden State should resolve on her group choice for 2027. That deal might show particularly invaluable with an anticipated bounce within the WNBA wage camp after the 2025 marketing campaign.
One of many 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 Sport 5 of the WNBA Finals, however they needed to prioritize defending their 5 starters and youthful reserve Nyara Sabally.
That is why New York had regarded like a great choice to make a deal to guard their gamers, together with Thornton and youthful choices Marquesha Davis (the No. 11 choose in April) and Marine Johannes (a reserved free agent who would have introduced unique negotiating rights).
It is not completely clear how Thornton, who turned 32 in October, matches on an growth group. But when the Valkyries can land an enormous identify or two in free company, taking Thornton will make extra sense. Alternatively, they may attempt to commerce her to a different contender through the offseason or forward of the 2025 deadline.
Together 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 principles of the growth draft permit the Valkyries to waive these gamers and never have their wage hit their cap, however there’s little purpose for that. Golden State is already sitting on $1.2 million in cap house, the league’s second-highest complete after the Solar, in line with Richard Cohen of HerHoopStats.
One other 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 taking part in 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 one among their 2023 draft picks obtainable, both No. 2 choose Diamond Miller or All-Rookie choice Dorka Juhasz, and it is fascinating that Golden State went for Zandalasini over a type of youthful choices.
Iliana Rupert, C
Atlanta Dream
Suspended — contract expired
A primary-round choose 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. As a result of she opted to sit down out the ultimate season of her rookie contract to play for host France within the Olympics, Rupert can negotiate completely with the Valkyries, just like a reserved free agent.
Maria Conde, F
Chicago Sky
Unsigned draft choose
A 3rd-round choose 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 advised The Athletic in 2022 that her curiosity in taking part in within the league is secondary to taking part in for her nationwide group. “If there wasn’t the nationwide group, for certain I might be making an attempt to go,” Conde stated. “However nationwide group, that is sort of just like the precedence for me in the summertime.”
Vanloo wasn’t on the prime of my listing of gamers doubtlessly obtainable from Washington. She began 34 video games in her first WNBA marketing campaign at age 31 as a world 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 likely to be relying on Vanloo to regulate higher to the WNBA 3-point line in Yr 2.
The massive identify from the Mystics was unrestricted free agent Elena Delle Donne. Even when Delle Donne 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 shocking alternative as a result of Billings was the one unrestricted free agent the Valkyries have 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 thought of taking an unrestricted free agent within the growth draft is giving Golden State the chance to make use of its core designation. That may 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 most likely passing on selecting a participant from the Mercury altogether, so they may simply view this to start their relationship with Billings earlier than free company.
Move
Seattle Storm
Golden State did certainly decide to not choose a participant from Seattle. As a result of the Storm has so many unrestricted free brokers — one among whom, Nneka Ogwumike, was ineligible for the draft by advantage of getting performed the utmost two years on core contracts — the Valkyries’ solely lifelike alternative was most likely taking the draft rights to 2024 third-round choose Mackenzie Holmes. Golden State may favor to take a look at its personal picks in coaching camp.