With the Dallas Wings having received Sunday’s WNBA draft lottery, the main focus of the 12 current groups now shifts towards a really totally different kind of draft: the Golden State Valkyries enlargement draft, the primary within the WNBA since 2008.
Forward of the Dec. 6 announcement of the draft outcomes on ESPN, every present group has till Monday to submit an inventory of as much as six protected gamers, together with each those that completed the season on their roster and all others to whom the group holds rights.
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The inclusion of participant rights, most notably for draft picks who’ve but to return to the WNBA and are “stashed” abroad, may produce attention-grabbing choices on who groups will defend. Conversely, groups haven’t got to guard unrestricted free brokers who’ve already performed the utmost two years on contracts signed with the core designation, taking among the league’s largest names off the desk.
Golden State can select one participant from every group and just one whole unrestricted free agent, who then turns into eligible to be designated a core participant by the Valkyries. With these guidelines in thoughts, let’s make a guess at which gamers every group will defend and who is likely to be out there for Golden State’s inaugural roster.
Roster designations
DP: unsigned draft choose
R: restricted free agent
RS: reserved free agent
S: suspended record and contract expired
U: unrestricted free agent
Projected protected:
Isabel Borlase (DP)
Jordin Canada
Allisha Grey
Naz Hillmon
Rhyne Howard
Nyadiew Puoch (DP)
Projected unprotected:
Laeticia Amihere
Maya Caldwell (RS)
Maite Cazorla (S)
Lorela Cubaj (RS)
Haley Jones
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (U)
Aerial Powers (U)
Iliana Rupert (S)
Matilde Villa (DP)
Ineligible: Tina Charles
Not one of the Dream’s three 2024 draft picks joined the group, sustaining their rights however making them topic to the enlargement draft. As a first-round choose, I might give the 20-year-old Puoch the most effective likelihood of being protected alongside Atlanta’s 4 eligible starters. I’ve given the final spot to Borlase — one other 20-year-old Australian drafted No. 20 — over former first-round choose Rupert, for whom Atlanta has unique negotiating rights after she opted to sit down out the 2024 season to play for France within the Olympics.
Projected protected:
Kamilla Cardoso
Chennedy Carter (R)
Dana Evans (R)
Michaela Onyenwere (R)
Angel Reese
Elizabeth Williams
Projected unprotected:
Lindsay Allen
Rachel Banham
Maria Conde (DP)
Isabelle Harrison (U)
Moriah Jefferson
Nikolina Milic (RS)
Diamond DeShields (U)
Brianna Turner (U)
Defending core gamers will not be a problem for the Sky. In reality, Chicago has room to guard three restricted free brokers along with promising younger gamers Cardoso and Reese, and veteran Williams. After averaging a team-high 17.5 factors final season, Carter is one other simple alternative, and Onyenwere has emerged as a starter.
Evans, one other restricted free agent, fell out of favor beneath Teresa Weatherspoon however may have a brand new begin with Tyler Marsh changing Weatherspoon as coach. In the meantime, the Valkyries drafting any of the Sky’s veterans would add to their stockpile of cap house.
Projected protected:
Veronica Burton (RS)
DiJonai Carrington (R)
Tyasha Harris
Leila Lacan (DP)
Marina Mabrey
Alyssa Thomas (U)
Projected unprotected:
Caitlin Bickle (RS)
Abbey Hsu (DP)
Tiffany Mitchell (U)
Astou Ndour-Fall (U)
Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Ineligible: DeWanna Bonner
As in comparison with the opposite groups that reached the WNBA semifinals, Connecticut will not have as tough of choices to make about its protected record as a result of each Bonner and Brionna Jones have exhausted their core years and are ineligible for the enlargement draft. The Solar can defend all 5 different gamers who had at the very least 70 minutes of motion within the playoffs in addition to their 2024 first-round choose, French nationwide group member Lacan.
The one query is whether or not Connecticut would possibly select reserve publish Nelson-Ododa over Burton, however Burton’s unique negotiating rights as a reserved participant are invaluable.
Projected protected record:
Carla Leite (DP)
Teaira McCowan
Arike Ogunbowale
Satou Sabally (U)
Jacy Sheldon
Maddy Siegrist
Projected unprotected record:
Bella Alarie (S)
Jaelyn Brown (RS)
Kalani Brown
Awak Kuier (S)
Paige Robinson (DP)
Lou Lopez Senechal
Stephanie Soares
Sevgi Uzun (RS)
Ineligible: Natasha Howard
Regardless of not having to guard Howard, the Wings must depart a number of latest first-round picks unprotected. Dallas will most likely begin by defending the group’s high 5 eligible gamers final season in minutes per sport, together with key reserve Siegrist. That leaves one spot between backup middle Kalani Brown, part-time place to begin guard Uzun, 2023 first-round picks Lopez Senechal and Soares, and final 12 months’s No. 9 choose, guard Leite from France. Of that group, I believe the Wings are almost definitely to guard Leite — notably after successful the draft lottery and doubtlessly touchdown UConn level guard Paige Bueckers to interchange Uzun.
Projected protected record:
Aliyah Boston
Caitlin Clark
Temi Fagbenle (R)
Lexie Hull
Kelsey Mitchell (U)
NaLyssa Smith
Projected unprotected record:
Grace Berger
Damiris Dantas
Victaria Saxton
Katie Lou Samuelson
Kristy Wallace
Erica Wheeler (U)
The choice for the Fever all comes all the way down to the final spot alongside their 5 main starters. You would make a case for Wallace, coming into the ultimate season of her rookie contract, or veteran Dantas with a modest protected wage of $100,000. (All wage information through HerHoopStats.com.) I might go along with Fagbenle, who might be a restricted free agent after beginning a sport in the course of the playoffs and surpassing Dantas within the rotation.
Alysha Clark began in 18 video games final season and averaged six factors per sport. David L. Nemec/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Projected protected record:
Chelsea Grey
Kate Martin
Kelsey Plum (U)
Kiah Stokes
A’ja Wilson
Jackie Younger
Projected unprotected record:
Kierstan Bell
Alysha Clark (U)
Sydney Colson (U)
Queen Egbo (RS)
Megan Gustafson
Tiffany Hayes (U)
Elizabeth Kitley (DP)
The Aces will shortly defend their 4 core gamers, together with Plum, a probable candidate for the core designation as an unrestricted free agent. Rookie Martin has a cut price minimal wage and can be tempting for the Valkyries, so I might defend her subsequent, leaving Las Vegas one spot. The Aces may defend Hayes on the off likelihood Golden State chooses her for the core designation, however I believe Bell’s rookie contract or Stokes (making $103,000, unprotected) can be extra invaluable to the Valkyries. I lean towards Stokes, Las Vegas’ fifth starter, however may see this one going both manner.
Projected protected record:
Julie Allemand
Cameron Brink
Rae Burrell
Dearica Hamby
Rickea Jackson
Azura Stevens
Projected unprotected record:
Lexie Brown
Zia Cooke
Kia Nurse (U)
Li Yueru (RS)
Shaneice Swain (DP)
Stephanie Talbot
Maria Vadeeva (S)
The Sparks signing so many veteran extensions in-season — for Hamby, Stevens and Talbot — made their enlargement draft choices trickier. Talbot specifically wouldn’t have been in danger to be chosen as an unrestricted free agent however is now on a modest $125,000 wage, whereas Hamby and Stevens will must be protected. Add in core items Brink and Jackson and that leaves solely two spots. I might defend Burrell, a starter by season’s finish, and provides the final spot to Allemand within the hopes she will return after sitting out final season due to harm. However meaning exposing restricted free agent Aari McDonald, reserved free agent Yueru and 2023 second-round choose Swain along with Talbot and Brown.
One observe: As a result of Odyssey Sims completed the season on a hardship contract with Los Angeles, she just isn’t eligible for the enlargement draft, which additionally applies to teammate Crystal Dangerfield and Ezinne Kalu of the Atlanta Dream.
Projected protected record:
Bridget Carleton
Napheesa Collier
Kayla McBride
Diamond Miller
Alanna Smith
Courtney Williams
Projected unprotected record:
Olivia Epoupa (RS)
Natisha Hiedeman (U)
Myisha Hines-Allen (U)
Maia Hirsch (DP)
Dorka Juhasz
Alissa Pili
Jessica Shepard (S)
Cecilia Zandalasini (RS)
The Lynx can defend the beginning 5 that obtained inside a bucket of the WNBA championship plus one further participant. From a price standpoint, Miller looks as if an apparent alternative because the No. 2 choose of the 2023 draft regardless of falling out of coach Cheryl Reeve’s rotation after coming back from arthroscopic knee surgical procedure. However defending her would go away uncovered 2023 second-round choose Juhasz, who performed key minutes within the WNBA Finals, plus 2024 first-rounder Pili.
There’s additionally Shepard, who averaged 8.1 factors and seven.1 rebounds in 2023 earlier than sitting out final season due to the WNBA’s prioritization guidelines. Groups are allowed to make trades with Golden State to choose a selected participant, and Minnesota is a powerful candidate for a deal.
Marine Johannes sat out final season to play for the French nationwide group within the Olympics. Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports activities
Projected protected record:
Leonie Fiebich
Sabrina Ionescu
Jonquel Jones
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
Nyara Sabally
Breanna Stewart (U)
Projected unprotected record:
Kennedy Burke (U)
Raquel Carrera (DP)
Kaitlyn Davis (DP)
Marquesha Davis
Ivana Dojkic (RS)
Marine Fauthoux (DP)
Rebekah Gardner (RS)
Han Xu (S)
Marine Johannes (RS)
Jaylyn Sherrod (RS)
Kayla Thornton
Courtney Vandersloot (U)
Should you had been going to wager on any group placing a take care of the Valkyries, the Liberty are your best option. Not solely does New York have to guard the core of the defending champs, the group’s entrance workplace has labored laborious to build up rights to a wide range of potential contributors.
After defending the group’s 5 playoff starters, the Liberty have just one spot left for both Johannes — a reserved free agent after sitting out the 2024 season to deal with enjoying for the French nationwide group within the Olympics — or key reserve Sabally. There isn’t any room on the record for Thornton, who performed 21 minutes within the deciding Sport 5 of the Finals. New York additionally dealt for the rights to Gardner, who sat out final season due to an Achilles tear sustained abroad, with an eye fixed towards including her to the combination.
The Liberty can tempt Golden State with a stockpile of draft picks. New York would certainly choose to hold on to the No. 7 choose in subsequent 12 months’s draft, acquired through swap with the Phoenix Mercury, however may supply its personal first-rounder in 2026.
Projected protected record:
Rebecca Allen
Natasha Cloud
Kahleah Copper
Sophie Cunningham
Natasha Mack (RS)
Diana Taurasi (U)
Projected unprotected record:
Amy Atwell (RS)
Monique Billings (U)
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (RS)
Klara Lundquist (S)
Charisma Osborne (RS)
Celeste Taylor (RS)
Ineligible: Brittney Griner
As a result of Griner has reached her most variety of core years and is ineligible, Phoenix’s determination needs to be fairly simple. The Mercury can defend all six different gamers who had greater than 350 minutes of motion final season. The one wild card is that if Taurasi has already knowledgeable Phoenix she intends to retire, through which case the Mercury may doubtlessly depart her unprotected and add Taylor — who averaged 20.1 minutes with the group — to take care of her reserved rights.
Projected protected record:
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Jordan Horston
Jewell Loyd
Ezi Magbegor
Nika Muhl
Gabby Williams (U)
Projected unprotected record:
Joyner Holmes (U)
Mackenzie Holmes (DP)
Mercedes Russell (U)
Victoria Vivians (U)
Sami Whitcomb (U)
Ineligible: Nneka Ogwumike
Because the Storm have solely 5 gamers beneath contract for 2025 and all of their different returning gamers are unrestricted free brokers — together with Ogwumike, who’s ineligible for the enlargement draft — they’re in no hazard of dropping a key contributor to the enlargement draft. Seattle can defend Williams, who is likely to be a core goal for the Valkyries, and select between utilizing the final spot on both second-round choose Muhl (who just lately underwent surgical procedure to restore ACL and meniscus tears) or third-round choose Holmes, who sat out the season to bear knee surgical procedure.
Projected protected record:
Ariel Atkins
Shakira Austin
Aaliyah Edwards
Emily Engstler (RS)
Karlie Samuelson
Brittney Sykes
Projected unprotected record:
Txell Alarcon (DP)
Nastja Claessens (DP)
Elena Delle Donne (U)
Stefanie Dolson
Bernadett Hatar (RS)
Sika Kone
Li Meng (RS)
Jade Melbourne
Sug Sutton (RS)
Julie Vanloo (RS)
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (U)
For a group that missed the playoffs, the Mystics have a lot of attention-grabbing gamers value defending. Starters Atkins, Austin and Sykes are apparent decisions, as is final 12 months’s first-round choose, Edwards. Washington can even have to think about defending Delle Donne after she sat out final season, if solely to take care of her commerce worth.
Nonetheless, I am giving a spot to Engstler, who was extremely productive off the bench (15.3 factors, 9.9 rebounds and three.6 assists per 36 minutes) and is a reserved free agent. For the final spot, I will go along with Samuelson, who shot 40% on 3s and has a extremely tradeable contract, over veteran middle Dolson. However I may additionally see the Mystics defending 22-year-old Kone, who confirmed promise after a midseason commerce.