Golden State Valkyries WNBA Expansion Draft: Players, Picks, Updates

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest franchise, will begin assembling their roster with the expansion draft.

The Valkyries, the league’s 13th franchise, will begin the 2025 season, which begins in May. However, the first step begins today with the draft expansion. Golden State will select players from the 12 other franchises that were not protected or gutted by those teams, but the Valkyries cannot draft more than one player from a given team.

While it’s highly unlikely that the biggest stars will be available, some notable players – former starters or key role players – could have to change teams today.

USA TODAY Sports will have live coverage of the WNBA expansion draft this afternoon and evening. Follow us for updates.

See who the Golden State Valkyries selected in the WNBA expansion draft

The expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries is available. Players are listed in the order they were announced (alphabetically by team), with height, position and former team.

No choice

The Valkyries decided not to recruit a player from the Seattle Storm.

Pick #11: Julie Vanloo

5-8 Guard, Washington Mystics

Pick #10: Monique Billings

6-4 Forward, Phoenix Mercury

Pick #9: Kayla Thornton

6-1 Forward, New York Liberty

Tip #8: Cecilia Zandalasini

6-2 Forward, Minnesota Lynx

Pick #7: Stephanie Talbot

6-2 Forward, Los Angeles Sparks

Pick #6: Kate Martin

6-0 Guard, Las Vegas Aces

“I’m really looking forward to this new beginning and building something from the ground up with the Valkyries,” said Martin, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star who is playing for the Las Vegas Aces during their rookie WNBA season in 2024.

“My focus has gotten better and better. I had a good rookie season, but I know something really cool about me is that my ceiling is really high. I have a lot of room to grow.”

Tip #5: Temi Fagbenle

6-4 Center, Indiana Fever

Tip #4: Carla Leite

5-9 Guard, Dallas Wings

Tip #3: Veronica Burton

5-9 Guard, Connecticut Sun

Tip #2: Maria Conde

6:1 forward, Chicago Sky

Tip #1: Iliana Rupert

6-4 Center Forward, Atlanta Dream

The Valkyries roster is taking shape with the expansion draft

The Golden State Valkyries selected four players in the expansion draft who have won a WNBA championship during their careers: Temi Fagbenle and Cecilia Zandalasini with the Minnesota Lynx in 2017, Iliana Rupert with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and Kayla Thornton , who just won a championship with the New York Liberty in 2024.

“We are pleased to have officially begun building the Golden State Valkyries 2025 team,” said General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. “Our goal was to assemble a squad that embodied both versatility and depth, bringing in a strong mix of leadership and defense.” These players were carefully selected, not only for their abilities on the field, but also for their ability to play in to fit the culture we are working to build here at Golden State.”

How does the WNBA expansion draft work?

Ahead of Friday’s expansion draft, each of the 12 current WNBA teams submitted a roster list to the league in late November that listed all players to which the team has rights. Each team can designate up to six protected players to its roster, making them ineligible for selection by Golden State. Each player under a core designation — comparable to the NFL’s franchise tag — is also not selectable. Any other player may be selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft.

The Valkyries can select one available player from any of the 12 teams, regardless of position. (Golden State can also choose not to select a player from a team if necessary.) The field of available players includes unrestricted free agents, but the Valkyries can only take one unrestricted free agent in the entire league.

Can the Golden State Valkyries trade players?

Yes. Golden State is allowed to participate in trade talks from Nov. 25, the deadline for submitting their rosters, through Dec. 5, the day before the expansion draft.

According to the WNBA, “Golden State is permitted to enter into transactions with existing teams, including (i) an agreement to select a specific player from the list of available expansion draft players and trade that player to a team other than the existing team.” ; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a specific player from that trade team’s list of available expansion draft players.

The Valkyries can also trade a select player for cap space.

Valkyries unveil opening jerseys, get Draymond Green nod

The Golden State Valkyries are one step closer to beginning their first-ever WNBA season, and now we know what they’ll be wearing.

Golden State gave fans a first look at its first jersey, which embodies the “fierce, bold and strong” mantra of the WNBA’s newest franchise. Available in white and black for home and away games, the jersey features the team’s logo front and center in Valkyrie Violet.

The Valkyries’ logo is a nod to their Bay Area roots. It features the Bay Bridge in a unique shape like wings with 13 suspension cables, representing the 13th WNBA franchise.

The white jersey is called WNBA Nike Heroine Edition while the black jersey is called WNBA Nike Explorer Edition.

Warriors star Draymond Green was spotted on the sidelines wearing the Valkyries’ Nike Explorer Edition jersey during Golden State’s 99-93 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Will the Golden State Valkyries recruit players?

Golden State will also have the opportunity to expand its team through free agency, scheduled to begin in February, as well as the 2025 WNBA Draft, scheduled for April. The Valkyries have the fifth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, in addition to the 17th and 30th picks in the second and third rounds, respectively.

When was the last WNBA expansion draft?

The WNBA last held an expansion draft in 2008 for the Atlanta Dream, who had been the league’s most recent addition until the Golden State Valkyries. Two years earlier, in 2006, the WNBA held an expansion draft for the Chicago Sky.

When is the Golden State Valkyries’ WNBA expansion draft?

The WNBA Expansion Draft for the Golden State Valkyries takes place on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Here’s how to watch the Golden State Valkyries’ WNBA expansion draft

The WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries will be broadcast on ESPN.

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