Temi Fagbenle was selected by Valkyries from the Fever in the WNBA expansion draft

Temi Fagbenle will be a Valkyrie. And no one expected that.

The Golden State Valkyries selected Fagbenle from the Indiana Fever as part of their first-round roster during the WNBA expansion draft on Friday night.

Fagbenle returned to the WNBA in 2024 after taking a few years off to play in her home country of Great Britain. The 32-year-old was an experienced leader for the Fever despite her limited playing time, as she only played 22 games due to three different injuries.

It was a surprising choice; Most mock drafts assumed Fagbenle would be one of six players the Fever wanted to protect, pairing her with Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith and Lexie Hull.

WNBA Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, who was at the lectern for the ESPN broadcast, was also surprised by the choice.

“The most shocking thing for me is that Temi Fagbenle was chosen,” Lobo said after the election. “Not because she won’t be great in Golden State, but I’m really surprised the Indiana Fever didn’t decide to protect her.”

Indiana Fever News:Indiana Fever fans are venting after the Golden State Valkyries selected Temi Fagbenle

Fagbenle was a crucial and experienced voice for the Fever, as she was the only player to win a WNBA championship – she played for the Minnesota Lynx during their title run in 2017, so she knew what it took to get to the playoffs to come.

Fagbenle has been a strong, versatile striker in the games she has played for the Fever this year. She was able to explode full court, made good decisions with the ball and worked well with Fever rookie Caitlin Clark as she was one of the first teammates to catch Clark’s full court passes.

“When you talk about Temi Fagbenle, she exudes so much energy,” Andraya Carter added on the show. “High energy, fast game, her motor, there were so many positives and she missed time with an injury. …We probably would have seen more growth from Temi Fagbenle (if she wasn’t injured), but the connection between her and Caitlin Clark was undeniable. It was so much fun to watch them.

But Fagbenle should also be a restricted free agent this year. These terms go to the Valkyries, allowing Golden State to accept any offer they receive to retain them in free agency.

Why didn’t Indiana Fever protect Temi Fagbenle in the WNBA expansion draft?

There are several things that could influence the fever to leave Fagbenle defenseless, and the first comes down to money.

As a restricted free agent in the WNBA, Fagbenle can talk to and receive offers from any team, and Golden State must match the offers she receives to keep her. Fever’s leadership could have decided that Fagbenle’s asking price or the offers she was likely to receive were too high – according to Spotrac, she earned just $76,535 in 2024.

Additionally, Fagbenle would have been an unrestricted free agent in 2026, which would have left her free to sign wherever she wanted.

Another reason could be Fagbenle’s age of 32, coupled with the number of injuries she suffered in 2024. Fagbenle suffered foot, shoulder and wrist injuries last season, limiting her actual playing time with the Fever to 22 games. Although this was the first time Fagbenle had been injured so many times in a season, the Fever could well have viewed these injuries as a risk, especially given her age.

Since Fagbenle is no longer in the Fever squad, there is a gap in 4th position. Fagbenle played primarily behind third-year forward NaLyssa Smith, but needed some of her minutes as the season progressed and when Fagbenle was healthy.

Smith spoke publicly about her dissatisfaction with her playing time this season, but that may have been directed at the Fever’s previous coaching staff. She re-publicized the Fever’s hiring of new trainer Stephanie White after Christie Sides was fired.

At the very least, the Fever will be looking for a new player at the 4 – be it a starter or a backup.

Related Posts

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan’s Breakup: What Went Wrong? (Exclusive)

Why no leadoff hitter will ever beat Rickey Henderson

FDA raises Costco egg recall to high alert level due to salmonella concerns

Leave a Reply Cancel reply