Valkyries Expansion Draft: Kate Martin and Temi Fagbenle headline the WNBA’s newest roster

Kate Martin is one of the bigger names on the Golden State Valkyries’ first roster.

The Las Vegas Aces fan favorite was among the selections in the 2025 WNBA expansion draft on Friday, along with a group of 10 other players who didn’t want to protect their teams.

The full list of Valkyries picks, as announced by golfer Michelle Wie West, rapper E-40 and NBA veteran Baron Davis:

• Iliana Rupert, Atlanta Dream

• Maria Conde, Chicago Sky

• Veronica Burton, Connecticut Sun

• Carla Leite, Dallas Wings

• Temi Fagbenle, Indiana Fever

• Kate Martin, Las Vegas Aces

• Stephanie Talbot, Los Angeles Sparks

• Cecilia Zandalasini, Minnesota Lynx

• Kayla Thornton, New York Liberty

• Monique Billings, Phoenix Mercury

• Julie Vanloo, Washington Mystics

The Valkyries did not select a player from the Seattle Storm. They also hold the fifth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

WNBA expansion draft rules allowed each of the league’s 12 teams to protect up to six players on their roster starting on the final day of the 2024 regular season. Athletes with previous core player designations, such as DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner, were also excluded from selection. The Valkyries were then allowed to select one unprotected player from each team.

Martin’s selection means the Aces chose not to protect her, which isn’t a huge surprise considering how they used her towards the end of last season. The 18th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Iowa was a pleasant surprise early in the season as Vegas struggled with injuries, but her playing time declined as the team got healthy again.

After recording double-digit minutes in 16 of the Aces’ first 21 games, Martin exceeded that limit just twice in her last 13 games and also missed some time in July and August with a lower leg injury. The star’s college teammate Caitlin Clark saw a total of three minutes in the postseason.