The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest team, began assembling their roster with the expansion draft on Friday.
The Valkyries, the league’s 13th franchise, will begin play in the 2025 season, which tips off in May. The first step, however, began with the expansion draft.
After the other 12 teams submitted a list of players that were protected or cored – and therefore could not be picked – Golden State combed through the full list of available players and selected 11 new additions. The Valkyries could not draft more than one player from any given team but were allowed to pick one unrestricted free agent from among the list.
While none of the WNBA’s biggest stars were taken, some notable players – former starters or major impact role players – found themselves changing teams.
See all the players selected by the Golden State Valkyries as the team builds towards its 2025 debut:
See who the Golden State Valkyries picked in the WNBA expansion draft
Players are listed in the order in which they were announced (which was alphabetical by team), with height, position and former team.
No selection
The Valkyries opted not to draft a player from the Seattle Storm.
Pick No. 11: Julie Vanloo
5-8 guard, Washington Mystics
Pick No. 10: Monique Billings
6-4 forward, Phoenix Mercury
Pick No. 9: Kayla Thornton
6-1 forward, New York Liberty
Pick No. 8: Cecilia Zandalasini
6-2 forward, Minnesota Lynx
Pick No. 7: Stephanie Talbot
6-2 forward, Los Angeles Sparks
Pick No. 6: Kate Martin
6-0 guard, Las Vegas Aces
‘I’m really excited for this new beginning and to build something from the ground up with the Valkyries,’ said Martin, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, who player for the Las Vegas Aces in 2024 during her rookie WNBA season.
‘My focus has just been getting better all around. I had a decent rookie season, but I just know something that is really cool about me is that my ceiling is really high. I have a lot of room to grow.’
Pick No. 5: Temi Fagbenle
6-4 center, Indiana Fever
Pick No. 4: Carla Leite
5-9 guard, Dallas Wings
Pick No. 3: Veronica Burton
5-9 guard, Connecticut Sun
Pick No. 2: Maria Conde
6-1 forward, Chicago Sky
Pick No. 1: Iliana Rupert
6-4 center/forward, Atlanta Dream
Valkyries roster takes shape with 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 with the New York Liberty in 2024.
‘We are excited to have officially started the journey of building the Golden State Valkyries 2025 team,” said General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. “Our goal was to construct a roster that embodies both versatility and depth, bringing in a strong mix of leadership, defense, and scoring ability. These players were carefully chosen not only for their skills on the court, but also for their ability to fit into the culture we’re working to build here at Golden State.”
How does the WNBA expansion draft work?
Leading up to Friday’s expansion draft, each of the 12 current WNBA teams submitted a roster list to the league in late November that highlighted every player the team has rights to. Each team can designate up to six protected players on their roster, making them ineligible for selection by Golden State. Any player under a core designation — comparable to the NFL’s franchise tag — is also ineligible for selection. Every other player is fair game for the Valkyries to select in the expansion draft.
The Valkyries can select one available player from each of the 12 teams, regardless of position. (Golden State can also choose not to select a player from a team, if desired.) The field of available players will include unrestricted free agents, but the Valkyries can only pick up one unrestricted free agent across the entire league.
Can the Golden State Valkyries trade players?
Yes. Golden State is allowed to engage in trade talks, beginning Nov. 25, the deadline for teams to submit their roster lists, until Dec. 5, the day before the expansion draft.
According to the WNBA, ‘Golden State will be permitted to make trades with existing teams, including (i) an agreement to select a particular player from the list of Available Expansion Draft players, and trade that player to a team other than their existing team; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a particular player from such trading team’s list of Available Expansion Draft players.’
The Valkyries can also trade a selected player for cap space.
Valkyries unveil inaugural jerseys, get nod from Draymond Green
The Golden State Valkyries are one step closer to tipping off their first-ever WNBA season, and now we know what they’ll be wearing.
Golden State offered fans a first look at its inaugural jersey, which embodies the “fierce, bold and strong” mantra of the WNBA’s newest franchise. The jersey, which comes in a white and black colorway for home and away games, 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 uniquely shaped like wings with 13 suspension cables to represent becoming the 13th WNBA franchise.
The white jersey is called the WNBA Nike Heroine Edition, while the black jersey is called the WNBA Nike Explorer Edition.
Warriors star Draymond Green was spotted wearing the Valkyries’ Nike Explorer Edition jersey on the sideline Thursday during Golden State’s 99-93 win over the Houston Rockets.
Will the Golden State Valkyries draft players?
Golden State also will have an opportunity to add to its team through free agency, scheduled to begin in February, as well as the 2025 WNBA draft, which is set for April. The Valkyries have the fifth overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft, in addition to the 17th and 30th pick in the second and third round, respectively.
When was the last WNBA expansion draft?
The WNBA last held an expansion draft in 2008 for the Atlanta Dream, which until the Golden State Valkyries, had been the league’s most recent addition. Two years prior, in 2006, the WNBA held an expansion draft for the Chicago Sky.
When is Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft?
The WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft
The WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries will be broadcast on ESPN.
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