Expansion Valkyries draft 7 international players
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Kendra Andrews, ESPN
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries selected 11 players, including seven international players, at the WNBA expansion draft Friday as the league’s 13th franchise continues to take shape.
The Valkyries will begin play in the WNBA next summer and host the Los Angeles Sparks on opening day on May 16.
The picks were announced in three groups of four in alphabetical order by team name:
Atlanta Dream: Iliana Rupert, C
Connecticut Sun: Veronica Burton, G
Dallas Wings: Carla Leite, PG
Indiana Fever: Temi Fagbenle, C
Las Vegas Aces: Kate Martin, G
Sparks: Stephanie Talbot, F
Minnesota Lynx: Cecilia Zandalasini, F
New York Liberty: Kayla Thornton, F
Phoenix Mercury: Monique Billings, F
Washington Mystics: Julie Vanloo, G
No selection was made from the Seattle Storm.
Four players on the inaugural Golden State roster have won a WNBA championship during their career: Fagbenle and Zandalasini with Minnesota in 2017, Rupert with Las Vegas in 2022, and Thornton with New York in 2024.
“Our goal was to construct a roster that embodies both versatility and depth, bringing in a strong mix of leadership, defense, and scoring ability,” General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin said. “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.”
Friday marked the WNBA’s first expansion draft since the Dream joined the league in 2008. All 12 of the WNBA’s preexisting teams were able to protect up to six players — including both those who finished the season on their roster and all others to whom the team holds rights. Those six players were exempt from the expansion draft, as were unrestricted free agents who have already played the maximum two years on contracts signed with the core designation. The league did not make the list of protected players public.
The Valkyries could only choose one player from each team, and only one total unrestricted free agent, who then becomes eligible to be designated a core player by the Valkyries. WNBA teams are allowed 12 players on the roster, and the Valkyries will continue to build out their personnel in free agency, which begins in January, and in the WNBA draft on April 14, when the Valkyries have the Nos. 5, 17 and 29 picks.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the WNBA will hold additional expansion drafts for Portland and Toronto, the league’s 14th and 15th teams. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said she expects the league to grow to 16 teams by 2028. Last month, Rock Entertainment Group, which is also tied to the NBA’s Cavaliers, said it would bid to bring a WNBA expansion team to Cleveland. Portland, Philadelphia, Denver and South Florida are among other cities said to be exploring expansion bids.
