The Bay Area’s Golden State Valkyries will write the first chapter in the franchise’s history in 2025. The Valkyries are the WNBA’s latest expansion team and will be the league’s 13th team.
The first year in a new league can be challenging, and expansion teams have historically struggled. In 2008, the newly formed Atlanta Dream won just four of their 34 games in their opening season. When the Chicago Sky were added to the league back in 2006, they managed to win just 14.7% of their regular-season games that year.
As is customary, Golden State has put together the majority of its roster through the expansion draft. The draft allowed the organization to select non-protected players from other WNBA teams, with a maximum of one player from each team. Golden State also signed three players in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which should add some depth to the lineup.
The Valkyries picked up some talented and experienced players, and with head coach Natalie Nakase leading the way, they have the potential to be a major threat in their first year.
Golden State Valkyries Roster and Depth Chart
| G | Julie Vanloo | Veronica Burton | Carla Leite | Mamignan Touré |
| G | Kate Martin | Tiffany Hayes | Justė Jocytė | Kaitlyn Chen |
| F | Cecilia Zandalasini | Stephanie Talbot | María Conde | Chloe Bibby |
| F | Kayla Thornton | Monique Billings | Laeticia Amihere | Janelle Salaün |
| C | Temi Fágbénlé | Elissa Cunane | Kyara Linskens |
The Valkyries have assembled an exciting group of guards, with Martin and Vanloo expected to start. Martin is set to begin her second year in the pros, but the 24-year-old has plenty of experience after spending five seasons working under coach Lisa Bluder at the University of Iowa.
Vanloo, who spent last season with the Washington Mystics, only has 40 WNBA games under her belt, but the talented guard impressed with the Belgium national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, catching the attention of basketball scouts around the globe.
The Valkyries also held the No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft and added highly rated Lithuanian guard/forward Jocytė, who previously played in France.
Golden State’s forward line has a little more experience. Zandalasini, 29, and Thornton, 32, are both seasoned veterans in the league. The two forwards have combined for 346 WNBA games over their careers. Billings and Talbot are also coming off strong seasons with the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks, respectively.
Former Indiana Fever forward/center Fágbénlé will likely round out the starting five. Fágbénlé was a key figure in the Fever’s 20-win 2024 season, starting 22 times and averaging 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.
Golden State Valkyries Key Players
Keep an eye out for Martin to have a breakout season this year. Martin was a standout player at Iowa, where she spent four seasons playing alongside reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The two players were part of a lethal backcourt that drove the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship games.
Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the second round of the 2024 draft but wasn’t given much of an opportunity to show off her skillset in Nevada. She started just two games and averaged 11.5 minutes.
A fresh start could be just what Martin needs to reach her potential. The versatile guard will get plenty of playing time at Golden State and should be a central piece of coach Nakase’s offense.
