The goal for every WNBA team is to win as many championships as possible. To get there, they need to build the right roster. The last two WNBA champions—the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty—showed that a healthy mix of two-way star power and depth usually gets things done.
As the newest WNBA franchise, the Golden State Valkyries are a few steps behind the already existing WNBA franchises roster-wise. This offseason will be the first chance for the Valkyries to get players to come to San Francisco and build the foundation for future success.
The Valkyries have several options to acquire players. First, there is the expansion draft on December 6. Each team will get to protect six players, and the Valkyries have the chance to pick one of the remaining players from each team or negotiate trades with the rest of the league. They can also sign players in free agency, and once the 2025 WNBA Draft rolls around, they will have the fifth overall pick.
The expansion draft is likely the most interesting way for the Valkyries to start building their roster. Not only does it reveal other team’s plans depending on who they choose to protect, but it also offers several options for the Valkyries.
Golden State can approach the expansion draft in different ways. They could go after veterans and high-level role players to be competitive right away, or they could try to pick up as many young players as possible and hope that some of them turn into impactful players in the future.
Neither strategy will likely land the Valkyries a franchise player. Players of that caliber will be protected. They may also not be available with the fifth overall pick. The 2025 WNBA Draft class is filled with interesting players, but that does not mean that the Valkyries will land someone with the fifth overall pick who is ready to be the face of a franchise.
Out of the last ten number-five picks, only three have been All-Stars, and the last player drafted at that position to become a true star was Arike Ogunbowale in 2019. Sometimes, it just takes a while to draft the right player, and that is why the Valkyries need to collect as many draft picks as they can.
The Valkyries should use a bold strategy in the expansion draft
For many teams, six protections may not be enough to secure every player they would like to keep around in the expansion draft, and the Valkyries can use that to their advantage. Several teams are building their rosters for the present. They want to be competitive right now and would likely be willing to make sacrifices to keep it that way. Meanwhile, the Valkyries are still building for the future.
So, Golden State should try to convince teams to trade them draft picks to keep players they want on their roster but couldn’t protect safely in the expansion draft. That way, the Valkyries would be well-positioned in the upcoming drafts to have a higher chance of landing young stars and additional assets to use on the trade market.
Teams may avoid trading 2025 picks with the salary cap expected to spike in 2026, but multiple franchises would be willing to part with capital to keep the seventh-best player on their roster. Amassing three or four additional selections would give Golden State a strong base and multiple avenues to explore in building their roster.
The Valkyries should be in asset accumulation mode. Draft picks are the easiest way to build a team from scratch. Golden State cannot just be satisfied with their selections. They should be actively trying to acquire more draft capital.
As a new franchise, the Valkyries must keep all of their options open. Securing several draft picks that can be used as assets in different moves is one way to do that.