The Golden State Valkyries will be able to sign free agents beginning February 1, and there has been a lot of speculation about who the team will select. Though the roster added during the Expansion Draft is strong (and is filled with a few especially exciting European players), the team has a major need for more.
On January 14 the Valkyries offered a restricted qualifying offer to Temi Fagbenle and reserved qualifying offers to Julie Vanloo, Veronica Burton, and Cecilia Zandalasini. There's been no word on whether or not Golden State will core Monique Billings, and the team is also in serious need of a veteran point guard to guide second-year WNBA vet Julie Vanloo and Veronica Burton.
The Golden State Valkyries are future-oriented
Golden State is at the top of everyone's free agency rumor list because the team is so new and the needs are so vast. The front office, including GM Nyanin and Coach Nakase, have been open about the fact that they are building with the future in mind. This month Nyanin told The Next she's been casting "a really wide net" while speaking with athletes, and that her emphasis has been on what's to come.
"We’re excited to have the opportunity to talk to athletes, and if they feel so inclined to have a conversation with us, we are ready," she said. Between herself, Coach Nakase, and VP of Basketball Operations Vanja Černivec, the Valkyries are led by experts who have a lot of experience in the WNBA. "So each of our different lenses will come to play in a really big way to make it make sense for whatever athlete wants to join the journey," Nyanin added.
What the Valkyries are probably looking for
A guard who can lead
When it comes to building a roster that has staying power, Golden State will likely need to make a trade or two. Of the six athletes who have been offered core designation so far, the Valkyries are rumored to be considering two: Satou Sabally, who has made it clear she has already played her last game for the Wings, and Kelsey Plum, who was cored by the Aces this month.
The Valkyries have the cap space to add both athletes but don't have the draft capital to make a trade worth it to both teams — Sabally and Plum are both worth more than a first-round draft pick, but if the Valkyries give up too much for the 2025 draft they could hurt themselves in the long run, especially as a new CBA is being negotiated this year, and both vets would essentially be in the Bay Area for one year.
Size that's compatible with Monique Billings
Adding another big to the team would be beneficial, and there are two — Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner — who would be excellent options. Though it's not clear yet that Billings will be cored by the Valkyries, Nakase appeared to indicate to the San Francisco Chronicle that the team is being built around her to some degree.
"We do have size with Temi and Monique," she told the outlet. "They have the ability to space the floor, and Monique is more of a mid-range shooter, but I’m okay with that. … We are looking at size, but we want who will fit in with them."
Physical players who will go to war
Golden State's front office has also been clear that they want hoopers who will engage physically. "We want to be physical, we want to be disruptive," Nakase also told the Chronicle. "When we control what we can control, that’s playing hard defensively. I just think defensively, that can carry you on the road." With that in mind, the Liberty's Courtney Vandersloot could be the defensive option the team needs, as well as the point guard who can carry a younger and less-experienced squad to victory within the next few years.
The phrase "fortune favors the bold" might be the most applicable to the Valkyries during this period of free agency — it's just up to them to go for it.