The Chicago Sky's Kia Nurse is looking forward to seeing what the Golden State Valkyries have in store for the team's inaugural season this year.
While speaking at AU Pro Basketball's media day, Nurse told The Valkyries Blog she's "really intrigued" by the new team. "Obviously this is my first experience with the expansion team actually being in the league and so I really want to see how it goes," she explained. "There's two more coming in the after and so what I'm most happy about is the fact that there are more spots now."
Kia Nurse on the Golden State Valkyries: "It's a great opportunity to be in front of a new fan base. I think they'll do a great job."
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"That there is another team, there's another market that we can kind of grow our game into and I think ultimately the people who were drafted into the Valkyries system already in the Expansion Draft, it's a great opportunity to go and be in front of a new fan base and I think they'll do a great job."
Nurse is in Nashville, Tennessee, where she will take part in her first season of AU Pro Basketball. The league is entering its fourth year, and offers traditional 5x5 basketball with a twist: players can earn points for positive plays and lose points for negative plays, and they also gain individual points when their team does well as a whole.
How to watch AU Pro Basketball
Though no one on the Valkyries roster will be playing this season, AU Pro Basketball is a lot of fun and a must-see for fans of women's professional basketball in general. The opening night games will begin at 5 p.m. CST (6 p.m. ET) and will air on ESPN+.
The first match-up will be between Team Westbrook, captained by Evina Westbrook, and Team Bell, helmed by Kierstan Bell. Bell's team includes Odyssey Sims, Jordan Horston, McKenzie Forbes, Asia Taylor, Angel Jackson, Christyn Williams, Dyaisha Fair, Desi-Rae Young, Jude Schimmel, while Westbrook's team includes Ty Harris, Elizabeth Williams, Bria Hartley, Victaria Saxton, Kia Nurse, Jaylyn Sherrod, Crystal Bradford, Suriya McGuire, Kenisha Bell.
The second game will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be between Team Harrison, led by Isabelle Harrison, and Team Colson, led by Sydney Colson. Harrison's team also includes Maddy Siegrist, Taylor Mikesell, Lexie Brown, G’Mrice Davis, Taj Cole, Sequoia Holmes, Dorie Harrison, Rebecca Harris and Charisma Osborne, and Colson will be joined by Alissa Pili, Theresa Plaisance, Alysha Clark, Shey Peddy, Maya Caldwell, Kiara Leslie, Lydia Rivers, Meighan Simmons, Aishah Sutherland.