WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes and analyst Terrika Foster-Brasby had nothing but good things to say about the Expansion Draft selections made by the Golden State Valkyries last Friday. The pair, co-hosts of the "Levels to a Championship" podcast, went live on Instagram Sunday morning and dove into the choices.
Swoopes noted that she was particularly happy with two players the team picked up: Kayla Thornton and Monique Billings. "I love her game," Swoopes said of Thornton. Despite her surprise that the Liberty didn't protect the forward, Swoopes added that Thornton was a smart choice for the new team.
Of Billings, who most recently played for the Phoenix Mercury, Swoopes said, "I'm happy for her. Love her. She deserves to be in this league."
The results of the Expansion Draft reverberated throughout the league over the weekend. Swoopes and Foster-Brasby also noted that they both feel joining the Valkyries is a great move for former Aces rookie Kate Martin, a sentiment that's been widely shared.
Swoopes also noted that Martin's drafting makes a lot of sense for Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, who "knows the type of player Kate is, type of work, where she is. And if you're building a franchise, you want players like Kate Martin... [someone] that's gritty, that plays hard, that works hard, that knows what it takes to win, right?"
"You go back to Iowa and ... players just love her," Swoopes continued. "And so I think her being with the Aces for a season, I think she learned a lot in a short span of time. And I think what she learned from there, she can bring over to the Valkyries and help them."
Martin told ESPN soon after the results of the draft were announced, "I'm really excited. This league is all about opportunity, and you just need one shot, right? I'm very thankful for the Aces and everything I got to learn there, but I'm really excited for this new beginning and to build something from the ground up with the Valkyries."
Martin's former Iowa teammate Caitlin Clark offered her support on Instagram following the news. She shared the Valkyries' announcement about Martin in a Story and wrote, "Let's go Kater!!!!!"
Martin's former teammate A'ja Wilson mourned the loss of her rook. "My baby, so happy for you, you are a gem," she wrote on Instagram. "Now we gotta give you and [coach Natalie Nakase] 50."