The Golden State Valkyries expanded their inaugural roster Monday night by drafting three players they hope will both excite fans and be part of the franchise's future.
Two of those picks were guards. First round pick Justė Jocytė was listed as a forward on draft night, but she's been playing at the shooting guard position overseas so it's unclear where she'll play in the W. Her 6'2" wiry frame combined with her prowess for shooting from deep suggests a wing forward-type position.
It's also unclear when the Lithuanian baller will suit up in purple and black for Golden State this season, as her national team has qualified for EuroBasket 2025 and playing for Lithuania is Jocytė's top priority for the summer. Assuming Jocytė isn't playing this season, the focus shifts to other members of the team.
In the second round the Valkyries selected Shyanne Sellers from Maryland and in the third round Golden State drafted Kaitlyn Chen out of UConn. The backcourt draft selections bring the number of guards on the current Valkyries roster to seven. It's certainly possible that Golden State carries all seven guards, but cuts happen. Even if they all make the roster there aren't enough minutes in a game nor balls on the court to feed all the guards on the roster.
So, who will be the odd guard(s) out?
Tiffany Hayes brings a strong veteran presence to the Valkyries
Tiffany Hayes signed with the Valkyries as a free agent in February. Hayes is a twelve-year veteran who spent most of her career with the Atlanta Dream and was pulled out of retirement by Becky Hammon last season to help the Aces stay afloat at the point guard position while Chelsea Gray worked her way back from injury.
The 5'10" 35-year-old kept her skills sharp this winter playing in Unrivaled. Hayes is both a solid scorer and defender who can also serve as a mentor to young guards like former Aces teammate Kate Martin, Veronica Burton, and potentially all three rookies.
Julie Vanloo has international experience to share
The other veteran guard, aquired in December's expansion draft, had a solid rookie season for the Mystics last season. Wait, what? Yes, the other vet in the backcourt is Julie Vanloo, who at thirty-one years old was a WNBA rookie last season.
Prior to playing in the States, Vanloo has had an entire career playing professionally overseas since 2009. Vanloo averaged 23.2 minutes per game for the Mystics in 2024 and should have a good feel for the style of play in the W. Her 15 years of experience at the pro level combined with Hayes' twelve in the league will surely be a huge asset to coach Natalie Nakase.
A note on Vanloo: her Belgium team has also qualified for EuroBasket 2025, so her availability is also in question.
Kate Martin and Veronica Burton have room to learn
From draft night supporter of friend and Iowa teammate Caitlin Clark to Las Vegas Aces fan favorite, last season was surely a whirlwind for Kate Martin. With Chelsea Gray missing the first month or so of the season and Hayes not yet in the fold, Becky Hammon turned to the rookie for her hustle play and Martin was able to deliver. In limited minutes each game, Martin was able to drop a few points while grabbing some boards, dishing a few assists and causing a turnover or two.
Martin has the potential to start for the Valkyries this season. At six feet, she brings good size to the backcourt — whatever her role, Martin will surely bring her signature hustle style of play to the Valkyries and most likely be a fan favorite from game one.
Veronica Burton could be the Kate Martin of this season's Golden State team. With Martin expected to play a larger role on the court than she did in Las Vegas, Burton could step up as the electric player nobody saw coming. Burton is a three-year player who was a first round pick by Dallas in 2022 but got lost in the shuffle with the Wings. The Northwestern grad signed with Connecticut last June but saw inconsistent court time with the Sun. Burton is a tenacious defender and playmaker; she was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. If Burton can get her own offensive game going, she could be a surprise star for the Valkyries and a fan favorite.
Carla Leite is a wild card for the Valkyries
As of now, it is expected that Carla Leite will make her WNBA debut this season. The 5'9" guard from France was drafted by Dallas last year but elected to stay overseas. Leite will be twenty-one years old at the start of league play, and like most international players, Leite already has years of professional experience.
A professional since the age of eighteen in France, Leite led her French team to the 2024-25 EuroCup championship and was the Finals MVP. Like Burton, she is also 5'9" but has scoring skills and the ability to create shots for her teammates. Her ceiling is high and Golden State hopes she reaches it. Like Jocyte and Vanloo, Leite may also be playing in EuroBasket 2025, so it's unclear when she'll make her WNBA debut, or if she wil leave the team for a few weeks and return.
Shyanne Sellers and Kaitlyn Chen are great rookies to have
At 6'2" Shyanne Sellers brings much needed size to the guard position for Golden State. Her all-around game on both ends of the court will make her a huge asset off the bench to start the season. If Shyanne's knee, which gave her some problems her senior year, is in good shape, then she could end up being the steal of the draft.
Kaitlyn Chen was the Kate Martin pick of this year's draft. She wasn't expected to get drafted and was there to support her UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. Well, just like Kate, Kaitlyn got drafted. Although not as high as Kate Martin was taken, Chen's selection was celebrated by the crowd just as much.
Chen is an intelligent point guard who shone in the Ivy League at Princeton before transferring to UConn for her graduate season. Chen has a high basketball IQ, but that might not be enough as her size and lack of explosiveness may keep her on the bench should she make the opening day roster. If she makes the team, Chen's rookie season could play out much like Nika Mühl's did in Seattle last season — primarily logging garbage time minutes while learning the game behind the vets.