The Valkyries likely didn't draft any players from the Seattle Storm for this reason

Plenty of people were surprised when the Golden State Valkyries opted against selecting a player from the Seattle Storm during this month's Expansion Draft. And while the omission definitely contributed to plenty of jokes at the Storm's expense, the real reason why the Bay Area team opted against drafted a member of the team is somewhat more complex than fans might realize.

First of all, GM Ohemma Nyanin told ESPN following the Expansion Draft that she didn't believe any of the available Storm players would "make the impact the Valkyries were looking for." When examined further, it turned out that the Storm didn't really have a lot of available players in the first place.

Trade negotiations and free agency probably had an impact

The Storm most likely expected to enter the Expansion Draft with five players — Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor, Nika Mühl, and Jordan Horston — protected, as they were each already under contract for the 2025 season. Loyd requested a trade from the team in the days just before the draft, which could have impacted the team's list of protected six, but the request could have come too late for the Valkyries if they'd already landed on a list of players they planned to draft.

It's not clear if the Storm decided to protect another player in Loyd's place but it can be assumed they did. Forward Nneka Ogwumike had already been cored by the Storm twice and was therefore unavailable for the Valkyries, which makes it likely the Storm protected four of the contracted players and Gabby Williams... plus one more person.

This likely left the Valkyries with three players to choose from out of a list of four: Mercedes Russell, Sami Whitcomb, Victoria Vivians, and Joyner Holmes. Drafting one of these players might not have been an attractive proposition for a team that also opted against making any trades heading into the Expansion Draft, especially as the league heads into a period of free agency next month.

Fans had plenty to say after the Valkyries declined to draft anyone from the Storm

Though the Storm enjoyed a decent 2024 season with 25 wins and 15 losses (the team also made it the playoffs, where they bowed out during the first round) reason and logic didn't matter much to WNBA fans who enjoyed the opportunity to post some light-hearted digs at the team on social media.