December's Expansion Draft was an exciting time for the Golden State Valkyries. The team added several players, including Monique Billings and Kate Martin, that fans can't wait to see playing together.
This year's free agency also saw the team sign Tiffany Hayes and solidify deals with Kayla Thornton, Stephanie Talbot, and Carla Leite. And while the team has announced training camp contracts have been signed with several talented athletes, it's still true that only 6 players are under standard contract and the Valkyries still need to add a lot of depth.
The 2025 WNBA Draft will provide the Valkyries with a few opportunities to bring in rookies, but that doesn't necessarily mean the team will be able to get the wins they need in 2025. The team currently has the 5th, 17th, and 30th pick in this year's draft.
Much will be decided about the draft after the upcoming NCAA tournament is said and done, and a lot of mock drafts and predictions are guesswork at best right now. With that in mind, we can still speculate who might end up with Golden State.
What to expect from the 2025 WNBA Draft
Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles are the presumed No. 1 and No. 2 draft picks (tentatively respectively, but some recent predictions have interchanged their positions). After that, the rest of the first round could go any number of ways, and the Valkyries might end up signing Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron, Azzi Fudd, Kiki Iriafen, or Janiah Barker.
The second round of the draft could boast considerable talent as well, though it's not always guaranteed that players drafted in this round will be able to remain on a team's roster (there just aren't enough teams for all the players who deserve spots). Right now, players who could fall around spot 17 include Rori Harmon, Sammie Puisis, and Carolina Ducharme.
The third round is even less steady in terms of staying on a team's roster, and even less predictable, especially with the tournament looming. This is also where you could see a surprise entry from a player that hasn't been on a lot of people's radar this season, like Louisville's Jayda Curry.
Is free agency over for the Valkyries?
Though free agency has slowed down and a lot of big moves have been made, Golden State can still sign players to the team's roster, and there are still a handful of free agents left. At present, the list of unrestricted free agents includes Chennedy Carter, Elena Delle Donne, Emma Meesseman, Aerial Powers, Astou Ndour-Fall, Victoria Vivians, and Crystal Dangerfield.
Of the list, signing Carter would give the Valkyries the shooting boost the team needs. Carter, who has been putting up big numbers in China (52 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in one of her most recent games), is an unpredictable teammate in the locker room — but if Golden State can give her what she needs, she could be a major asset for the team.
Golden State has a lot to figure out before the 2025 season begins, but still plenty of time to do so, and an excellent team in the front office that's figuring it out.