The 2025 WNBA Draft will begin on April 14, 2025, at 7:30 pm ET. The draft is always an important event for every WNBA team, but this year's draft is a crucial one for the Golden State Valkyries.
The Valkyries will officially make the team's first-ever draft selection in the first round at spot 5. At this point a lot of names have been floated as distinct possibilities at the No. 5 overall spot (for the record, we believe Aneesah Morrow would be a great addition to the team). The draft is the Valkyries' first opportunity since December's Expansion Draft to really introduce the rest of the league to who and what the Valkyries are all about.
No one is more aware of that than Head Coach Natalie Nakase. While speaking to reporters Friday, Nakase spelled out what traits and attributes Golden State is looking for in a draft pick. Despite what some might think, the emphasis isn't on choosing players who will define the team, but rather on putting together the right puzzle pieces to help the team.
"We aren't looking for the face of our franchise just yet," she explained. "We're working on building our identity. ... I very much want this to be an organic process."
The Golden State Valkyries have three draft picks this year
In addition to scooping Morrow at the No. 5 spot, the Valkyries will also make selections at the No. 17 and No. 30 spots in the draft. There are a lot of players who could fit the bill and hit the ground running in an effort to rack up some wins for the team — Harvard's Harmoni Turner and Norfolk State's Diamond Johnson certainly spring to mind.
Turner has gained a tremendous amount of popularity this season for her 3-point shooting, a skill that's more or less essential for the Valkyries. Turner has a lot of ability as a combo guard and showcased her court dominance on April 5 during the Lily All-Star Game. She averaged 22.5 points for Harvard this season and boasted a three-point percentage of 35.65.
Diamond Johnson also enjoyed a standout weekend at the Lily All-Star Combine and Game in Tampa April 4 and 5, where she was named MVP of the entire tournament. Johnson was an integral part of Team Miller's 71-59 win over Team Lieberman and electrified the crowd when she hit the game-winning shot of the afternoon. Johnson, who averaged 18.9 points and 6.1 rebounds for Norfolk State, would be an excellent back-up guard for Golden State and a fun presence to have on the team.