The Golden State Valkyries' WNBA Expansion Draft had its surprises, like the Fever not protecting Temi Fagbenle and the Wings not protecting Carla Leite. Those respective fanbases are still reeling over losing those two, but perhaps the most hurt fanbases are the Aces and Liberty. Kate Martin and Kayla Thornton are two of the newest Valkyries.
There hasn't been any drama regarding Golden State's selections (unless you count Sydney Colson's tweets), and the Valkyries didn't generate any drama by making trades. General manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the team "looked into" trades but decided to go "all in" on the players they chose in the draft.
Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin says she looked into a number of different trades but at the end of the day decided she wanted to be able to go “all in” with the players selected, instead of instantly moving off of them.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) December 7, 2024
The Valkyries might be "all in" on their current roster right now, but that could change. There is no guarantee the 11 players will start the season in Golden State, as the Valkyries will operate like any other WNBA team. Monique Billings will be an unrestricted free agent, so she could sign with another team. Golden State will also be free to waive players and make trades.
Valkyries GM said team decided not to make expansion draft trades
Golden State was allowed to engage in trade talks beginning on November 25 (when teams submitted their roster lists) and ending on December 5, the day before the draft. Nyanin and the Valkyries front office did their due diligence by exploring trade scenarios but decided they didn't want to take that route.
The team selected players they believe will fit in well within the organization. Natalie Nakase mentioned shooting threes, and the Valkyries selected Julie Vanloo, the Mystics rookie who set the franchise record for made three-pointers in a season. Martin is also a three-point threat, particularly from the corner. Nakase also said Golden State wanted competitive players, and the Valkyries have a group that fits that description.
The expansion draft was the first major event of the WNBA offseason. The real fun will begin in 2025, with free agency and the WNBA draft.
The Valkyries' intentions for the expansion draft involved not making a trade, but Golden State could be active in trade talks later in the offseason. For now, the Valkyries are satisfied with their current bunch, which should reassure the players they chose. Time will tell if that sentiment changes.