The Golden State Valkyries were never going to have an easy first season, but there have been hopes the team would manage to be contenders this year. With the dust surrounding a blockbuster period of free agency, it's become clear that the Valkyries are playing the long game.
In some ways, that's just fine with Head Coach Natalie Nakase and GM Ohemaa Nyanin. In an interview with SLAM, Nyanin said she would choose “Rise Up” by Andra Day as the team's anthem because "I think there’s something to be said about embracing the unknown and just rising."
"We talk about the Valkyries ascending, and I think a synonym of ascending is rising. So, I think that the Valkyries will rise to the occasion and I can’t wait for everybody else to see what we’ve got going on, she added.
Nakase took a different approach: "My number one go-to when I walk into the gym, what I want to hear is Rihanna. I need to hear…I’m going to say it [and] y’all can bleep it: ‘B-tch Better Have My Money.’ Let me emphasize: ‘B-tch Better Have My Money.’ Let’s get paid, ladies."
The Golden State Valkyries will need to make big moves in 2026
The 2025 WNBA Draft will give the Valkyries the opportunity to bring new talent to the team. Who the team will draft with their No. 5 pick is up in the air, but Dominique Malonga, Kiki Iriafen, and Aneesah Morrow are all possibilities. The team will also have the No. 17 and No. 30 selections.
But it's likely the team is already looking ahead to 2026, when most of the WNBA will be available as free agents and the Valkyries can attempt to do some serious damage. Whether or not the team wins much in 2025 might not be a pressing issue for a lot of athletes if Golden State succeeds at two goals: building a culture that is unique to the team and also reflects its environment, and providing a place where WNBA athletes want to play.
If the Valkyries do both, they will likely be able to take full advantage of next year's free agency and attract players who will add to a roster that is already strong (and that is full of young talent that can be guided and developed at the most elite level). As Nyanin put it, there is something about embracing the unknown, and Golden State will prove to be more than capable of doing so.