The Golden State Valkyries announced the team's final roster on Wednesday, May 14, and there were a few surprises for fans — including the fact that Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen did not make the final cut.
The official 2025 Golden State Valkyries roster includes: Carla Leite, Kayla Thornton, Stephanie Talbot, Janelle Saluan, Temi Fagbenle, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Monique Billings, Kyara Linskens, and Julie Vanloo.
Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen were waived
Perhaps the most surprising cuts were Laeticia Amihere and UConn graduate Kaitlyn Chen. The Valkyries also waived Migna Toure, Chloe Bibby, and Elissa Cunane.
Amihere truly made the most of her opportunity with Golden State during the team's first preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks. She didn't start for the Valkyries but ultimately led the team in scoring with 20 points and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes of play, and hit a three right at the final buzzer to bring the team within 1 point of victory.
Amihere was drafted as the No. 8 overall pick by the Atlanta Dream in the 2023 WNBA Draft, but she didn't see a lot of time on the court with the team that year.
Chen was selected by the Valkyries in the third round of this year's draft. The 5'9" guard played for Geno Auriemma for season as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Princeton. Chen wa the fourth Ivy player to be drafted into the WNBA in the last two years and averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds her senior year — she also played an instrumental role in leading the Princeton Tigers to the NCAA tournament three years in a row.
Why the Valkyries waived so many talented players
One of the toughest realities of the WNBA right now remains that there are simply not enough teams and roster spots for the talent that exists, and being drafted to a team doesn't mean that you will ultimately wear a jersey once the season begins.
Last year fewer than half of the women drafted ended up on a team roster, and a lot of those who got cut ended up playing overseas (where you can truly enjoy a thriving career with the right team). While that's a dismal reality, it's worth noting that simply being drafted can help a player's stock enormously overseas and be the difference between a $1,000 a month paycheck and several thousands of dollars (this is especially true for athletes from high-caliber teams) and the difference between being signed to a team with no resources to a team that can support you.