Days before she even had a chance to play in the team's first preseason match against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 6, the Golden State Valkyries waived rookie Shyanne Sellers, who was picked up by the team in the second round of the WNBA Draft on Saturday, May 2. The decision was a controversial one that elicited a lot of strong reactions from fans, some of whom have begun to question the Valkyries' entire team-building strategy. And though questions are always welcome, it might be time for some fans to pause before writing the team off.
The Golden State Valkyries have signed a lot of European players
The Valkyries have a roster dominated by strong talent from Europe, a strategy that makes a lot of sense when you consider that many European players have been going up against pros — both WNBA players playing overseas and athletes from their own countries — since they were teenagers. That kind of professional experience is unique and invaluable and could end up making the Valkyries a much stronger team than many have anticipated so far.
But that's also meant that other players from the United States might not get the opportunities they're looking for in the league. After the team waived Sellers, some questioned whether Golden State should have at least given her a shot to play during a game.
As WNBAZodiac wrote on X, "Shyanne Sellers deserved better. So do a lot of college players sitting at home right now, watching rosters get filled with names they’ve never played beside, and wondering what they were working toward. This isn’t bitterness. It’s grief. For a dream the W sold and quietly rewrote."
However, the X user was called out for potential xenophobia by others on the platform.
It's also important to note the WNBA has never claimed that adding teams is about supporting collegiate talent in the United States — expansion is about bringing the strongest talent possible to the WNBA and providing opportunities for as many teams as possible to play in front of as many fans as possible.
The Valkyries, in particular, boast a lot of tremendous talents who will likely impress American fans less familiar with their games. Hopefully those fans will pause and wait to see how the team comes together before making their final judgements.
Shyanne Sellers could still get her shot
Though the 48-hour deadline to sign Sellers to another WNBA team looks like it will come to pass, Sellers will likely still get a shot to play overseas this season and could even return to the WNBA next year.
There's speculation that a lingering knee injury might have something to do with the decision to waive Sellers. In January 2025, Sellers sprained her right knee in a game against Texas.
The injury didn't seem to give Sellers too much trouble during the team's March Madness run this year, and she had a few extra weeks to rest after Maryland lost to South Carolina on March 28. But Sellers didn't participate in Kelsey Plum's Dawg Class this year, and she didn't play in the Lily Women's College All-Star Combine or Game in Tampa.
She certainly has the resume for the WNBA. Sellers appeared in 130 games for Maryland, averaged 14.4 points and 4.1 assists her senior year, and was also the first athlete in program history to clock 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. She seemed set to enjoy a successful rookie season with Golden State and was widely predicted to be drafted higher than No. 17. The fact that Golden State was able to pick her up in the first place was considered a win for the team.