The Golden State Valkyries announced a surprising roster decision Saturday, May 2: the team waived rookie Shyanne Sellers, who was drafted as the No. 17 overall pick in the second round of the WNBA Draft last month.
Sellers appeared in 130 games for Maryland and 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. Sellers seemed set to enjoy a successful rookie season at 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.
“We were surprised Shyanne was available at 17,” general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the night of the draft. “Her versatility excites us because it gives us an opportunity to slide her in another position or another.” With praise like that, what exaclty went wrong?
Why Shyanne Sellers was waived from the Valkyries
The Valkyries haven't offered an explanation for the decision to waive Sellers, but there's speculation that a lingering knee injury might have something to do with it. 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.
WNBA reporter Marisa Ingemi, who attended open practice with the team Friday, initially reported Sellers had spent time shooting on her own. "They scrimmaged for the first time yesterday but it was behind closed doors. From the access we get at the end of practice she had been primarily shooting on her own. Have to think her knee wasn’t healing well," she wrote on BlueSky.
Three hours later, Ingemi returned to the platform to note that Sellers' sister has insisted on TikTok the hooper is "fully healthy."
Coach Nakase says cuts are part of the process
Unfortunately, there's still not enough room in the WNBA for every player who deserves to be there, and Coach Nakase appeared to imply as much when she spoke to reporters Saturday afternoon. "She did everything that we wanted her to," Nakase explained. "It's just that I have to choose the best 12 that fit. It doesn't mean it's the most talented. It means it's the best 12, and we have a very competitive camp, and so had to make a decision on that line.”
WNBA contracts are unique, and being waived from a team doesn't immediately halt a player's potential in the WNBA. A waived player is released from their contract by the team in question, and in turn, other teams have 48 hours to pick up that player if they're so inclined.
There's a chance that Sellers could still find a home in the league if another team scoops her up, and if not, she should have no problem playing overseas. But the news is a blow to fans who bought tickets specifically to see her play in San Francisco, and, most of all, to Sellers herself.