It looks like the Golden State Valkyries will begin training camp without Juste Jocyte, the 19-year-old Lithuanian the team drafted at the No. 5 overall spot in this year's WNBA Draft.
Jocyte is expected to play for Lithuania's national team at EuroBasket in June. The tournament will take place June 18-29 and is the first hosted by four countries (Czechia, Germany, Greece, and Italy), which will hopefully make the competition more accessible for fans who want to attend games in Europe — but that's potentially bad news for the Golden State Valkyries, since (in addition to Jocyte) six of the team's players have qualified.
However, this doesn't mean Valkyries fans won't see Jocyte at all this season — she could join the team mid-season after EuroBasket concludes.
The Valkyries have big training camp decisions to make
It might even be to Jocyte's benefit that she isn't at training camp this month, because the Valkyries have 18 players attending and 12 spots to fill. Kaitlyn Chen and Shyanne Sellers both made the cut, the rookies will have to go head-to-head with seasoned vets to make sure they end up playing for Golden State this season.
In addition to Chen and Sellers, the training camp roster also includes Carla Leite, Laeticia Amihere, Kayla Thornton, Stephanie Talbot, Janelle Salaün, Temi Fágbénlé, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Monique Billings, Mamignan Touré, Kyara Linskens, Elissa Cunane, Julie Vanloo, and Chloe Bibby. Both Salaün and Cunane will arrive at training camp after they've completed international commitments.
Predicted Golden State Valkyries depth chart after training camp
Eighteen players vying for the same 12 spots is tough, but in the end decisions will need to be made. Here's one likely scenario for who will remain on the roster when it's all said and done:
PG: Veronica Burton/Carla Leite/Julie Vanloo
SG: Tiffany Hayes/Kate Martin
SF: Stephanie Talbot/Cecilia Zandalasini/Janelle Salaün
PF: Kayla Thornton/Monique Billings
C: Temi Fagbenle/Kyara Linskens
This, unfortunately, means a lot of talent might not see the court this season. There are a few variables to consider that might work as tie-breakers if needed — for example, Chen and Sellers have a lot of social media support which is likely to translate into bodies in seats. But on the other hand, the Valkyries sold out 10,000 season memberships before the draft, so perhaps that kind of social media attention isn't as necessary as it might seem.