The aggressive defense continued on both ends. The Fever were held to 5-of-20 shooting in the first quarter, including 0-of-8 from long range. Clark herself was frustrated with the lack of whistles, with only six called fouls in the quarter.

The Valkyries were slightly better on offense, focusing on getting to the rim when the oustide shots weren’t falling. The Fever’s defense were focused on bodying up, and Veronica Burton’s first step frequently was able to get around the defender. She lead GSV with eight first quarter points as GSV raced out to a 21-14 lead.

The physical play continued in the second quarter, with the Fever getting frustrated early on. Indiana committed two offensive fouls, pushing off on the defender. One way to beat good halfcourt defense; score in transition before the defesnse can settle. The Fever sped up the game after rebounding and started efficiently executing their transition offense. GSV continued their solid play, but lost containment on the Fever. Indiana outscored GSV 30-23 in the second quarter. We were all tied 44-44 heading into halftime.

The third quarter was teams trading blows for the first seven minutes. Juste Jocyte entered the game and quickly nailed her first 3-point shot of the game, brining the vrowd to its feet. With the Valkyries holding a 59-56 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the period, Indiana went on an 11-1 scoring run with both team’s second unit on the floor to take a 67-60 with just under one minute remaining. Coach Nakase called timeout to get Valerie Burton back in the game. Over the next 40 seconds, Janelle Salaun scored on a driving layup, collected a defensive rebound, and then connected on a 3-point shot off a Burton assist. The Fever led 67-65 at the end of the third quarter.

Gabby Williams scored 8 points during a 14-5 scoring burst for the Valykries to grab a 79-77 lead midway through the final period. The teams traded baskets, with GSV holding an 85-84 lead at the 2-minute mark. In the tight game, Janelle Salaun and Juste Jocyte were in the closing lineup, along with Burton, Williams, and Stokes.

With the Valkyries up 89-86 with :25 left, Veronica Burton was called for an offensive foul, trying to shake free from her defender during an inbounds play under Indiana’s basket. Coach Nakase’s challenge of the call was unsuccessful. Sophie Cunningham scored an uncontested layup for the Fever, cutting the lead to 89-88. Gabby Williams connected on one free throw. On the ensuing possession, Aaliyah Boston received the ball in the low post. Kiah Stokes played exceptional defense on Boston, forcing her into a difficult shot that she missed. After a tie-up on the rebound resulted in a jump ball, the Fever had the ball on an out of bounds play from the sideline with .6 seconds left. Aaliyah Boston had a midrange falling jumper shot come up short as time expired, as the Valkyries held on for the 90-88 victory.

Veronica Burton scored 8 of her game high 25 points in the fourth quarter. Gabby Williams scored 9 of her 19 points in the final period, to carry Golden State to the win. Caitlyn Clark was held to 16 points on only 3-of-12 shooting.

Notes and Observations

• I’ve talked previously on Golden State’s shot selection. This is about the ideal shot distribution chart for the Valkyries. Only 7 true midrange shots, (2/7, the red zone in the image below) with 40 shots in the paint and 21 3-point shots. Golden State won’t lose that often when they can get to their spots as much as this.

• Just Gabby pickpocketing Monique Billings and drawing the foul from Caitlyn Clark. Ho hum.

• Caitlyn Clark was booed at about 40% full volume whenever she got the ball. I have never seen Balhalla treat an opponent as a villain in the same way the crowd reacted to her tonight.

  ---

  Defending champs Las Vegas Aces come to Chase Center this Sunday afternoon. Expect another playoff-type atmosphere as the Valkyries continue to prove they belong in the conversation for being in top tier of teams.

Three games is still too small of a sample size to predict the arc of the season. We can, however compare what went right in the 95-79 victory over the Phoenix Mercury (#6 in WNBA’s power ranking) and what went wrong four days later in their loss to the Chicago Sky (WNBA #3 power rank).

The Valkyries are the prototypical five-out offense. Most offensive sets start with all five players spaced evenly beyond the three point arc. Motion flows across the lane, with the goal of exploiting the open space for a layup or shot near the basket. Or, the PG initiates good ball movement via drive and kicks or other action to set up a good 3-point shot. With the loss of Ilana Rupert for the season, this team will not be feeding the low post on a regular basis.

Compare the shot charts from both games.

Not only are there too many missed shots (white) in the Chicago loss, but the are too many midrange shots attempted (and mostly missed). The Valkyries attempted fifteen more shots inside the arc in the loss than they did in their win earlier in the week. Simply put, that is not Coach Nakase’s gameplan.

Both the NBA and WNBA have evolved into a 3-pointer or layup league. PBP Stats tracks the percentage of shots taken that are either 3’s or layups. Golden State ranks 10th overall, with nearly 66% of their shots being at the rim or from deep. I expect Golden State to finish in the top half of the league in thi category as the season progresses.

Coach Nakase and staff want shot chart distribution close to the PHX win. Chicago’s aggressive, handsy guard play prevented clean looks from outside and hampered efforts to get to the rim. Kiah Stokes emergence against Chicago with 7 points and 11 rebounds was a nice sign of interior offensive potential, but again that is not Plan A or B in GSV’s system.

Over the next couple weeks, I am going to keep an eye on the Burton-to-Salaun connection. In Golden State’s two victories, Salaun averaged over 27 minutes of playing time, leading to 20.5 points per game on exceptional shooting splits. Salaun is Burton’s favorite assist target, assisting on 5 of her 14 made baskets in the wins. In the loss to Chicago, Salaun played only 16 minutes and made 1 basket on 5 attempts. Burton had the assist.

The Valkyries have a pair of challenging road games this week, facing the juggernaut New York Liberty on Thursday and the Indiana Fever on Friday before returning to the Chase Center next Monday against the Connecticut Suns. Juste Jocyte is in the Bay Area, but is being given a week to acclimate herself andget some rest as she transitions from Euroleague play to the WNBA. Expect to see her make her debut at the earliest on May 28th in the home matchup against Indiana.

Sowah, Jackson and Suarez are the intriguing names that were let go. Sowah has multiple years of Australian professional experience, and exploded for 14 points in limited playing time in last weekend’s exhibition win over the Seattle Storm. Jackson and Suarez are this year’s draftees who both showed well in the exhibition game. Waived players can be calimed by any team for this active roster. After 48 hours, the Valkyries can re-sign them to developmental spots.

In a year of roster turbulence across the league with the new collective bargaining agreement and enhanced visibility of the WNBA, the 2026 Valkyries will look very much like the 2025 version.

Losses from last year’s playoff roster

• Carla Leite (expansion draft to Portland)

• Temi Fagbenle (expansion draft to Toronto)

• Monique Billings (Signed with Indiana Fever in free agency)

Roster Additions

• Gabby Williams (free agency signing)

• Kiah Stokes (free agency signing)

• Juste Jocyte (2025 draftee who stayed in Europe last year)

With the draft night moves to trade out of the first round, GSV’s front office signaled that they did not want to be committed to the guaranteed contract that are due to first rounder. Gabby Williams was a top-10 free agent and excellent signing for the Valkyries. Besides that, the Valkyries signed Kiah Stokes, a solid interior depth player. Whether the Valkyries missed out on other big names or were not major market players, we will never know. Whatever the reason, this year’s roster will heavily resemble last year’s team.

On the positive side, last year’s team greatly surpassed expectations to earn a playoff berth. Fan favorites such as Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton and Kaitlyn Chen are back, and the team’s continuity will keep Balhalla engaged. I also cover college basketball, and am slightly disillusioned by the current NIL landscape and annual upheaval of rosters. The familiar Valkyries help maintain GSV’s identity.

On the negative side, has the team done enough to move up a tier in the WNBA pecking order? Williams is an excellent addition and will improve perimeter defense. Jocyte is a multi-tool player who is a European all-star. The coaching staff and relatively young backcourt and wings have another year of perfecting their craft. Will that be enough to move into the top 6-8 range of the league?

Arguments can be made for keeping any of Sowah, Jackson or Suarez. But who would you have released in their spots? Chen has improved her game this offseason and is ready to take on a larger role. Martin is familiar with Coach Nakase’s system and fills multiple roles. Amihere give the team size that no one else can replicate. I would expect the team to sign one or two of the aforementioned trio to developmental spots if they are still available in a couple days. It’s unclear what happens with Jocyte’s roster spot until she joins the team in the second half of May. She makes thirteen right now, and they need to get to twelve. They will need to release one more person either now or when she joins.

What is more telling is watching the defensive intensity and adjustments, especially with the newcomers and those fighting for roster spots playing extended minutes.

Golden State was down 42-33 at halftime. After leading for the entire first quarter, the Valks were outscored 24-12 in the second quarter as their defense was not crisp and the tempo slowed down. Golden State scored 10 straight points to open the second hald, reclaiming the lead 43-33 within the first 4 minutes of the third period. In her postgame press session, I asked Coach Nakase about the halftime message and how the team responded. Her answer;

“We're a defensive team and so I felt like everyone took ownership of like, let's pick up the ball 94 feet, let's get into them, let's ball pressure, let’s speed them up, let’s dictate the first action and I thought everyone committed to it and so we can’t just have one person just doing it. It has to be all five. And so that’s something that we’re going to take priority for the next game.”

The second quarter featured heavy minutes from Kaitlyn Chen, Kate Martin and other depth players. Here’s a play from early in the period where the defensive intensity is not there. Notice the spacing at the beginning of the play, and how the players are vertical in their positioning.

Once the high screen is set, Marta Suarez drops into the lane to be able to cut off the ball-handler #22 Taina Mair, and potentially react to the rolling center, #14 Dominque Malonga. Kate Martin, top corner, is caught ball watching and her defensive assignment #4 Flau’Jae Johnson is free to cut the baseline unimpeded. Malonga has too much space to move, and chooses to go to the basket instead of a quick dump-off pass to the cutting Johnson.

On the rebound from the missed shot (:05 second mark), none of the interior players in has the awareness of Taina Mair all alone in the lane. No one boxes her out, and Mair collects the rebound and goes back up for the easy short jump shot.

A couple breakdowns on that play; 1) The spacing is fine, but then players may get caught in-between where they need to be and are late to respond. Once Martin realizes she lost her player, she tries to recover but in doing so lost the chance to track Mair behind her. 2) Both Kaitlyn Chen and Tiffany Hayes ignore Mair on the rebound. Chen releases Mair to Hayes and focuses on the interior, while Hayes starts to get into position to transition the other way. Mair is left unimpeded.

Let’s compare overall awareness to a play from early in the third period, after Nakase told the team to fully commit to defense at halftime.

Due to an early screen and switch, Storm C Stefanie Dolson is now guarded by Kaitlyn Chen at the top of the key. The Storm clear out the center so Dolson can exploit the size mismatch. As Dolson positions herself down low, #3 Laeticia Amihere is full tracking on Dolson is ready to help on defense. When Dolson steps towards the center and Lexie Brown’s entry pass is going towards the low post, Amihere is in position to step in and snag the steal before Dolson can respond.

This isn’t groundbreaking defense, and the steal was helped by the slight miscommunication between Brown and Dolson. But there’s several things I really like about this play, especially in contrast to the first play.

1. First thing to notice is the spacing and body positioning. Players have their arms extended to give a greater feel for the action surrounding them. They aren’t as purely vertical as the first play. Also, no one is in a proverbial no man’s land, disconnected from the action.

2. Watch the play again and focus only on Amihere, who starts just under the basket. Watch her body language, her quick head turns, and how she positions herself early on in the play. She realizes she needs to stay near the basket and not extend out to the corner, but she has awareness of what is happening on that side of the court.

3. Kate Martin’s positioning. At no point in time did she allow Lexie Brown a favorable spot or angle.

4. Once Amihere is engaged with Dolson, Chen starts floating to the corner, ready to pick up that assignment if needed.

Overall, it’s just a better team defensive presence where several players were able to adjust to the action and make the play. let’s hope thjat carries over into the season opener.

A couple other random thoughts and observations on the preseason opener;

• From the full house, you wouldn’t know this was a preseason game three weeks before the season opener. Balhalla was packed, loud, and raucous.

• By now you’ve most likely read about Miela Sowah’s incendiary shooting night. I was also impressed by both Marta Suarez and Ashlon Jackson. Their stats don’t jump out (Suarez 5 points, 3 rebounds; Jackson 1 point, 5 rebounds) but they showed good overall presence and were making plays when they needed to. Ashlon Jackson had a team-high +14 on her +/- rating for the game, indicating the team operated very well when she was on the floor. The first words from Coach Nakase when asked about them; “They’re ready.”

We, too, are ready for the season to begin.

Ducharme was a late addition to the training camp roster. She played 7 minutes in the preseason win over Seattle this past Saturday, scoring 3 points.

The WNBA season starts in a weeks time, and Natalie Nakase has to shorten the roster from its current training camp roster of 19 remaining players before the season opener on May 8th at the Seattle Storm.

Full Training Camp Roster

There weren’t any surprises in the training camp announcement, 2026 draft selections in Marta Suárez and Ashlon Jackson were included in the camp. Kokoro Tanaka was thought to be spending another season overseas, and that was confirmed, with the Valkyries announcing that she would not be reporting to the team this season due to international commitments. The only other not was that Kalia Charles, Justė Jocytė, Iliana Rupert, Janelle Salaün, Gabby Williams and Cecilia Zandalasini will be joining the camp after their international commitments are over.

The Valkyries start their regular season on Friday May 8th at 7PM in Seattle against the Seattle Storm, and their first home game on Sunda May 10th at 5:30PM against the Phoenix Mercury.

She is also 31st on the WNBA’s All-Time scoring list, and only 59 points away from moving ahead of Hall of Famer Maya Moore. Hayes currently has 2,926 career points with a 2024 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award, 2018 All-WNBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team, and a 2017 WNBA All Star selection in her 13 year career.

Welcome back to Ballhalla, Tip!

Ducharme played in 92 games in 5 years for the UConn Huskies, including 3 Final Fours, 2 National Championship games and 1 National Championship win. Maupin played this past year at Texas Tech, where she was named All Big-12 First Team with 15.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game on 40.4% shooting from the field. Mwenentanda Played her final year of collegiate eligibility at Vanderbilt, but spent 3 years at Texas where she was part of their Final Four run in 2025. This past season, for Vanderbilt, she started all 34 games, shooting 47.2% en route to a Sweet 16 berth in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Welcome to Ballhalla, Caroline, Bailey and Ndjakalenga.

Flau’jae Johnson was rated as a top 6 pick on most draft boards. She is a good sized combo guard who excelled in Kim Mulkey’s defensive system at LSU. When she was available to #8, our internal chat was ecstatic. Watching the draft live, it felt like the Valkyries’ pick happened really fast. Picking her at #8 was a no brainer.

The Valkyries did not post anything on social media about drafting Johnson. No retweets, reposts or people grabbing screenshots of the draft choice.

When Suarez was drafted by the Seattle Storm at #16, the telecast immediately announced the trade of Johnson for Suarez and a 2028 second round pick. This was not a deal made after the pick; The Storm and GSV agreed to this before the pick. Immediately, GSV posted the trade info to their social media accounts.

A few things worth weighing when trying to evaluate this trade;

• First round picks are guaranteed at least 3 year contracts. Second rounders can be signed to conditional contracts.

• When the addition of Gabby Williams to the existing perimeter group, adding perimeter depth was not a priority. Interior size, in addition to shooting prowess, was more of a need.

• Flau’jae Johnson was the clear value pick at #8. She had a top 4 ranking on some evaluation boards. Sign the best player available and explore all options.

• The 2028 second round pick obtained in the trade will be less valuable than current second round picks as two additional teams will be drafting in the 2028 draft.

My opinion is that the Valkyries took the clear value pick at #8 and immediately went to work on a deal. They would be happy with Suarez, and went one by one down the draft board looking for which team would be willing to make a deal. They ended up with the Storm at #16. This deal could save them some money this year and allow them to pursue remaining free agents, and gives them some flexibility with their training camp invitees and roster depth.

It’s not a bad rationale, if this is what played out in the GM’s office. It’s the roller coaster of having the draft steal of round one, and them flipping it less than 30 minutes later, that caught the fanbase off guard.

Even more surprising is the response from GM Ohemaa Nyanin. When asked about the move afterwards, Nyanin answered;

Nyanin later added;

“"I don't talk or comment about salary cap. ... I don't really speak about my strategy ever publicly because all the other teams are watching what our strategy is."

This is obviously a frustrating response, worse in many ways than a non-answer. The first quote implies that there may be internal intel or opinions that were not shared across all decision-makers going into the draft. The second quote belies the goodwill the front office has with local media and fanbase.

I am sure the story of what was going on in the draft room will continue through the preseason and beyond. It unfortunately detracts from the overall solid draft the Valkyries had. None of this should take away from the excitement that the fans should have for Marta and the other picks. Speaking of which….

The Valkyries select Guard Ashlon Jackson with the 23rd pick in the draft. The 6’ 0” guard was a 3-year starter for the Duke Blue Devils, averaging 9.2 points and 2.6 assists per game. Jackson had a draft grade of borderline first rounder, so selecting her at the midpoint of the second round provides good value. Jackson is a well-rounded, highly disciplined player, a better defensive presence than offensive threat. She’ll be battling for reserve backcourt minutes along with Kate Martin, Caitlyn Chen and others.

With the 38th pick, the Valkyries selected Kokoro Tanaka. The 20-year old 5’ 8’’ guard from Japan is capable of lighting it up, and shows a shame-free shooting range . Currently under contract with the Eneos Sunflowers, expect Tanaka to stay overseas for at least one year before joining the Valkyries.

The Valkyries open up the preseason on April 25th, less than two weeks away. Look for the Valkyries to sign one more big (even if it’s just re-signing Temi Fagbenle) to finalize their roster going into training camp. Look for Marta Suarez to push Janelle Salaun at the stretch forward spot before settling into a key rotational piece.

Suarez averaged 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in her lone season for the Horned Frogs. She shot 45.3% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc, while also leading the conference in double doubles with 9. She also isn’t new to the bay after spending 2 seasons playing at the University of California, Berkeley.

Welcome to Ballhall, Marta!

Kayla Thornton had a career year after being selected by the Valkyries in the 2024 expansion draft. Thornton was originally an undrafted player but won the 2024 WNBA Championship with the New York Liberty.

"Kayla had an extraordinary season for this franchise and for herself," said Valkyries General Manager, Ohemaa Nyanin. "She became our first-ever All-Star, and also stepped up as a leader for a new roster from day one. Kayla brings relentless work ethic and an unshakeable belief in this team.”

Kiah Stokes brings experience and familiarity to the Valkyries’ front court. Stokes played under current Valkyries HC Natalie Nakase, when she was an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces. A ten year WNBA veteran, Stokes was originally drafted 11th overall by the New York Liberty in 2015. The center by way of UConn was a WNBA All-Rookie amd WNBA All-Defensive Secomd team during her career.

"Kiah is a strong defender and a great addition to our team," said Nyanin. "She has won three WNBA championships and was coached by Coach Nakase in Las Vegas, so she understands what we are building here and what it takes to win."

Cate Reese joins the Valkyries after spending last season playing in Poland. She played in 9 EuroCup games where she averaged 15.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. Her first professional career started in Australia for the Gold Coast Rollers, averaging 22.9 points and 8.4 rebounds for the 2023 season. Prior to her professional career, she spent 5 years at Arizona, earning 4 All-Pac-12 honors during her collegiate career.

"Cate is a versatile scorer, a physical rebounder," said Nyanin. "She has shown incredible resilience throughout her career, and we are excited to welcome her to the Bay.”

The Valkyries are slowly filling out their roster, and the 2026 draft should shore up some of the youth for the 2026 season.

The biggest news is the signing of free agent All-Star Forward Gabby Williams. After spending the last four seasons with the Seattle Storm, Williams joins the Valkyries on a multi-year contract. Last year, Williams was All Defensive First Team and was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. She averaged 2.3 steals per game, collecting 99 steals for the season, both league highs. GM Ohemaa Nyanin is ecstatic about the signing;

"For a player of Gabby's caliber to choose us in just our second year... means everything. She is world-class. One of the best defenders in the world, an WNBA All-Star, and someone who makes everyone around her better. Honestly, what excites me most is who she is as a person. Gabby has deep roots in the Bay Area, and she is coming home. The community is going to love her, and I think she is going to love it here."

Williams is originally from Reno. She was a 2x All-American at UConn before being draft fourth overall in 2018 by the Chicago Sky. In addition to the WNBA, she also has played in Europe. In 2023, she was a teammate of Juste Jocyte with the French LDLC ASVEL Feminin Lyon, helping the club to the EuroCup title that year. Her brother Matthew recently completed his senior season playing for CSU-East Bay.

The Valkyries also re-signed three players from last year. Ilian Rupert and Janelle Salaun were signed to multi-year contracts, while Cecelia Zandalasini agreed to a one-year deal. Rupert and Salaun are the frontcourt of the future, and are key building blocks for the Valks going forward. Saulaun was a member of the All-Rookie team last year after averaging 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

GM Ohemma Nyanin is excited to have her back;

"Janelle had one of the best rookie seasons we have seen in this league in a long time…She is a natural scorer, a relentless competitor, and she is only going to get better. Her focus on the game is unmatched, and she will work until she gets it right. This work ethic and attitude is something we value and were keen to develop on this team.”

As a sharpshooting center, Rupert led the team in three-point shooting percentage at 44.3 percent. In her comments, GM Nyanin called out how her exceptional shooting warps the way teams need to defend the Valkyries.

"Iliana was such a tremendous addition to this team in year one…She came in midseason, fit right into our system and immediately made us better on both ends of the floor. Her shooting changed the way teams had to guard us, and we are excited to have her back for a full season.”

Zandalasini appeared in 19 games for GSV, averaging a career-high 10.5 points per game. The forward brings length to the frontcourt to go along with her 40.7 three-point shooting percentage.

The Valkyries also signed their first ever draft selection from last year, Juste Jocyte, to a rookie contract. After being selected fifth last year, Jocyte remained in Europe. she helped guid the Lituanian team to a 2-0 record in 2027 FIBA Qualifiers, after averaging 1.5 and 4.0 assists per game. Nicknamed the “baby-faced assassin”, Jocyte is only 19 years old and was named Lithuanian Women Basketball Player of the year in February.

GSV has now taken care of all the Tier 1/Tier X priorities from our earlier free agency overview article. Burton, Jocyte, Williams, Salaun and Rupert already give you a young starting five that will be competitive on most nights and only have room to grow together.

From the Tier II priorities, Zandalisini is already re-signed, Monique Billings moved on to the Indiana Fever, and Kayla Thornton remains unsigned. Expect the Valkyries to go after one or two frontline players still available. Myisha Hines-Allen from Dallas, along with re-signing Kayla Thornton and Temi Fagbenle, would be a good outcome.

• Late Update 10:45am - The Valkyries signed Kaila Charles to a 2-year contract. Charles split time last year between Dallas and Golden State in a reserve guard role, averaging 6.9 points per game. Look for her to fill a similar role in the upcoming season.

• Later Update 11:15am - Laeticia Amihere was re-signed to a training camp contract. The forward averaged 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench last year. Her playing time decreased as last season wound down, playing only 19 total minutes after September 1st. She’ll need to prove herself in training camp to stick on the regular season roster.

Veronica was the backbone of this team in our inaugural season,” said Valkyries General Manager, Ohemaa Nyanin. “She started every single game, led us in nearly every statistical category, and was the connective tissue between our locker room and our coaching staff. Her work ethic, leadership and voice were exactly what we needed in year one, and we cannot wait to see her continue to grow here in Golden State. Building this roster has always started with character, and Veronica is exactly the type of person we continue to build around.”

…

Burton ranked third in the WNBA in assists per game, fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.82), and ninth in free throw percentage (87.8%) this past season. The Northwestern product tallied 28 double-digit scoring performances during the regular season, including a 30-point game on Aug. 13 at Washington which are the most points scored in a game in Valkyries history. One of the league’s best lockdown defenders, Burton earned WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors after helping the Valkyries lead the league in opponent points per game (76.3) and rank third in defensive rating (99.8).

Burton led the Valkyries in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks on her way to winning the 2025 Most Improved Player award. She increased her averages for nearly every statistical category except for 3PT%. With free agency in full swing and the draft around the corner, the roster additions and management will be something to monitor for Valkyrie fans.

Let us know what you think about the re-signing and for everything else Valkyries, subscribe to The Valhallan Scribe.

Check out the full list of promotions and heritage nights below!

• Saturday, April 25 vs. Seattle, presented by Waymo: All fans in attendance will receive a “Born in the Bay” Valkyries t-shirt.

• Sunday, May 10 vs. Phoenix: All fans in attendance will get a “This is Ballhalla” 2026 Valkyries t-shirt, courtesy of Chase Freedom.

• Wednesday, May 13 vs. Chicago: “Mental Health Awareness Night,” presented by OLLY.

• Monday, May 25 vs. Connecticut: Courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences, the first 10,000 fans will get a 300-piece puzzle featuring our bestie, Violet, for “Summer Kick-Off.”

• Sunday, May 31 vs. Las Vegas: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Valkyries scarf for “She Plays On,” presented by Kaiser Permanente.

• Tuesday, June 2 vs. Portland: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will get a pair of Valkyries retro sunglasses, courtesy of Coinbase.

• Tuesday, June 9 vs. Phoenix: All fans in attendance will receive a Valkyries t-shirt, courtesy of Kaiser Permanente.

• Monday, June 15 vs. Los Angeles: Asian Heritage Night

• Friday, June 19 vs. Minnesota: Juneteenth Celebration

• Friday, June 26 vs. Atlanta: Pride Night

• Sunday, June 28 vs. New York: 30 years of the WNBA, presented by Ross Stores.

• Saturday, July 18 vs. Washington: Native American Heritage Night

• Monday, July 20 vs. Washington: The first 10,000 fans will receive a Valkyries Hello Kitty® plush as the Valkyries honor the global icon during “Hello Kitty® Night.”

• Sunday, August 2 vs. Toronto: Filipino Heritage Night

• Tuesday, August 4 vs. Toronto: South-East Asian Heritage Night

• Wednesday, August 12 vs. Chicago: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will get a Violet bobblehead, presented by DoorDash, for Violet’s birthday.

• Monday, August 17 vs. Dallas: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Valkyries mini tote bag, courtesy of OLLY, during “Back to School Night.”

• Wednesday, August 19 vs. Minnesota: Breast Health Awareness Night

• Wednesday, August 19 vs. Minnesota: Latino Heritage Night

• Friday, September 18 vs. Portland: Japanese Heritage Night

• Saturday, September 19 vs. Seattle: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Valkyries shoulder bag for “Fan Appreciation Night,” presented by Waymo.

Which promotions are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!

The free agency window starts this week and runs through April 18th. Before we break into what can happen over those two weeks, let’s look at the current roster breakdown.

Signed for 2026 season

• Kate Martin

  • The reserve guard is under contract for one more year, with a team option for extension in 2027.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Unrestricted free agents are free to negotiate with any team for a new contract. Each team can designate one core player who will receive a one-year supermax 1.4 million dollar contract. Besides that player, UFA’s do not need to negotiate or provide the Valkyries a chance to counter-offer if they choose not to.

• Kayla Thornton

• Tiffany Hayes

• Tami Fagbenle

• Monique Billings

Restricted Free Agents

Restricted free agents are players who have played in the WNBA for at least four years and whose contracts have expired. they are free to negotiate with any team, but the Valkyries have the match any offer the player receives.

• Veronica Burton

• Cecilia Zandasalini

Reserved Free Agents

Reserved free agents have less than four years of WNBA experience. The Valkyries hold exclusive negotiating rights with these players. The player must be released by the Valkyries before they can negotiate with other teams.

• Laeticia Amihere

• Kaitlyn Chen

• Iliana Rupert

• Janelle Salaun

The Valkyries also hold exclusive rights to Juste Jocyte, who has yet to sign a WNBA contract.

It’ll will be a hectic two weeks beginning on Monday;

• April 6th and 7th: Teams can make qualifying offers to restricted, reserved, and core players.

• April 8th: Negotiations begin, with restricted and unrestricted free agents able to go to the open market and find the best offer.

• April 11th-18th: Players can sign contracts beginning on the Saturday the 11th.

This process is usually a three week window, but is compressed this year due to the collective bargaining agreement being signed in late March. with this accelerated timeframe, the expectation is there may not be much movement this year. Instead, players will opt for one-year contracts and wait to negotiate bigger and longer deals next year as the salary cap continues to rise.

Valkyries Priorities From Current Roster

It’s hard to gauge how may of the eleven players will remain in Balhalla. If the market is tight and players choose to stay with their current teams, the team may look largely the same as last year (with the addition of Jocyte from Europe). Evven though the Valkyires made the playoffs last year, I would still approach roster building as a second year franchise, prioritizing a longer view versus immediate impact. Here’s how I’d prioritize the current roster;

• Tier I to Retain: Burton, Salaun, Rupert

  • I’m going with the team leader in Burton, and a young front court of the future in Salaun and Rupert. I hope all three where violet jersey for years to come

• Tier II: Thornton, Zandalasini, Billings

  • All three were hugely impactful senior leaders for GSV last year. You cannot immediately replace their production. I’m putting them a notch below the three players above mainly due to age. The average age of this trio is 33. I would be thrilled to have them back on one-year offers. I would also be supportive if they found longer term (and more $$$) offers from other teams.

• Tier III: Everyone else.

  • Kaitlyn Chen is the interesting one in this tier. She raised her game over the offseason with her play overseas and in The Unlimited League. Does she view herself as a starter versus a depth player? Chen is a fan favorite; do the Valkyries pay a slight premium to keep her in the Bay Area?

• Tier X: Sign Juste Jocyte

  • She continues to light up Europe. No word yet on if she will move across the Atlantic for this upcoming year. We’ll be watching this one closely.

GSV fans, what are your thoughts about the Valkyrie’s free agents? Drop you comments below and let’s get the discussion going.

Read more about the release by the Valkyries:

“Our fans didn’t just ask for a jersey; they asked for a symbol of this new era,” said Valkyries President, Jess Smith. “Across every region of the Bay, we’ve seen our Valkyries violet begin to line the streets, a signal that the Valkyries have truly landed. This jersey is our response to that energy, a bold reinforcement of everything we’ve built in year one. It’s more than a uniform; it’s a reflection of a fan base ready to claim their territory. I can’t wait to see a sea of violet take over the community and soar on the court.”

Design elements throughout the Explorer uniform tie in the Valkyries’ strong, bold and fierce identity:

• Violet anchors the jersey, which is modern, powerful, and bold, reflecting the fierce commitment of our players and the pulse of the Bay Area.

• Wing elements from the Valkyries’ primary icon sit beneath the arms, nodding to the flight of the Valkyries.

• Lines on the shorts represent cables from the Bay Bridge, bridging San Francisco and Oakland.

• Infusion of gold on the sides of the uniform and on the waistband, which is a nod to the Golden State name and tertiary color.

• Valkyries founding partners Chase and Kaiser Permanente logo patches proudly displayed on the front.

• “Golden State” across the chest, and the Valkyries’ primary icon prominently featured on the shorts.

The iconic violet Nike Explorer Jersey will be available for sale at the Golden State Warriors Shop in Thrive City starting on Tuesday March 31st, with an online release at shop.valkyries.com in the coming days. Valkyrie jerseys purchased in store or online, the team will donate $25 to She Plays On, “a platform that empowers Bay Area girls to live healthy, active lifestyles on and off the court.”

Excited about the jerseys? Which one will you be picking up? Let us know in the comments below!

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From the staff at Write for California comes a sister site to cover the WNBA across the bay in the Golden State Valkyries.

We are fan journalists. We’re objective in the facts and results, but tend to discuss outcomes as a passionate supporter of the team who is acutely aware of context. Does this win bode well for the rest of the season? What has the coaching staff changed since last year to address a weakness? How does the win or loss make us feel on a visceral level?

Sports is an escape, an outlet from the chaos of the world around us. We embrace the community inherent to being a fan, and look to build relationships across our readers and contributors. At the 2026 Leadership Academy for Women’s Sports, executives from the Valkyries, BayFC and other women’s sports franchises in the Bay Area discussed marketing and fan outreach unique to women’s sports. Women’s teams focus more on the teams and areas they represent and less on the individuals. Women’s sports fan are looking for engagement; women’s teams focus on initiatives and opportunities to engage on a more meaningful level with their fans.

We’re here for it, all of it. We hope you’ll join our community in following and supporting the Valkyries.

With the recent announcement of a new collective bargaining agreement , the league enters the April free agency period with an expanded payroll and positive escalations over the next several years. The Valkyries only have two players under contract, Carla Leite and Kate Martin. In addition to re-signing crucial players from the current roster, the Valkyries will be active in signing at least one of the marquee names available.

Current Roster Priorities

Tier I: Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, Janelle Salaun.
To me, these three plus Leite form the Valkyries core as the Valkyries evolve into their next full roster iteration. Thornton is an unrestricted free agent, while Burton and Salaun are restricted/reserved. Kayla is 33 years old and has a history of injuries. While Thornton may get a big-money offer from another franchise, I would not offer her a max deal but would not begrudge the Valkyries if they did. Skilled interior players are harder to find vs perimeter play.

Burton was the heart and soul of this team, in addition to the growth she showed on the floor in her third year in the league. Salaun and Leite greatly impressed as rookies, and should continue to grow.

Tier II: Monique Billings, Iliana Rupert, Tiffany Hayes
I’m going with size here in prioritizing Billings and Rupert. Billings is an unrestricted free agent entering the prime of her career. Rupert is a reserved free agent who should get a very nice qualifying offer from the Valks. Hayes was the notable free agent acquisition for the Valks last season and provides exceptional senior leadership for the team.

Tier III: Everyone else
For sentimental reasons, you’d like to keep everyone else as this was as special team last year who overperformed and connected with the fan base. The reality is the second half of this roster may look totally different next year. If the Valkyries can sign a couple big name players in free agency, they will build their bench and second squad to complement the newcomers.

Free Agency Priorities

It’s fairly simple; sign the biggest star you can from the large list of all-star free agents. Heck, sign two. The Valkyries have no large weakness, but also no large strentgh; every position can be upgraded. If you miss out on the A’Ja Wilson tier of players, getting two from the next tier would also greatly improve the roster.

My Dream; A’Ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier or Alyssa Thomas. All three are foundational frontcourt players that would instantly move the Valkyries up in the Western Conference hierarchy.

My consolation prize; Guard Kelsey Mitchell and Forward Gabby Williams. Kelsey Mitchell brings dynamicism to the backcourt and would pair wonderfully with Veronica Burton. Gabby Williams is a defensive focused frontline player, an 8-year veteran who just hade the best season of her career in Seattle. If I had to choose, I would sign Williams to a big deal over Thornton, though would prefer to have both.

One byproduct of a succesful first year is being lower in the draft order. The Valkyries own the eighth pick in the WNBA draft on April 13th. We’ll cover draft thoughts in a future article.

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The WNBA Expansion Draft is scheduled for April 6th. Two new franchises, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, will create their initial team rosters. A coin flip will determine which team will select first. The winner of the flip will then also receive the 7th pick in the WNBA Draft one week later on April 13th. The loser of the coin flip will pick 6th. The Valkyries have the 8th pick in the draft.

When the Valkyries selected last year, each of the existing 12 teams could name six players to keep out of the draft pool. While the WNBA has not officially announced the number of players each team can protect, most expect that number to be five. A complicating factor right now is the unprecedented number of unrestricted free agents. Last year, the Valkyries could select only one unrestricted free agent. I expect the WNBA to update draft parameters and provide guidance to the league by the end of the week.

Assuming teams can protect five players, most sites predict that Golden State will protect;

• F Kayla Thornton (unrestricted free agent, can negotiate with any team)

• G Veronica Burton (restricted free agent, GSV can match any offer she receives from another team)

• C Ilana Rupert (reserved free agent, must negotiate with GSV before talking to other teams)

• G/F Juste Jocyte (unsigned #5 pick in last year’s draft. GSV holds rights)

• F Janelle Salaun (reserved free agent, must negotiate with GSV before talking to other teams)

Teams do not publicly disclose who they protect and who they make available in the draft. If the above players are those who the Valkyries choose to protect, I would have no issues with it. The veteran Thornton overperformed last year and was able to stay healthy. Veronica Burton showed that she will be the floor leader for years to come. Rupert and Salaun are the front court of the future. Jocyte is tearing it up in Europe and was just named the Lithuanian Women’s Basketball Player of the Year for the second time.

However, I think it’s worth considering keeping Carla Leite instead of Thornton. The 21-year old second year guard played in 37 games last year after being selected in the expansion draft from the Dallas Wings. She averaged 7 points and 2 assists per game in a reserve role. While her shooting numbers could improve (39% overall, 17% from deep), she displayed exceptional court vision and quickness that surpassed her years. If she was made available in the draft, she would be one of the first players selected.

The decision to make Thornton available is predicated on;

1. Strategic decision to focus on a younger core to retain

2. Confidence that you will be able to sign a veteran front court free agent that can meet or exceed Thornton’s output

3. As an unrestricted free agent, Thornton may command more on the open market than what the Valkyries may want to commit. Let another team sign her to a big contract

Cecilia Zandalasini is another young player to consider after averaging 11 points and 3 rebounds last year across 21 games. I consider her as a backup to Jocyte in the guard/forward spot in the long term and would put her seventh in the pecking order.

After the expansion draft on April 6th, free agency begins on April 7th….then the WNBA draft on April 13th. It’s a busy time for everyone leading up to the first game of the season May 8th at Seattle. Balhalla will be rocking when the Valkyries host their first home game on May 10th against the Phoenix Mercury.

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