Valkyries select 7 international players in WNBA expansion draft
The Golden State Valkyries’ international selections include Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain), Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Maria Conde (Spain), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy) and Iliana Rupert and Carla Leite, both natives of France.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries They did not set out to form a team with a great international presence in the WNBA expansion draft on Friday, as the league’s 13th franchise continues to take shape. Heading into the draft, coach Natalie Nakase and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the non-negotiable attributes they emphasized were “competitiveness, great character and a never-satisfied mentality.”
But at the end of the draft, Nakase and Nyanin couldn’t help but be surprised by their squad’s initial international presence. Seven of the 11 players the Valkyries drafted on Friday come from outside the United States.
“The international part… that wasn’t my mentality,” Nakase said. “It was building the best team I wanted to build.”
Friday’s selections included Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain), Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Maria Conde (Spain), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy) and Iliana Rupert and Carla Leiteboth from France.
Nakase said she was particularly excited about Fagbenle’s availability. In 2024, the veteran forward of Indiana Fever established an instant relationship with the number one pick Caitlin Clark and entered the starting lineup just seven games into the season. Fagbenle’s defensive presence was a major factor for the Fever. But he played in only 22 games after suffering three injuries.
Golden State also acquired players who have left their mark on the WNBAincluding Kate Martin and Kayla Thornton.
Martin, who was selected by Las Vegas Aces in 2024, she will reunite with Nakase, who served as an assistant coach on the staff of Becky Hammon. Early in her rookie season, Martin earned an important role as the Aces dealt with numerous injuries. He averaged 19.3 minutes in his first 10 games and shot 37% from the 3-point line.
But as the Aces regained their health, Martin’s responsibilities were reduced. She gives the Valkyries a young player with great potential.
Thornton, an eight-year veteran, helped the New York Liberty to secure their first WNBA title last season. Appeared in 11 games playoffs and averaged 12.5 minutes, the second-most among New York’s reserves. She is one of four players drafted by the Valkyries to have won a WNBA championship.
“Having championship experience is vital,” Nakase said. “You’ve been in those big moments. You’re in those big locker room meetings and those practices that focus on the little details of the playoffs. So yeah, that was a big part of bringing this team together. We have a goal and “We want to get there with the right players, but also with the right minds at the same time.”
The teams were announced in three groups of four in alphabetical order by team name:
Atlanta Dream: Iliana Rupert, C Chicago Sky: Maria Conde, F Connecticut Sun: Veronica Burton, G Dallas Wings: Carla Leite, PG Indiana Fever: Temi Fagbenle, C Las Vegas Aces: Kate Martin, G Los Angeles Sparks: Stephanie Talbot, F Minnesota Lynx: Cecilia Zandalasini, F New York Liberty: Kayla Thornton, F Phoenix Mercury: Monique Billings, F Washington Mystics: Julie Vanloo, G
“Our goal was to build a roster that incorporates versatility and depth, incorporating a strong combination of leadership, defense and scoring ability,” Nyanin said. “These players were carefully chosen not only for their skills on the court, but also for their ability to adapt to the culture we are working to build here in Golden State.”
Billings was the only unrestricted free agent the Valkyries acquired, but Nyanin was noncommittal about giving her the primary player designation. Currently playing in China, Billings is the only player Nyanin was not in contact with on draft day.
Golden State opted not to draft a player from the Seattle Storm, and Nyanin said he didn’t feel any of the available Storm players had the impact the Valkyries were looking for.
In a somewhat surprising decision, the Valkyries opted not to make any trades on draft day, although the organization said it held multiple meetings with teams around the league. Nyanin said he wanted to draft players he could see as part of the franchise in the future, rather than as an asset for a trade pick.
Only three players selected by Golden State are under contract for 2025, leaving Golden State with $1.2 million in cap space, the second-highest total in the league after the Sun, according to HerHoopStats. This gives the Valkyries a lot of flexibility to operate within free agency, which begins in January.
“We want to be competitive from day one… so we’re going to do our best,” Nyanin said of how aggressive the team plans to be in free agency. “We want to make sure… they know we love them. Hopefully, when we call them, they’ll say ‘Yes, 100%’ and come.”
Friday marked the first WNBA expansion draft since the Dream joined the league in 2008. The other 12 WNBA teams were able to protect up to six players, including those who finished the season on their roster and all others. over which the team has rights. Those six players were exempt from the expansion draft, as are unrestricted free agents who have already played the maximum two years on contracts signed with the top designation.
The league did not make the list of protected players public.
The Valkyries could select only one player from each team and only one unrestricted free agent, who became eligible to be designated the Valkyries’ primary player. WNBA teams are allowed to have 12 players on a roster, and the Valkyries will continue to build their personnel in free agency and the WNBA draft on April 14, when they have picks Nos. 5, 17 and 29 .
Ahead of the 2026 season, the WNBA will hold additional expansion drafts for Portland and Toronto, the league’s No. 14 and No. 15 teams. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said she hopes the league will grow to 16 teams by 2028.
Last month, Rock Entertainment Group, which is also tied to the NBA’s Cavaliers, said it would make a bid to bring a WNBA expansion team to Cleveland. Philadelphia, Denver and South Florida are among other cities said to be exploring expansion bids.
The Valkyries will begin WNBA play next summer and will host the Sparks on opening day, May 16.
