WNBA expansion draft: Predicting the Golden State Valkyries' first roster

• Yes, but: Each team can protect up to six players. And while the seventh player on the roster for some teams is still good enough to start for Golden State, other picks will be lucky to make the team after the standard draft and free agency are complete.

Behind the scenes: The Athletic, USA Today and ESPN all have thoughts on whom the Valkyries will take. Here are our predictions, with the caveat that teams haven't announced which players they are protecting:

• Atlanta Dream: Haley Jones (guard)
• Chicago Sky: Chennedy Carter (G)
• Connecticut Sun: Veronica Burton (G)
• Dallas Wings: Kalani Brown (center)
• Indiana Fever: Damiris Dantas (forward)
• Los Angeles Sparks: Li Yueru (C)
• Las Vegas Aces: Alysha Clark (F)
• Minnesota Lynx: Alissa Pili (F)
• New York Liberty: Han Xu (C)
• Phoenix Mercury: Celeste Taylor (G)
• Seattle Storm: Victoria Vivians (F)
• Washington Mystics: Brittney Sykes (G)

Zoom in: This roster is going to need some help on the wing and on defense, but a backcourt of Sykes, Carter and Jones would be electric.

• Yueru, Xu and Brown would be one of the tallest frontcourts in the league, while young players like Burton and Pili would get plenty of opportunities to show they're good fits long term.

What's next: More roster tweaking through free agency and the draft is coming regardless of whom Golden State drafts in the expansion, but this would be an exciting core to build from.

How to watch: Tune in on ESPN starting at 3:30pm.