What's at stake for the Golden State Valkyries ahead of the WNBA draft
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A Golden State Valkyries jersey at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Photo: Mike Rasay/NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Valkyries are set to make their first-ever, non-expansion draft selection Monday at No. 5 overall.
Why it matters: Whoever they pick will join the 15-member roster overseen by head coach Natalie Nakase and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin ahead of their inaugural WNBA season.
Between the lines: The team, which recently became the first in the league to sell 10,000 season tickets, appeared to favor more established veterans over up-and-coming players at the expansion draft in December.
- That means Monday night could be their chance to bring on some younger talent.
What they're saying: The Valkyries are looking for a "competitor" who is ready to step into the new franchise and contribute immediately, Nyanin told reporters Friday.
- "We aren't looking for the face of our franchise just yet," she added. "We're working on building our identity. ... I very much want this to be an organic process."
What we're hearing: Sports analysts say that among the Valkyries, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin and Veronica Burton are likely to take a bulk of the minutes in the backcourt, while Temi Fagbenle, Kayla Thornton and Monique Billings will be leaned on in the frontcourt.
- Depending on how Nakase "chooses to mix and match lineups ... the small forward position stands out as a spot for a potential rookie to step in, earn minutes and make an impact," Łukasz Muniowski writes for SB Nation.
How it works: The league's 13 teams will participate in a total of 38 draft selections across three rounds.
- The first round will feature 12 picks, while the latter two have 13.
- The Dallas Wings own the No. 1 pick.
What we're watching: UConn's star point guard Paige Bueckers is widely projected to go first overall.
- Yes, but: There's no shortage of talent as the Valkyries could be choosing between Dominique Malonga (France), Notre Dame's Sonia Citron, USC's Kiki Iriafen, TCU's Hailey Van Lith, LSU's Aneesah Morrow, Maryland's Shyanne Sellers and South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao.
Tune in: Fans can watch the draft live at 4:30pm on ESPN or stream it on the ESPN app.
The big picture: The Valkyries are the first team to join the league since Atlanta Dream in 2008, making their debut amid historic highs for TV viewership and attendance of WNBA games.
- More people tuned into the 2024 WNBA playoffs than at any point in the last 25 years.
What's next: The Valkyries' first game is on May 16, when they face the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center.
- The team also recently announced partnerships with Sephora and United Airlines. The latter has committed to community-based initiatives like giving local youth the chance to attend games.