Golden State Valkyries go international with inaugural roster

Competitiveness, high character and a never satisfied mindset.

Those were among the characteristics emphasised by the Golden State Valkryies general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and coach Natalie Nakase last Friday (6 December) as they announced their picks from the expansion draft.

Current WNBA teams were able to protect six of their own players from being drafted by the Golden State before the Valkyries were then able to acquire the contract or negotiating rights for one player from each team.

The result was an 11-player initial roster with a surprisingly strong international flavour.

The night’s selection included Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain), Carla Leite (France), Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Cecilia Zandalisini (Italy), Iliana Rupert (France), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), and Maria Conde (Spain), meaning that well over half of the roster came from outside the United States.

Nakase pushed back on any notion that pulling talent from overseas was deliberate. “That wasn’t my mindset. It was building the best team that I wanted to build,” the coach told reporters.

And while the make-up of the final team is still far from known with next year’s free agency and 2025 Draft yet to happen, that hasn’t stopped international fans of the league from being excited about the diversity of WNBA’s 13th team and what it might achieve in its debut season. With the likes of Las Vegas Aces’ rookie Kate Martin and the newly minted WNBA champ Kayla Thornton also on board, the Valkyries have made it clear they want to compete for a title from the get-go.

As the league acquaints itself with the new team, get to know more about the Valkyries’ international players including which ones have made Olympic appearances.