Kaitlyn Chen Opens Up About Experience Being Waived by Valkyries

Kaitlyn Chen made herself a fan-favorite player on the Golden State Valkyries’ roster in 2025, but her journey with the team wasn’t always straightforward.

Chen was drafted by the Valkyries in the third round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, becoming the first person of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team. She made history again during her preseason debut on May 6, 2025, also becoming the first person of Taiwanese descent to appear in a WNBA preseason game.

Her initial stretch with the Valkyries ended soon after that when she was waived by the team on May 14, but she wouldn’t be gone for long. After roughly a month of free agency, during which she signed a contract with the 3X3 Basketball Association, Chen re-signed with the Valkyries on June 15 and prepared to rejoin the team that drafted her for the regular season, debuting on June 22.

Being waived by a team during preseason is not an uncommon experience for players in the WNBA, especially considering the limited roster size of 12 spots that teams have to work with, but then coming back to the team that waived you just a few weeks later is more of a unique position. Despite the rollercoaster ride, it’s clear that Chen didn’t harbor any animosity toward her team for the decision.

Chen appeared on her former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd’s podcast Fudd Around and Find Out, and among a number of topics she discussed was her experience leaving and then joining the Valkyries again when she was asked if the experience had affected her relationship with teammates.

“Not that much, ’cause, I mean, it’s training camp, and training camp is sort of quick. You get to know people, but not that much,” Chen said. “When I came back, everyone was just super welcoming and I felt like it was pretty easy to fit in and get along with everyone.”

The connectivity and family atmosphere of the inaugural Golden State roster were praised throughout the season and may have been one of the keys to their unprecedented success in 2025. Valkyries center Temi Fágbénlé once said that they were a team of Sixth Women, meaning that every player set out to play their role and no one was there for the spotlight.

Head coach Natalie Nakase emphasized the importance of connectivity when building her roster, and that connectivity was something Chen could personally attest to feeling.

“We definitely had a special group. Everyone got along super well; there was never any locker room drama or anything like that. And I felt like everyone was just super selfless, doing whatever they could for the best of the team.”