WNBA Explained: Everything You Need To Know About The Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft

This column is the second installment of SB Nation’s new “WNBA Explained” series, a new weekly column diving deep into different topics related to women’s basketball. You can read the previous installment “History says winning the draft lottery is a really, really big deal” here.

The Golden State Valkyries have a state-of-the-art practice facility and a well-regarded head coach in Natalie Nakase. They have a logo, a uniform, and a home arena that can sit 18,000 people.

But, they don’t currently have any players.

That will change very soon, as the WNBA’s Bay Area-based expansion team will select its players on Friday at 6:30 pm ET, on ESPN.

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming draft.

How will the Valkyries expansion draft work?

The Valkyries will draft their roster from a pool of more than 80 players that WNBA teams left unprotected. Teams were required to submit their list of six protected players by November 25th, and all other players are subject to be selected — including players who teams have future rights to but aren’t active members of the roster.

The Valkyries can choose one player from each of the league’s 12 teams. They can also make trades in advance of the draft itself.

How common have expansion drafts been throughout the league’s history?

Five expansion drafts took place in the league’s first 11 years as new teams joined on a regular basis. But, there hasn’t been a draft since 2008, so it’s the first time in a long time that teams have had to go through the process of protecting players and risk losing key pieces to a new team.

The WNBA’s first expansion draft took place in 1998 when the Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics were added to the league. Another expansion draft took place shortly after, in 1999 when the Minnesota Lynx and Orlando Miracle joined.

In 2000, the Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and Seattle Storm joined the WNBA, and in turn, another expansion draft took place. (New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, then a player, was selected with the No. 6 pick by the Sol).

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

In 2006, the Chicago Sky joined, and another expansion draft was subsequently held.

In 2008, the Atlanta Dream joined — and yes, there was another expansion draft.

But since the Dream entered the W, there hasn’t been another expansion draft. Given that the league is currently entering another era of expansion, these types of drafts will again become more popular. The Toronto Tempo and Portland’s unnamed team are slated to join the team in 2026, and an expansion draft will presumably take place before teams number 14 and 15 join.

How did WNBA teams go about deciding who to protect?

For each team, picking who to protect was somewhat of a gamble. That’s because the Valkyries can pick just one unrestricted free agent in total — so if a team doesn’t think their unrestricted free agent will get picked (and subsequently super-maxed), it might be a waste to protect them. On the other hand, if a team leaves an All-Star caliber unprotected, and other teams do opt to protect their free agent stars, their All-Star could be snagged.

There’s another wrinkle: the core designation. If a player has played at least two years under the core designation, they can’t be cored again. (A core designation is a rule that allows teams to designate one of their unrestricted free agents as a “core player” preventing them from becoming a fully unrestricted free agent).

There’s no reason for teams to protect these players — since the Valkyries wouldn’t be able to core them anyway, and the selected player could immediately become an unrestricted free agent, making the selection moot.

Because of that, there’s a group of available free agents that GSV won’t select, regardless of whether or not they are protected, a list that includes DeWanna Bonner, Tina Charles, Brittney Griner, Natasha Howard, Brionna Jones, and Nneka Ogwumike, among others.

Effectively, teams opted to protect their top players who are under contract, and then any top-tier free agents who they think the Valkyries realistically might pick as their sole unrestricted selection. Whether they chose to prioritize their best current players or the best young prospects is up to them, and is likely the result of whether teams are currently contenders (protect your best players!) or rebuilding (protect your best young pieces!).

The list of protected players won’t be made public — but who the Valkyries opt to select will reveal at least some of those who were left unprotected.

Which players did teams (likely) protect?

This could go in a number of different directions, but here is a projection of protected/unprotected players:

Atlanta Dream

Protected: Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon, Rhyne Howard, Nyadiew Puoch, Isabel Borlase

Unprotected: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, Aerial Powers, Laeticia Amihere, Maya Caldwell, Maite Cazorla, Lorela Cubaj, Haley Jones, Iliana Rupert, Matilde Villa

Ineligible: Tina Charles

Chicago Sky

Projected protected: Kamilla Cardoso, Chennedy Carter, Dana Evans, Michaela Onyenweree, Angel Reese, Elizabeth Williams

Projected unprotected: Moriah Jefferson, Nikolina Milic, Diamond DeShields, Brianna Turner, Lindsay Allen, Rachel Banham, Maria Conde, Isabelle Harrison,

Connecticut Sun

Protected: Veronica Burton, DiJonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris, Marina Mabrey, Alyssa Thomas, Leila Lacan

Unprotected: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Caitlin Bickle, Abbey Hsu, Tiffany Mitchell, Astou Ndour-Fall

Ineligible: DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones

Dallas Wings

Protected: Teaira McCowan, Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally, Jacy Sheldon, Maddy Siegrist, Carla Leite

Unprotected: Bella Alarie, Jaelyn Brown, Kalani Brown, Awak Kuier, Paige Robinson, Lou Lopez Senechal, Stephanie Soares, Sevgi Uzun

Ineligible: Natasha Howard

Indiana Fever

Protected: Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Temi Fagbenle, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell, NaLyssa Smith

Unprotected: Grace Berger, Damiris Dantas, Victaria Saxton, Katie Lou Samuelson, Kristy Wallace, Erica Wheeler

Las Vegas Aces

Protected: A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Kate Martin, Kelsey Plum, Kiah Stokes

Unprotected: Kierstan Bell, Alysha Clark, Sydney Colson, Queen Egbo, Megan Gustafson, Tiffany Hayes, Elizabeth Kitley

Los Angeles Sparks

Protected: Cameron Brink, Rae Burrell, Dearica Hamby, Rickea Jackson, Azura Stevens, Julie Allemand

Unprotected: Lexie Brown, Zia Cooke, Kia Nurse, Li Yueru, Stephanie Talbot, Maria Vadeeva

Minnesota Lynx

Protected: Bridget Carleton, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Diamond Miller, Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams

Unprotected: Natisha Hiedeman, Myisha Hines-Allen, Maia Hirsch, Dorka Juhasz, Alissa Pili, Jessica Shepard, Cecilia Zandalasini, Olivia Epoupa

New York Liberty

Protected: Leonie Fiebich, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Nyara Sabally, Breanna Stewart

Unprotected: Courtney Vandersloot, Kennedy Burke, Jaylyn Sherrod, Kayla Thornton, Raquel Carrera, Kaitlyn Davis, Marquesha Davis, Ivana Dojkic, Marine Fauthoux, Rebekah Gardner, Han Xu, Marine Johannes

Phoenix Mercury

Protected: Kahleah Copper, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Mack, Diana Taurasi, Rebecca Allen, Natasha Cloud

Unprotected: Amy Atwell, Monique Billings, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Klara Lundquist, Charisma Osborne, Celeste Taylor

Ineligible: Brittney Griner

Seattle Storm

Protected: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jordan Horston, Jewell Loyd, Ezi Magbegor, Nika Muhl, Gabby Williams

Unprotected: Joyner Holmes, Mackenzie Holmes, Mercedes Russell, Victoria Vivians, Sami Whitcomb

Ineligible: Nneka Ogwumike

Washington Mystics

Protected: Ariel Atkins, Shakira Austin, Aaliyah Edwards, Emily Engstler (RS), Karlie Samuelson, Brittney Sykes

Unprotected: Elena Delle Donne, Stefanie Dolson, Bernadett Hatar, Sika Kone, Li Meng, Jade Melbourne, Sug Sutton, Julie Vanloo, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Txell Alarcon, Nastja Claessens,

Mock picks: Which WNBA players might land on the Valkyries’ initial roster?

Several players stand out from the prospective list of unprotected WNBA players — and because trades are also at play, it’s hard to predict who the Valkyries might end up with. But, from the list of projected unprotected players, here’s a likely candidate from each team:

Rachel Banham, Chicago Sky (guard)

Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Banham is a superb shooter who can get as hot as anyone in the league. She’s also well-regarded as a positive and veteran locker-room presence. A 37% career three-point shooter with long range, the Valkyries would bring her in as a floor spacer and culture piece.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Connecticut Sun (center)

Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Nelson-Ododa is a rotation-level big who, at 24 years old, is still not in her prime. The former UConn standout has yet to see big minutes — averaging 13.8 per game for her career — but she was impactful on both ends in limited time last season.

Damiris Dantas, Indiana Fever (forward)

Photo by Bri Lewerke/NBAE via Getty Images

Dantas can shoot the three-ball well (39.4% last season), particularly for her size. She’s also another veteran presence who has shown she can score; she averaged 12.9 points per game on the Lynx in 2020.

Megan Gustafson, Las Vegas Aces (forward)

Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images

Gustafson showed what she’s capable of when she led Spain in the Olympics this past season, averaging 18 points per game on 57.7% shooting. But, the Aces center has played limited minutes in Las Vegas relative to her potential as a WNBA player, averaging 10.9 minutes in 150 career games.

Li Yuero, Los Angeles Sparks (center)

At 6’ 7, Yuero can provide the Valkyries some much-needed size and frontcourt depth. The Chinese center showcased her skillset with several standout performances toward the second half of the Sparks season, including a 19-point, 12-rebound outing against the Mercury in September.

Alissa Pili, Minnesota Lynx (forward)

Photo by Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images

Pili had a quiet rookie season that saw her mostly fall out of Minnesota’s rotation. But, she showed flashes of potential when given the opportunity, and could excel in a new environment. The 2024 No. 8 pick exploded for 20 points on 7-9 shooting in a game vs the Mercury in May but otherwise played limited minutes.

Kalani Brown, Dallas Wings (center)

Photo by Ian Maule/NBAE via Getty Images

Brown has played for three teams throughout her WNBA tenure and will bring a veteran presence and the ability to dominate the post. The 6’ 7 center was a serviceable backup big for Dallas and could benefit from a new opportunity.

Haley Jones, Atlanta Dream (guard)

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Jones saw increased minutes in her second year in Atlanta, averaging 17.8 minutes per game as one of the Dream’s top guards off the bench. The Stanford standout could head back to the West Coast if selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft. Jones is a strong defender and versatile player who will be able to fit in different lineups and combinations.

Kayla Thornton, New York Liberty (forward)

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Liberty would hate to lose Thornton, a do-it-all rotation piece that can shoot the ball (35.7% from three last season) and guard everyone. But, the 31-year-old would be a great player on any roster and has been a starting-level player for most of her career.

Celeste Taylor, Phoenix Mercury (guard)

Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Taylor jumped around from team to team in her rookie season but found a home in Phoenix where she was able to showcase her strengths as a player. The 2024 second-round pick took on a bigger role with the Mercury, starting four games and playing significant minutes.

Nika Muhl, Seattle Storm (guard)

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Muhl will miss the upcoming season recovering from an ACL tear. But, the UConn guard is a superb defender who could serve as an impactful piece for the Valkyries in the future.

This mock projection would result in the following roster:

Rachel Banham (guard)
Olivia Nelson-Ododa (center)
Damiris Dantas (forward)
Megan Gustafson (forward)
Li Yuero (center)
Alissa Pili (forward)
Kalani Brown (center)
Haley Jones (guard)
Celeste Taylor (guard)
Nika Muhl (guard)