The WNBA announced the details for the 2026 expansion draft on Wednesday, setting the date of the event as Friday, April 3rd, with the half hour broadcast scheduled for ESPN at 12:30pm that day. Media around the league had been suggesting the rules that were planned to be in play for the event and those ended up being close to what was announced. There had been hope that the Valkyries would be exempted from the process given precedent from previous expansion drafts, but they will have players selected like all of the other teams.
Expansion Draft Rules
Golden State will need to submit their list of players to the league by Sunday, being allowed to exempt five players from being selected. The draft order will be finalized already on Friday when a coin toss will determine whether Portland, which is helmed by former Valkyries executive Vanja Cernivec, or Toronto will pick first, leaving the other team getting the earlier pick in the entry draft. There had also been hopes that there would be a limited number of total picks based on previous multi-team expansion drafts, but there will be two rounds of picks that mean that existing teams could lose two players. Trades are allowed to be negotiated before the draft, but the Valkyries did not end up making any during their draft and having two new teams could make that process even more difficult this year.
Priorities for the Valkyries
The Valkyries will have a total of fourteen players to list, leaving difficult decisions for the five players to protect. Veronica Burton will certainly have her place at the top of that list after emerging as a star in the prime of her career. Golden State would be retaining her status as a restricted free agent by making her a protected player. Cecilia Zandalasini is also a restricted free agent, but she is more likely to be left unprotected as the two expansion teams may not be as willing to take a player when there is so much uncertainty about how much salary players between the minimum and maximum might be able to command in free agency.
Juste Jocyte is also likely to be protected even though she has yet to play a game for the team. Golden State used their first ever draft pick on her and it would be embarrassing to lose her for nothing and then see her emerge for another team. Carla Leite was left unprotected by Dallas and the Valkyries were able to reap the benefits of that decision. The other player who the Valkyries will have to make a decision on before she has played a game for the team is Maria Conde, who has recovered from injury and played well during the European season, but will likely be left unprotected.
Carla Leite is one of two Valkyries players with an existing contract for this year along with Kate Martin. Both of their contracts will be adjusted upwards from their original amounts under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement. As a younger player who has shown promise, Leite is certainly going to be considered for protection. Golden State would hate to lose Martin, but it would make sense to leave her available, especially as there is a fourth-year option on her contract that will require a decision.
There are four players who the Valkyries have exclusive negotiating rights to who are not under contract. Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen are likely to be left unprotected and could be appealing picks given that the selecting team is likely to then be able to sign them to minimum contracts. Toronto would likely have interest, especially with Amihere being from the area. Janelle Salaun is likely to be protected as she offered starter-level production on the absolute minimum salary last year. Iliana Rupert will also be under strong consideration as she played well after joining the team in the middle of the year. The difference between them and the other two reserved players is that it is possible that they end up getting salaries above their applicable minimums.
Unrestricted Free Agents
The two expansion teams will each get the chance to select one unrestricted free agent. Golden State selected Monique Billings using that rule, but did not end up offering her the contract that they were entitled to extend to her in the process. It seems unlikely that any of the Valkyries players in this category would be a priority pick for an expansion team, so all of them might safely be left unprotected.
Kayla Thornton had a breakout campaign for the team, including an All-Star Game appearance before a season-ending injury. Uncertainty about her return and her age would work against her being picked. Tiffany Hayes is also closer to the end of her career and also battled injuries. Temi Fagbenle started nearly every game for the Valkyries, but is also not particularly likely to be considered for the kind of contract that an unrestricted free agent would be selected for in this process.
Kaila Charles was signed to the Valkyries under a hardship exception so she will not be included in this process even though she is an unrestricted free agent who ended the season with the team. Golden State has no signing rights to her whatsoever at the expiration of her contract and she will be able to sign with any team once free agency starts.
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