One Week Until New WNBA Contracts are Signed… Where do the Valkyries Stand?

WNBA teams have been able to negotiate with free agents this week and more news is starting to filter out around the league, but Golden State Valkyries have not really been included in any of those items so far. With players able to sign contracts other than qualifying offers when the calendar turns to February on Saturday, some big moves are surely on their way, but fans around the league are still waiting. In this unusual free agency year before the players’ union can negotiate a new CBA, there are a few bigger moves that might need to be resolved before some of the other players can fully weigh their options.

Big Trades

There are a number of trades of players on maximum contracts or players who just received the core designation that have been progressing without too many details. Jewell Loyd is under contract in Seattle, but her destination is still unclear despite a number of rumors. Among the six players who received core designations, only Satou Sabally has made it clear that she does not want to remain with her team so Dallas appears to be in the negotiation process with some possible destinations reported, but full details are still unclear. Breanna Stewart is expected to remain with New York, but there has not been a lot of chatter about the other players making final decisions even though there have been rumors of both staying and leaving.

Since players are almost certainly looking for one-year contracts, cored player that are looking to stay would either simply sign that contract or negotiate a slightly lower amount to increase salary cap flexibility for their teams. A number of teams are likely to be waiting on the futures of those seven players before being able to make final decisions on other big moves. Given the caliber of names involved, other players will also certainly need to know about any moves to determine their best options. If the framework of a Jewell Loyd trade can be agreed upon by the teams involved and more of the core players make their intentions known this week, we could get more concrete news before Saturday.

Valkyries fans would certainly love the team to start with an established star player so various trades involving the team have been proposed. While the team aims to be competitive immediately, the risk of giving away a first round draft pick that could be used to select a star player who is with the team for years is also large. Golden State did not make a trade during the expansion draft process to acquire additional assets so they are left with the players who they selected and even combining those players is unlikely to be enough to get involved in a trade for a star player.

Ohemaa Nyanin Spotted in Istanbul

With many of the players who are free agents playing basketball somewhere in the world at this time, team officials being able to meet with players in person can always help in the negotiation process. CoachRookie, one of the social media accounts that is the most prolific when it comes to sharing women’s basketball news from all over the world, spotted Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin at Wednesday’s game between Fenerbahce and Reyer Venezia in Turkey. There were a few free agents with WNBA experience in that game with Emma Meesseman and Tina Charles being the big names for the hosts while Kamiah Smalls has built a good European career after a couple of hardship contracts in the WNBA and played for the visitors.

Being at that game was not necessarily a big indicator of specific interest because it was the only game happening locally that day. Istanbul is home to free agents on other teams, but this was also the chance to visit players who the Valkyries have rights to who are not under contract yet. Cecilia Zandalasini and Julie Vanloo are already teammates this season with Galatasaray and Temi Fagbenle is also in the city with Besiktas. Team president Jess Smith has been in Miami to take in Unrivaled action, but business and not basketball operations could be involved there.

WNBA Media

As the league grows, the commercial media side is still growing to match it and there are few full-time reporters on the league, which certainly affects the flow of information. Local media provides great coverage in some team markets and next to nothing in other team markets so the flow of information there is also uneven. Final decisions and big moves are reported well, but it is not always possible to get updates throughout the process or to get insight into what teams or players are thinking during this time. The inconsistent messaging can be frustrating for fans, but the most important news will be coming this week.

EuroBasket Qualifiers

Eight players have already signed their qualifying offers, but none of them included the three players who were offered those deals by the Valkyries as part of activating the team’s reserved rights. There is no real urgent reason for the players to do that yet, especially with all of them busy with their other teams, but it could mean uncertainty about summer plans that mean not committing yet and not just trying to negotiate a higher contract.

Sixteen European national teams will battle for the continental championship in June and that field will not be finalized until February 9th. Once teams qualify, they also have to decide on training camp logistics and whether they will allow players to miss part of the training camp and still play. Italy will participate as one of the hosts, but Cecilia Zandalasini may still have to work with the Valkyries for the best timing if she wants to play in the WNBA this season. Italy has historically been fine with their players joining the team late from the WNBA, but that is a controversial allowance among their fans. Belgium is the defending champions, but they still need results in the last two remaining qualifiers to secure their spot. Julie Vanloo would also have to make decisions about their training camp as they are one of the teams with better resources to practice for longer and they would be playing for a new coach in the tournament. Great Britain could qualify with the right results, but historically WNBA players do not join the team for the tournament so it may not have any effects on Temi Fagbenle’s availability during the season.

France has already qualified for the tournament and that affects two players who the Valkyries selected in the Expansion Draft as both have been called in for their last two qualifying games. Iliana Rupert is one of their top players and already missed the last WNBA season to prepare for the Olympics. Carla Leite has expressed interest in the WNBA, but she is also fighting for a shot at the tournament squad. Since she did not grow up being considered as high level of a prospect as other players, she was a bit later in joining their youth national team setup, but her play in recent years has certainly put her on their radar. That said, if all of their guards are available for the tournament, she would have quite a fight to earn a roster spot. While the federation is now allowing players to miss some of training camp to play in the WNBA, which could help Rupert’s availability, a player like Leite is unlikely to make the team if she misses any of those practices or exhibitions.

Possible Valkyries Approaches

Golden State still seems likely to be trying to assemble the best team possible in this process. For expansion teams that know that being competitive early is difficult, a focus on younger players to build for the future or on trying to take in salary dumps from other teams to gain other assets makes sense. In this unique season where players are only planning to be under contract through this year, those options are not really available to the same extent and the team has the chance to accelerate their competitiveness with the right combination of moves.

Once those star player slots are filled, there is another unique opportunity for the Valkyries this season. Since salaries are expected to jump in 2026 and beyond, a number of players will want to make sure that there is a roster spot available for them in the future. Even though expansion will continue with two more teams already announced, the increase in salaries could also attract additional international players to the league and there are always new young players ready to push their way into roster spots. As a result, playing time may be more of a concern than ever compared to salary for just this year or the chance at a championship.