The WNBA began a new era on Friday night as the league's newest expansion team filled out its roster.
Led by owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and head coach Natalie Nakase, the Golden State Valkyries—who are headquartered in Oakland and will play alongside the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco—put together their initial roster via an expansion draft.
How the Expansion Draft Works
Prior to Friday, each of the 12 current WNBA teams designated six "protected players" either on their current roster or upcoming unrestricted free agents. The remaining players were put into a pool, and Golden State was allowed to select one non-protected player from each franchise.
They were also not required to select a player from every franchise, but also could not select more than one player from a franchise.
Initial Roster
Here's a look at their initial roster, with one player selected from every team besides the Seattle Storm.
Starting Lineup Projections
Here's a look at the Valkyries' potential starting lineup as it stands Friday. Golden State can still add to its roster throughout the offseason via free agency, trades and the 2025 draft.
Guards: Kate Martin, Julie Vanloo
Martin, who was selected with the 18th overall pick (2nd round) in the 2024 WNBA Draft, started two games for the Las Vegas Aces last season and averaged 2.6 points per game.
Vanloo, 31, played her lone WNBA season in 2024 with the Mystics. She started 34 of 40 games for Washington and averaged 7.4 points per game to go along with 4.3 assists.
Forwards: Kayla Thornton, Cecilia Zandalasini
Thornton won the WNBA Finals with the New York Liberty last season. In 40 games, the 6'1" forward made 11 starts while averaging 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Zandalasini is also a WNBA champion, having won the Finals with the Lynx in 2017. In 40 games with Minnesota last season, she poured in 4.6 points per game and tallied a career-best three-point percentage at 44.3%.
Center: Temi Fagbenle
After a four-year hiatus from the WNBA, Fagbenle returned in 2024 and teamed up with Caitlin Clark on the Indiana Fever. The 32-year-old, 6'4" center tallied career highs in points per game (6.4), blocks per game (0.7), and rebounds per game (4.7) in 22 games played.
Depth Chart Overview (Projected Starters in Bold)
GUARDS
Julie Vanloo (Mystics)
Kate Martin (Aces)
Carla Leite (Wings)
Veronica Burton (Sun)
FORWARDS
Kayla Thornton (Liberty)
Cecilia Zandalasini (Lynx)
Monique Billings (Mercury)
Stephanie Talbot (Sparks)
Maria Conde (Sky)
CENTER
Temi Fagbenle (Fever)
Iliana Rupert (Dream)
Notable Valkyries reserves include Carla Leite—the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Monique Billings—a consistent scorer who played six seasons with the Atlanta Dream, and Stephanie Talbot—a former Olympic bronze medalist and WNBL (Australia) MVP.
The Valkyries are set to begin play in 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Projected Golden State Valkyries Starting Lineup, Depth Chart After WNBA Expansion Draft.
