Golden State Valkyries Announce Inaugural Roster, With Surprising Cuts

The Golden State Valkyries roster announcement brought both excitement and surprise with tough cuts made ahead of the franchise's WNBA debut.

May 11, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) against the Phoenix Mercury during a preseason game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Golden State Valkyries have announced their inaugural season roster for 2025. While the reveal was met with excitement, it also sparked surprise and maybe some disappointment among fans due to a pair of noteworthy cuts: Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen.

Introducing the 2025 Golden State Valkyries — a roster built to rise, built to battle, and built for the Bay.

History starts now ✨🪽 pic.twitter.com/FAYFGozMMl

— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 14, 2025

Reaction started bubbling online just before the Valkyries dropped the official roster when Amihere, a 2023 first-round pick (by the Atlanta Dream), posted a heartfelt message on social media: “Thank you fams and everyone for the love ❤️ to God be the glory and thank you Valkyries for the opportunity 🙏🏾.” 

Thank you fams and everyone for the love ❤️ to God be the glory and thank you Valkyries for the opportunity 🙏🏾

— Laeticia Amihere (@_Theblackqueen_) May 14, 2025

The post had some fans stunned, as Amihere had turned heads in preseason—particularly when Golden State faced off against the Los Angeles Sparks, a contest that saw Amihere drop an impressive 20 points, bringing the Valkyries within one point of tying the game.

I’m about to LOSE IT if the Valkyries actually let LA go…

— Janaé Sims (@auntienae95) May 14, 2025

Chen, a Bay Area fan favorite, also didn’t make the final roster. The former UConn guard electrified the crowd in her fourth quarter debut in the same game against the Sparks. Her connection with the fanbase made her release a tough pill to swallow for many.

These decisions spotlight just how competitive it is to make a WNBA roster. With only 13 teams and approximately 156 spots league-wide, even talented players with big support and strong preseason showings can find themselves waived.

While Amihere and Chen won’t be joining Golden State for its debut season, there is still a chance they get picked up by another team or play overseas and come back to the WNBA more prepared and matured in the future. 

For now the Valkyries are ready to make their WNBA debut with a roster that blends some veteran leadership—like Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes—with rising young talent such as  Kate Martin and Carla Leite. With passionate support behind them, the Bay Area squad is geared up to make a memorable first impression on the league, even if some of the franchise's initial moves caught fans by surprise.