Natalie Nakase Emphasizes 'Connectivity' After Surprising Valkyries Roster Move
On May 2, news broke that the Golden State Valkyries had waived rookie Marta Suarez after she played in just one WNBA preseason game.
This move got a lot of attention because Suarez was the player the Valkyries traded Flau'jae Johnson for (plus a second-round pick in next year's draft) with the Seattle Storm on the night of the 2026 WNBA Draft. This decision was head-scratching for many back then, and it looked even worse now that Flau'jae looks to be thriving with Seattle, and Suarez is no longer on Golden State's roster.
Natalie Nakase's 'Connectivity' Sentiment After Marta Suarez Decision Turns Heads
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase spoke with the media on May 3 and addressed the team's recent roster cuts.
When Nakase was asked about managing the roster cuts, she spoke about how tough it was to make these decisions after just 11 practices, and how the energy around the franchise shifted before adding, "My job [is] to find the 14 [players] that fit together the best. Right now, we're still in the process of evaluating. It's still early, so seeing the connectivity between the players both on and, mostly for me, off the court, is the value that I'm looking at right now," per an X post from Nathan Canilao."
Nakase was then asked specifically about Suarez, and whether the hope is that they can bring her back for a developmental roster spot if she clears waivers. "I mean, like I said, we're still evaluating. Every day could be something different, and I want to make sure that because the players were all very impressive from both on and off the court, we want to make sure we're evaluating because we understand those two sports are going to be part of our family."
She was then asked about the most important thing in evaluating players from her perspective, and she said, "The connectivity off the court. I value that more than anything."
#Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase talks about the decision to waive Marta Suarez and if they plan to bring her back on a developmental contract:
— Nathan Canilao (@nathancanilao) May 3, 2026
“We’re still evaluating and every day can be something different.” pic.twitter.com/ycXCe6ebtY
It's interesting to hear Nakase mention connectivity off the court multiple times. Some are suggesting this might mean that Suarez wasn't connecting with her teammates in that way, but since Nakase didn't say that directly, it would be unfair to assert that's what she was trying to say.
Ultimately, time will tell whether Suarez ends up in Golden State or elsewhere. What's for sure is that culture and connectivity are paramount within the Valkyries franchise, and their roster decisions will continue to reflect that.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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