Should the Golden State Valkyries Go Star Hunting This WNBA Offseason?
The 2025 season has come to a close for the Golden State Valkyries and it's been a season to remember.
The Valkyries are now the new standard for what an Expansion franchise can be: a historic 23-21 record, Coach of the Year and Most Improved Player selections and the first-ever trip to the playoffs for an Expansion team in their first season are among the biggest highlights for the debut of women's basketball in the Bay.
Remarkably, all of their success came while Golden State was continuously counted out. Everything they've achieved they've done with a roster that didn't have any one standout star when the season began.
Over the course of the season, players rose to the occasion: forward Kayla Thornton became the franchise's first-ever All-Star before a knee injury cut her season short and guard Veronica Burton blossomed into a dominant presence on the court, leading to her MIP award.
The collaborative nature of the Valkyries became their strength as a team of role players from across the league banded together to become a sum far greater than any of their individual parts.
“We are a team of sixth women, and that in and of itself is completely different from any other team in this league, just in terms of not having any go-to superstar that other teams have. We all know our worth,” center Temi Fágbénlé said (via Jane Kenny of The San Francisco Standard). “We all know how much we bring to the team. Anyone can step up any given night and carry us and help us.”
How the Valkyries Can Go from Good to Great in the Offseason
With such a strong foundation, Golden State has nowhere to go but up. However, as the offseason approaches, that foundation is not guaranteed. Only guards Carla Leite and Kate Martin are under contract for the Valkyries in 2026, while the rest of the inaugural roster is set to enter free agency.
It's very likely that the majority of the roster will at least be willing to return to Golden State, with standouts like Burton, Thornton, forward Cecilia Zandalasini and forward Janelle Salaun among the priorities to retain.
The Valkyries also have the debut of 2025 first-round pick Justé Jocyté to look forward to next season. Jocyté opted out of the 2025 season to focus on EuroBasket with her home country of Lithuania.
Once the issue of retaining the team's existing best players is settled, the Valkyries could do well to make a splash in the offseason with a big-name signing. Valkyries owner Joe Lacob is certainly no stranger to such a practice, as he has shown with his other basketball franchise the Golden State Warriors.
The Valkyries struggled offensively despite their success in 2025, with the fourth-lowest points per game and second-lowest assists per game of any team in the WNBA. The addition of a big-name scorer could remedy those issues, and there are no deficit of such players in a free agent market saturated with stars.
Three Players the Valkyries Could Target
The first name that comes to mind is Sabrina Ionescu. The Bay Area native would slot into the Valkyries' proclivity to shoot from three and add a boost to the Golden State offense. Ionescu has appeared committed to the Liberty in the past, but the departure of head coach Sandy Brondello could change things there.
Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams would be another strong option for the Valkyries and would round out their emerging core of forwards. Williams averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the 2025 regular season, adding versatility and playmaking ability to the Golden State offense while meshing with the already impressive defensive scheme the Valkyries possess.
By far the most ambitious free agent signing the Valkyries could pursue is 2025 MVP A'ja Wilson, currently with the Las Vegas Aces. Locking down the league's best player would be a tall order, but Wilson has history with Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase, who coached Wilson as an assistant with the Aces for three seasons.
If the Valkyries were looking for star power, there would be no better place to find it than in Wilson.
Bio: Jack Haslett is a writer and photographer covering Golden State Valkyries basketball for Sports Illustrated. Jack has previously published work with the Sporting Tribune, the Long Beach Current and DIG Magazine, covering sports, community events and news. A graduate from Long Beach State University, Jack has a passion for writing, photography and all things sports.