Golden State Valkyries to Have WNBA Expansion Draft on December 6; Rules Announced
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVSeptember 30, 2024
The WNBA will stage its expansion draft for the incoming Golden State Valkyries on Dec. 6.
Under the format, the existing 12 teams around the league can protect up to six players. Golden State can take no more than one player from a different franchise.
Golden State Valkyries @wnbagoldenstateThe Expansion Draft for Golden State is set for December 6, 2024. Time to be announced. Swipe for the Expansion Draft process ➡️<br><br>We can't wait to gather with our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Valkyries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Valkyries</a> community and will share watch party details as we get closer to the event date. Stay tuned! 💜 <a href="https://t.co/cvYKprucTa">pic.twitter.com/cvYKprucTa</a>
Like every other team, the Valkyries will also be able to bolster their roster in free agency, and they'll take part in the 2025 WNBA draft. For now, it remains unclear where Golden State will be picking in the first round. ESPN's Michael Voepel noted neither the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream, the last two expansion franchises, had the No. 1 overall pick when they first joined the league.
The expansion draft is unlikely to provide a long-term foundation of the Valkyries's roster.
Even in normal circumstances, the other teams look to retain their best players and the notable veterans they're willing to offload are often on bad contracts. Complicating matters a bit now, Golden State is joining the WNBA at a time when players have long planned ahead for a new collective bargaining agreement.
The players can opt out of the current CBA after the 2025 season and a new deal would see their salaries rise commensurate with the massive influx of cash coming into the WNBA through media rights deals.
Because of that, there are almost no vets under contract for 2026 and beyond. Per Spotrac, only 30 players in total are signed for that year.
Most if not all of the players the Valkyries select in the expansion draft will be headed for free agency the following winter.
The upside is that general manager Ohemaa Nyanin will have a great opportunity to build the squad from the ground up in 2026. She'll possess a bounty of salary cap space with numerous stars hitting the market.
The short-term outlook for the Valkyries isn't all that promising, even if they win the draft lottery and land UConn star Paige Bueckers. Selling free agents on their wider organizational vision will be critical toward taking a big step forward in Year 2.