Apr 30, 2026; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Kaila Charles (6) throughout media day on the Sephora Efficiency Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Pictures The enlargement Golden State Valkyries took the WNBA unexpectedly final 12 months, ending with a report above .500 and making the playoffs.
Their second season, which begins Friday on the Seattle Storm, is off to a head-scratching begin.
On draft night time, the Valkyries despatched the rights to the No. 8 decide, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, to Seattle for the rights to the No. 16 decide, TCU’s Marta Suarez, and a second-round decide in 2028.
Whereas Johnson seems to be one of many cornerstones for the rebuilding Storm, the Valkyries waived Suarez final week.
Valkyries normal supervisor Ohemaa Nyanin mentioned the commerce was made to keep cap flexibility.
“We thought we had the chance to probably signal one other athlete,” Nyanin mentioned on the crew’s media day Tuesday.
The Valkyries’ largest offseason transfer may need come the day earlier than the draft, after they signed All-Star ahead Gabby Williams, who’s coming off a profession 12 months in Seattle. Williams averaged career-highs in factors (11.6), assists (4.2), steals (2.3) and free-throw proportion (85.3) and was third within the league’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months voting.
Golden State can even rely on the veteran trio of Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Thornton.
“We’re hungrier much more (than final 12 months) as a result of we received a style of the playoffs,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase mentioned. “It is one more reason we wished to deliver again our core — we thought we had been in a great place after final 12 months. Our entire locker room proper now’s hungry. I need to win. I need to win at any value.”
The Storm not solely bid farewell to Williams within the offseason, but additionally fellow starters Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Brittney Sykes and Erica Wheeler. That quintet accounted for 67.5 factors per sport final season, or 82% of the crew’s scoring.
Seattle’s revamped roster beneath first-year coach Sonia Raman will ultimately characteristic Johnson and No. 3 total decide Awa Fam, in addition to returnees Ezi Magbegor, Dominique Malonga and Jordan Horston.
Magbegor is anticipated to miss the opening month with a proper foot harm sustained whereas taking part in for Australia, Fam is ending her season in Spain and Horston is coming off an ACL harm that value her all final season.
“It is subsequent participant up,” mentioned Raman, who was an assistant with the New York Liberty final season. “That is at all times how it’s.”
–Area Stage Media
Source link
#Deadspin #Valkyries #sophomore #season #revamped #Storm
