The roster of the expansion Golden State Valkyries will begin to take shape when the WNBA conducts an expansion draft on Dec. 6.
The Valkyries will begin play in 2025 as the league’s 13th team, with franchises in Toronto and Portland set to come on board in 2026.
Each current WNBA team can protect six of its players, with the remainder eligible to be selected for the Valkyries’ first roster. Golden State is allowed to make trades in advance of the expansion draft and can even make deals in exchange for selecting specific available players.
Only one player from each of the existing franchises can be selected, while the team is allowed to select the rights of just one player who is a 2024 unrestricted free agent.
The Valkyries are the first expansion team in the league since 2008.
The team colors are black and violet. The logo is a “V” stylized with other symbols, including the Bay Bridge, which the team said represents the link between Chase Center in San Francisco, where it will play its home games, and Oakland across the bay, where the franchise has its headquarters.
The expansion draft is set to air live on ESPN.
–Field Level Media
