OAKLAND — The Valkyries finished a historic first season, making the playoffs and setting the league record for attendance in their inaugural year.
But while the Valkyries will have some time to reminisce about how special their first year was, the expansion team will eventually have to turn the page to the offseason.
“You got to reflect, but we’ve already started talking about what we can do better next year,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said at Tuesday’s exit interviews at Golden State’s practice facility in Oakland. “My coaches are already working on what Day 1 will look like in training camp. So, obviously it’s having a lot of conversations.”
Those conversations won’t be short on urgency.
Between roster decisions, league-wide uncertainty and the pressure of an ambitious five-year championship goal, the Valkyries are heading into one of the most pivotal offseasons in franchise history.
“I’m still in this season and trying to make sure that I don’t blow over anything that we’ve accomplished,” general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said. “But then also not sit in the successes that we have, because we have goals ahead of time.”
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) acknowledges fans as her teammates hug each other after their 75-74 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA playoff game at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Do the Valkyries need a star?
Golden State will have offseason decisions to make.
Veterans Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings, Temi Fágbénlé, Kayla Thornton and Kaila Charles will all be unrestricted free agents while most improved point guard Veronica Burton and sharpshooting forward Cecilia Zandalasini are restricted free agents. As long as they don’t get selected in the expansion draft, Carla Leite and Kate Martin will be the only players on the roster that will be guaranteed to return next year.
It was evident that the Valkyries’ lack of a star player hurt them in their first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Lynx. But Nyanin said the Valkyries won’t necessarily be “star hunting,” rather looking for a personality fit for the culture they already built.
“We want great humans,” Nyanin said. “The fan base has completely absorbed each of the athletes so much that I don’t want to mess with that. … What does that look like? Who does that look like? Still hasn’t been determined.”
Nyanin was asked whether she is looking for a marquee player this offseason, to which she said, “I don’t think about the face of the franchise. I think what Valkyries basketball has meant is that on any given night, with any given roster, we can win basketball games. The humility and the drive to win wasn’t held in any one person, which I think is a testament to the type of culture that coach Natalie and the rest of the staff built.”
Golden State Valkyrie’s Janelle Salaun (13) sits as teammate Tiffany Hayes (15) answers question from the media during a season ending press conference held at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. The Valkyries won 23 games during their inaugural 2025 season, setting a WNBA record for most wins by an expansion team and also clinching a playoff spot. Last night the Valkyries lost to the Minnesota Lynx 75-74 during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs ending their season. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The Valkyries should also have a young core coming back to the fold with Leite, Martin and first-round draft pick Justė Jocytė, who is expected to begin her rookie season next year. The Valkyries could also bring back rookie forward Janelle Salaün as she is a reserved free agent, meaning Golden State has the decision to sign her to a contract or release her into unrestricted free agency.
Golden State will go into the offseason with the fourth-most cap space in the league next season. This year’s batch of free agents features a number of star players and future Hall of Famers in A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Mitchell, Alyssa Thomas, Alisha Gray among others.
What about the CBA?
The looming collective bargaining negotiations between the players union and the league could very well hold up the Valkyries offseason.
The league and the players union have until Oct. 31 to negotiate a new deal, though multiple reports suggest that won’t happen.
There will also be an expansion draft that will feature two teams selecting their respective rosters. The CBA will determine if the rules from last season’s expansion draft will apply this season, but should the parameters stay the same, Golden State will get to protect six players from its current roster – including Jocytė.
Golden State Valkyries fans head to the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., for Game 2 of the WNBA playoff game against the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
However, the CBA won’t affect the way Nakase and her coaching staff goes about the offseason.
“Those are things I can’t control,” Nakase said.
Clock is ticking
Owner Joe Lacob was clear on his goal for the Valkyries: win a title within five years.
Lacob said making the playoffs this season means the Valkyries are ahead of schedule, but the five-year championship window still stands.
For the front office, time continues to tick to bring a championship trophy to Ballhalla.
“No Season should be wasted,” Nyanin said. “I think we wanted to achieve greatness – every time they walked into this practice facility, or on the road and in Ballhala at Chase center. I think it only helped us create a collective rally cry to do something different.”
Golden State Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton (5) high fives Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Valkyries, during a game against Chicago Sky in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
The expectations have also risen for those on the business side. Lacob told this news organization that he wanted to “fill the lower bowl at Chase Center,” at the start of the season, but the Valkyries have clearly exceeded that. The Valkyries have already had a 90% renewal rate with their season ticket holders, according to Valkyries president Jess Smith.
“Before the (season), we were set up in Chase center, and I was in the chase club, and the employees were there, and there’s a video that just says, ‘It’s not okay to sell 10,000 tickets.’ We need to be selling more,” Smith said. “The Valkyries’ name comes from the fact that it was out there because the fans voted on that. I think for us to continue to grow, we have to keep listening, right? We shouldn’t be a small group of people in a room making decisions for the continual evolution of who the Valkyries are.”