The 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery is in the books, which means it’s time for the league to turn its attention to the next major item on the offseason agenda: the expansion draft to determine the Golden State Valkyries’ roster.
After years of discussion, expansion has finally arrived. The Valkyries, first announced in October 2023, will begin play in the 2025 season. They are the first new team to enter the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, and will be followed in the 2026 season by yet unnamed Toronto and Portland franchises.
In order to fill out the Valkyries’ roster, the league will hold an expansion draft on Dec. 6. For a full explanation of the process, go here.
The short of it is this: the Valkyries can pick up to 12 players, but no more than one from each of the other 12 teams. The current teams, meanwhile, can protect six players who will be ineligible for selection. That includes those on the current roster, as well as those whose draft rights they hold.
The current teams must have their lists turned in to the league by Monday, which will give the Valkyries time to make decisions and discuss potential trades. Unfortunately, those lists will not be made public, but we can still predict what each team might do.
Ahead of Monday’s deadline, here’s a look at the six players that each team might protect:
Atlanta Dream
The Dream have three players who are certainly going to be protected: Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray.
After that, there’s a number of players who could earn the final three spots. French center Iliana Rupert, who didn’t play in the WNBA last season but has shown a lot of promise overseas, would likely be on the list. She probably has the most upside of any young Dream player. Her contract expired while she was suspended, so the Dream have exclusive negotiating rights.
Tina Charles might come to mind, but she is ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries because she will be an unrestricted free agent and has already played the maximum two seasons under the core designation. The Dream probably wouldn’t have bothered protecting her anyway given her age.
That leaves two more players to protect. Will the Dream lean toward youth and their recent draft picks? Or ensure they have solid veterans to fill out the roster? You have to imagine last year’s first-round pick, Nyadiew Puoch, who stayed overseas in Australia last season, would be safe. Given that none of the other players on the roster stood out last season, perhaps they just protect their future assets and add Isobel Borlase, another Australian who has shown promise overseas.
There are three names that we can write down in Sharpie for the Sky’s protected list: Kamilla Cardoso, Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese.
Considering some of the flashes Michaela Onyenwere showed this season, particularly after the Olympic break, she should make the cut as well. If her 3-point shooting (36.8% on two attempts per game) can translate to a higher volume, that would make her a great fit on this roster.
Speaking of shooting, this team desperately needs some players who can space the floor around Cardoso and Reese, so Rachel Banham makes sense as another one to ensure stays around. The Sky also would not want to lose her after acquiring her as part of the Marina Mabrey trade.
The final spot on the list would then come down to one of their veteran frontcourt players, Elizabeth Williams or Isabelle Harrison. Williams missed most of the season with a knee injury, but she’s a truly elite defensive player when healthy. Harrison, meanwhile, had a tough campaign after returning from a knee injury that cost her all of the 2023 season. She is also an unrestricted free agent, and considering the rules restrict the Valkyries to only one such player, it makes more sense to protect Williams.
The Sun are in a unique spot heading into 2025, as they have just three players under contract: Marina Mabrey, Tyasha Harris and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. They also have two players, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, who are ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries because they’re set to be unrestricted free agents and have hit the limit of two seasons played under the core designation.
So, where does that leave the Sun? In a pretty good place for this process. Alyssa Thomas, 2024 Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington, Mabrey and Harris are all locks to be protected. In addition, 2024 first-round pick Leila Lacan will be on the list. The 20-year-old French guard didn’t come over to the W last season, and it’s unclear when she will, but with her potential the Sun have to protect that asset.
The last spot likely comes down to two players: Veronica Burton and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Neither has really done all that much in their short careers, and the Sun currently do not have a coach so it’s difficult to say for sure. Burton is a high-level perimeter defender, though, and that’s a skillset that will always be useful.
No team had a more disappointing 2024 season than the Wings, who won just nine games amid a horrible injury crisis. They suddenly have major hope for the future, however, after winning the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery and the right to select Paige Bueckers. Now, they must figure out who will still be in Dallas alongside her next season.
There are five names we can be pretty much certain will be on the Wings’ protected list: Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally (who is an unrestricted free agent and has expressed interest in leaving), Teaira McCowan, Maddy Siegrist and Jacy Sheldon, last year’s No. 5 overall pick.
That leaves one spot. Natasha Howard is ineligible, and likely wouldn’t have been protected anyway considering she’s an unrestricted free agent and has indicated she’ll leave. The Wings would be thrilled if the Valkyries took on Kalani Brown’s contract, so it won’t be her. Then there’s the Wings’ cadre of young players, none of whom have particularly impressed. As such, they might end up going with the one who hasn’t played in the W yet: Carla Leite, the 20-year-old Frenchwoman and No. 9 pick in 2024.
There shouldn’t be too much deliberation in Indianapolis. The five starters from last season are all locks: Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston. There’s no guarantee all of those players are in Fever uniforms next season. Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent and Smith is a candidate to be traded after posting what certainly seemed to be a farewell message. However, the Fever have to protect the assets.
The final spot should belong to Temi Fagbenle, who established herself as a key rotation player, and even started the team’s final playoff game, due to how well she connected with Clark. While Damiris Dantas could make a case with her ability to space the floor, Fagbenle was a much more important part of the team.
There are four names we don’t have to think twice about with the Aces: A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum — an unrestricted free agent — and Chelsea Gray. The core four will be protected.
The debate will start with the last two spots, which should come down to four other players: Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kate Martin. Clark and Hayes are the two best players in the bunch, but they’re both unrestricted free agents — the Valkyries can only select one such player in total — and in their late 30s. Stokes can clog up the team’s offense, but she is the only reliable true big on the team outside of Wilson. As for Martin, she fell out of the rotation late in the season, but is the only intriguing young player on the roster.
In the end, it probably makes the most sense to keep Clark and Martin. Even at 37, Clark’s ability to space the floor and handle bigger matchups on defense remains crucial for the Aces. Would the Valkyries actually take her? Probably not, but why even take the chance? In regards to Martin, she showed some positive signs early in her rookie season and has potential as a solid role player given her shooting ability. Plus, the Aces’ cap crunch means they desperately need players on budget contracts who can produce.
Leaving Hayes unprotected is a risk, but a calculated one. She’s a 35-year-old unrestricted free agent who has already announced her retirement once, all of which are good reasons for the Valkyries to pass on her. As for Stokes, the team often looked better when she was off the floor, and her skillset is perhaps the easiest one to replace in the league.
The Sparks are another team that almost certainly have four locks to be protected: Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens. While Rae Burrell isn’t quite in that “locks” group, she should be safe as well. Her shooting and versatility on the wing figure to be perfect for new head coach Lynne Roberts’ system.
The final spot for the Sparks’ protected list is more difficult to predict. Stephanie Talbot is coming off a very rough 2024, but her career performance would suggest she’s a good fit for Roberts’ approach. Lexie Brown can really shoot the ball when she’s healthy, but has only played 28 total games in the last two seasons. Kia Nurse has never lived up to the early hype and is an unrestricted free agent anyway The team needs a point guard, especially after Layshia Clarendon’s retirement and losing the Paige Bueckers sweepstakes in the draft lottery, but the choices there aren’t super inspiring. Aari McDonald is a serious pest on defense, but she can’t shoot. Julie Allemand, meanwhile, might be the best player of the bunch, but there’s no guarantee she ever returns to the W.
Point guard is the most clear need, so perhaps they just go with Allemand and hope that they can convince her to come back to the States for the first time since 2022. This feels like a total toss-up, though.
Considering their depth, you might think that the Lynx would be a difficult team to predict. On the contrary, it seems quite obvious what they’ll do.
The entire starting lineup is a lock to be protected. That’s Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith. For their final spot, they’ll almost certainly add former No. 2 pick Diamond Miller to the list. Injuries and inexperience forced her out of the rotation late last season, but she has the most promise of any of their young players.
The reigning champion Liberty also have terrific depth, but their choices do not appear to be as clear cut as the Lynx, the team they snuck past to win the first title in franchise history.
We’ll start with the obvious ones. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Leonie Fiebich, their starters throughout the playoffs, are guaranteed to be protected. But what about the final spot? The downside of the Liberty’s impressive roster building is they’re going to lose a key piece, and they don’t have an obvious choice to protect. Let’s run through the list of options.
Rebekah Gardner: She missed all of last season with a foot injury and will turn 35 next season. Underrated player who will make an impact for the Liberty next season, but not a likely candidate for the Valkyries to steal.
Courtney Vandersloot: She’s going to be 36 by the time next season starts and fell out of the starting lineup in the playoffs, but is still one of the best playmakers in the league. Her age and unrestricted free agent status make her an unlikely choice for the Valkyries.
Kayla Thornton: The veteran forward has long been one of the best role players in the league. She’s extremely tough, can guard all over the floor and her energy can change games. But would the Valkyries actually take her given the other options on the Liberty roster?
Marine Johannes: One of the most exciting and inventive players on the planet, she was excellent in a sixth woman role in 2023. However, she can be a defensive liability and the Liberty won a title without her in large part due to their improvements on that side of the ball.
Nyara Sabally: The unlikely hero in the title-clinching Game 5 win, Sabally ultimately feels like the player the Liberty will choose for their sixth protected spot. The former No. 5 overall pick is the youngest member of their rotation and the one with the most upside. Plus, they’re most in need of frontcourt depth.
The Mercury are one of the more top-heavy teams in the league, and Brittney Griner is ineligible for selection given her free agency and previous core status, so this should be a pretty easy process for them. They’ll protect Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Mack. And if Taurasi has indicated she’ll retire, they’ll protect Celeste Taylor instead of her.
In regard to Taurasi, it’s fair to ask if the Mercury should bother using a protected spot on her if she decides to play next season. After all, she’s going to turn 43 and an expansion franchise trying to get off the ground isn’t in desperate need of someone who could be injured or retire at any moment.
But Taurasi isn’t just any player. She’s one of the all-time greats and has spent her entire career in a Mercury uniform. There’s no reason to risk a contentious end to that relationship, especially when there’s no other standout options on the roster.
The Storm’s coaching staff, led by Noelle Quinn, is reportedly under investigation for alleged harassment of players, and there’s a good chance big changes take place in Seattle this winter. For now, though, the organization still has to come up with a list of six players to protect, even if they look to trade some of them later.
Nneka Ogwumike is ineligible to be selected by the Valkyries due to her free agency status and time spent under the core designation, which will make this process a bit easier for general manager Talisa Rhea. There are five seemingly obvious choices: Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ezi Magbegor, Gabby Williams and Jordan Horston.
The player Seattle will choose for the final spot is a bit tougher to predict without knowing exactly what’s going on internally. Mercedes Russell could be an option if they fear Ogwumike might walk in free agency, which would leave them thin in the frontcourt. However, they will likely protect Nika Muhl, the No. 14 overall pick in 2024. She didn’t really get a chance last season, but she’s the most promising young player from the remaining group.
The Mystics are in an interesting spot. They are better than last season’s 14-26 record would suggest, but are still a ways away from being a serious playoff threat again. And while they have the Nos. 4 and 6 overall picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and maintain the rights to Elena Delle Donne, they do not have a coach or general manager. Furthermore, their roster is littered with young players who haven’t broken out, but have shown enough promise to make you think twice about letting them walk.
All of which is to say, good luck predicting what the Mystics are going to do with the final spots for their protected list. Shakira Austin, Brittney Sykes, Ariel Atkins and Aaliyah Edwards are locks, but who knows after that, especially when we don’t even have a philosophy or style of play to point us in the right direction.
The first big question is what to do about Delle Donne. Is she ever going to play again? If so, you probably have to put her on the list just to protect the trade value. Even with her age and injury history, you could extract a good return from another team this offseason. If not, then of course you leave her off. But what if it’s still unclear? Do you risk potentially wasting a spot on someone who decides in February that they don’t want to play again? That’s a tough call.
Then there’s the group of youngsters: Jade Melbourne, Sika Kone and Emily Engstler, all of whom showed real flashes last season, but also had bouts of inconsistency. And you cannot totally discount Karlie Samuelson, who isn’t in the prospect camp anymore but is an elite shooter.
In the end, the Mystics should choose Delle Donne and Engstler. They might get burned on the former, but you have to protect the asset. Meanwhile, if Engstler’s 3-point shooting (27 of 57, 47.4%) is in any way real, her versatility on the wing is going to make her a very valuable player. You have to keep her around to find out.
