Valkyries 2025 Preseason Preview

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WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries 2025 Preseason Preview

May 5, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


The Golden State Valkyries will play their first-ever game at Chase Center when they host the Los Angeles Sparks for their preseason opener on Tuesday (7 p.m. PST). Valkyries fans will have an opportunity to see many of the new players they acquired via the Expansion Draft, Free Agency and the 2025 WNBA Draft for the first time. Head Coach Natalie Nakase will also coach her first-ever WNBA game in that role, having previously served as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces. Three players Nakase coached with the Aces are featured in this matchup, with Tiffany Hayes and Kate Martin in the Valkyries backcourt and newly acquired star guard Kelsey Plum slated to make her Sparks debut.

For the Valkyries' second preseason game, they will face the Mercury in Phoenix on Mother's Day at 3 p.m. PST. The new-look Mercury have fortified their frontcourt, adding two multi-time All-Stars, Alyssa Thomas and Satu Sabally, this offseason.

STORYLINES TO WATCH FOR:

SOLIDIFYING THE ROSTER/ROTATION

As the Valkyries begin incorporating their basketball philosophies and establishing an on-court identity, watching how Coach Nakase manages her lineups and rotations will be intriguing. Most of these players will be playing in a WNBA game together for the first time and figuring out where they fit within the team hierarchy. As Nakase shared in a recent training camp press conference, her job throughout preseason is to find the best-fitting 12-player unit.

LEANING ON VETS

The Valkyries made a significant splash in free agency, landing 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year Tiffany Hayes. Hayes figures to be a featured player in the Valkyries' attack as a lead ball handler and playmaker. She was very efficient, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three last season and her 12 years of WNBA experience will be invaluable in spearheading this expansion franchise. The Valkyries can also lean on reigning WNBA champion Kayla Thornton, who averaged 5.5 points per game for the New York Liberty last season.

LOVABLE COLLEGE STANDOUTS

Valkyries guards Kate Martin and Kaitlyn Chen have nearly identical draft day stories. The two lovable college standouts helped Iowa and UConn, respectively, to deep NCAA tournament runs. Martin's Hawkeyes made back-to-back National Championship game appearances and Chen's Huskies won the National Championship in her lone season after spending her previous three as Princeton's lead guard. When they attended the WNBA Draft, they weren't expecting to hear their name called but went to support their star teammate and top pick of the class - Caitlin Clark (2024) and Paige Bueckers (2025). When Martin and Chen heard their names called, everyone in the building, but especially their teammates, erupted in jubilation. Martin is entering her second season after spending her rookie campaign with the Las Vegas Aces and fans can watch for her evolution in a potentially elevated role under Coach Nakase in Year 2. Chen is a rookie, slated to play in her first WNBA season - she is the only 2025 draftee currently on the Valkyries' training camp roster.

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