Valkyries Heavily Represented in EuroBasket 2025
WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries Heavily Represented in EuroBasket 2025

June 15, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


The Golden State Valkyries have six players representing their respective countries in EuroBasket 2025, which is taking place from June 18 through June 29. Read below for more on how EuroBasket works, which players are participating and how the Valkyries have begun to fill out their roster in the meantime.

EuroBasket 2025 has been years in the making, with qualifying games taking place since 2023. Those qualifiers whittled down a 36-team pool to 16 countries vying for a gold medal and a chance to qualify for the 2026 FIBA World Cup. The 16 teams have been split into four groups and will play every team within their group once - the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. After a single-elimination quarterfinals, the semifinals will feature the top four teams, with the two winners facing off in a championship game for gold and the losers playing for a third-place bronze medal. In addition to the top three teams receiving medals, the top five teams, along with host country Germany, will earn an automatic bid to the 2026 FIBA World Cup. If Germany finishes top-five, the sixth-place team will also qualify for the World Cup. » Learn More

Valkyries by Group:

Group A: Janelle Salaün (France), Iliana Rupert (France)

Group B: Justė Jocytė (Lithuania), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy)

Group C: Julie Vanloo (Belgium)

Group D: Temi Fágbénlé (Great Britain)

The Valkyries will lose four of their top seven players in minutes per game, including two players who have started in every game. Temi Fágbénlé is tied for a team-high 10 starts, averaging 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds on 54.3 percent shooting from the field - the fifth-highest percentage among qualifiers in the WNBA. Janelle Salaün leads all the Valkyries headed to EuroBasket in scoring, averaging 11.8 points per game. Nearly half of Salaün's field goal attempts are coming from behind the arc and she's shooting 40.0 percent on those 5.0 attempts per game. Golden State will be without their top shooter as Cecilia Zandalasini is averaging 10.0 points on 47.1 percent from three with 4.3 attempts per contest. Julie Vanloo has been a spark plug off the Valkyries' bench with signature moments of shot-creation, sharpshooting and high-energy hustle plays, which have strongly resonated with her new fanbase. That Valkyries fanbase will get to see their first-round draftee, Justė Jocytė, play for the first time since her draft day in EuroBasket as she will remain overseas for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season. Jocytė is a basketball phenom overseas, beginning her professional career at age 13. Forward Iliana Rupert has also yet to play a game with the Valkyries this season and will remain abroad. Drafted in the expansion draft, Rupert has WNBA experience, winning a championship with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022.

To compensate for their departing players, the Valkyries have been able to add players to fill out their roster. Stay up to date with all the latest roster transactions at https://www.wnba.com/players/transactions?transaction=&team=valkyries&month=0.

Temi Fagbenle

Cecilia Zandalasini

Julie Vanloo

Janelle Salaün

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