The Golden State Valkyries are the WNBA's newest team, and the franchise will surely have its share of growing pains as they try to pave their way in the league.
Historically speaking, expansion teams have rarely done well in their first year of existence, so it will be an uphill battle for the Valkyries. However, they put themselves behind the 8-ball with their first-ever selection in the draft.
With the No. 5 overall pick, Golden State selected Lithuanian guard Juste Jocyte, who was a highly coveted prospect. Unfortunately, she will not suit up for the Valkyries this season, opting instead to play for her home country. To make matters worse, there is no timeline on when she will join the team.
Golden State Valkyries should have selected Hailey Van Lith
While the franchise is surely playing the long game and feel that Jocyte has tons of upside whenever she comes along, there was an obvious choice available when the team was on the clock. TCU guard Hailey Van Lith should have been the Valkyries' selection, but instead, she was taken a few picks later by the Chicago Sky.
Van Lith had an incredible preseason for the Sky, posting great efficiency in limited minutes. She averaged 6.0 points, 4.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game across three exhibition matches, and had an excellent outing against the Minnesota Lynx to cap off the preseason.
At every stop in college, Van Lith led her teams to success. She was the Big 12 Player of the Year during her senior season, and she led three different programs to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.
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Time will tell if Golden State general maneger Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase made the right choice, but as it stands now, the franchise might have fumbled their pick.
The team already has a handful of solid guards with Kate Martin, Tiffany Hayes and Julie Vanloo, but Van Lith has the chance to be a special player in the WNBA. She is also incredibly popular off the court, which could increase the franchise's fan base and visibility in year one.
Juste Jocyte may very well be a great player in the WNBA, but for a franchise that is already facing the difficulties of being an expansion team, perhaps a more immediate solution would have been the way to go.