Folks, we've got expansion! After years of people wanting the WNBA to expand beyond 12 teams, it's finally happened, and the Golden State Valkyries will take the floor this season as the first of four upcoming expansion squads.
While the majority of the league's teams make the postseason, don't necessarily expect this Valkyries team to get there, as the team lacks star power. Still, it will be fun to see how this new team plays in 2025.
Here are three big questions for the Valkyries heading into the team's first WNBA season.
Tiffany Hayes is going to be one of the league's top scorers, right?
The Valkyries have a similar problem to the Connecticut Sun, which is that the team lacks experienced WNBA scorers. But while the Sun at least have Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey, the Valkyries have Tiffany Hayes and...Temi Fagbenle? Monique Billings?
Yeah. Basically it's just Hayes.
Hayes, who retired last year before unretiring to join the Aces, won Sixth Player of the Year in 2024. Now, the 35-year-old guard will get what's likely her final shot at being a lead scorer. She proved last year that she's still capable of getting buckets, but will her efficiency take a huge hit with the increased volume, and will she be able to hold up over the course of the full season at this stage of her career?
Can Carla Leite break out of a crowded backcourt?
The Valkyries have a decent group of role players, but with almost every veteran in the WNBA hitting free agency next offseason, the team really needs to focus on getting their young players some run. One of those young players is Carla Leite.
Leite, who is reportedly skipping EuroBasket to focus on her WNBA development, should be viewed as the most important player on this Valkyries roster. Maybe that sounds like a stretch, but this team needs to find pieces for its future. Leite is the only Valkyries player who could conceivably be a star five years from now.
Leite is a playmaker. She runs the pick-and-roll well and can get to the basket and she's coming off a really strong shooting year, knocking down 40.3 percent of her 3-point looks in the French season or Villeneuve.
How she transitions to the physicality of the WNBA is definitely a question, but the French league is arguably the best in Europe, so her strong production there is a good sign for her chances of making an impact in the W, both this summer and in the future.
Is this the year Laeticia Amihere puts it all together?
I was a big fan of Laeticia Amihere at South Carolina. Her numbers never really popped because her role there was fairly small, but her defensive instincts were apparent and it felt like she could slot in as a good role player at the next level, even if she never became a star.
After playing sparingly in Atlanta for two seasons, Amihere landed in Golden State this offseason. While she won't start for the team, she impressed enough in the preseason to think she'll be the first big off the bench.
I still believe there's something here with Amihere. She's got a long wingspan and moves well on the court, giving her the versatility to play multiple positions. She's the kind of do-anything player who doesn't really work on most WNBA teams because the nature of the league demands you to be really good immediately or you won't get playing time. Amihere needed time to develop and make mistakes on the court as she figured out her game. Atlanta couldn't really give her that, as teams in this league are so focused on winning now and making the postseason. Golden State is the perfect team to provide that time and opportunity for Amihere.