The Golden State Valkyries are slated to have three picks, beginning with the eighth overall selection in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which will take place next Monday at 4:30 p.m (PT) and will be broadcast on ESPN. The Valkyries are projected to add one of the top prospects in the draft, with several publications speculating that they could take a player who played in the 2026 NCAA championship game, which included Head Coach Natalie Nakase’s alma mater, the eventual National Champion UCLA Bruins. Another outlet noted the Valkyries’ affinity for international players and predicted that they could add another to their group. Read below for a breakdown of who these media outlets believe the Valkyries will select eighth overall.

GIANNA KNEEPKENS
ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated
By far the most popular projection among the prominent sports media outlets for the Valkyries to select eighth overall was UCLA National Championship guard Gianna Kneepkens. ESPN highlighted Kneepkens as arguably the second-best player on the championship squad, behind National Player of the Year Lauren Betts. Kneepkens has a reputation as a long-distance sharpshooter, shooting 43.1 percent from deep over her college career. She spent four years at the University of Utah before transferring to UCLA and won the championship in her lone season in Los Angeles. CBS Sports highlighted the Valkyries’ 3-point efficiency struggles last season, ranking 11th out of 13 teams in 3-point percentage and noted that Kneepkens was 0.7 field-goal percentage points shy of a 50-40-90 shooting season (49.3 FG%, 42.9 3PT%, 93.3 FT%). 

GABRIELA JAQUEZ
USA Today
Staying in the UCLA Bruin family, USA Today has the Valkyries selecting guard/forward Gabriela Jaquez. According to USA Today, Jaquez could add wing depth and positional versatility to the Valkyries — she also was a vital contributor to the National Champions, averaging 13.5 points on 53.9 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from three. Basketball runs in the Jaquez family, as her brother, Jaime, plays in the NBA for the Miami Heat.

TA'NIYA LATSON
Bleacher Report
Guard Ta'Niya Latson played against the Bruins in the National Championship game for the University of South Carolina. Bleacher Report envisions the Valkyries taking Latson to give them a similar dynamic as they had with Carla Leite who they lost to the Portland Fire in the expansion draft. Bleacher Report considers Latson to be the “best transition scorer in the country” and she once led the NCAA in scoring, averaging 25.2 points in the 2024-25 season. 

NELL ANGLOMA
Yahoo Sports
Leaning into their history of bringing in international talent, Yahoo Sports has the Valkyries selected forward Nell Angloma from France. Angloma shone at the 2025 U19 World Cup, averaging 17.0 points over six games. This season she has played for Basket Lattes Montpellier Agglomération and averaged 15.5 points in 23 games. Yahoo Sports described Angloma as a “strong, lengthy athlete” who could be a potential building block for the franchise, depending on the development of her perimeter shot.

VALKYRIES 2026 DRAFT SLOTS
Round 1: 8th overall
Round 2: 23rd overall
Round 3: 38th overall