The Golden State Valkyries made WNBA history in their inaugural season, winning the most games ever by an expansion team (23) and becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs. In her first season as a Head Coach, Natalie Nakase won Coach of the Year. Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton made significant leaps, establishing themselves as focal points of the Valkyries’ core. Burton was named the league’s Most Improved Player and Thornton became the first All-Star in franchise history. Building on the success of their first season, the Valkyries want to raise the bar with new expectations, while retaining continuity by bringing back the majority of their core.

“The way we were so connected early on, we brought in players to continue to bring on that continuity,” Nakase said. “We play really well together and we utilize that as our superpower. Any given night, anyone can get hot.” 

Golden State brought back eight rotation players, including Burton, Thornton, All-Rookie Team forward Janelle Salaün, Iliana Rupert, Cecilia Zandalasini, Tiffany Hayes, Kaila Charles and Kate Martin. Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlin Chen are back on training camp deals. The Valkyries also made some significant additions, headlined by All-Star wing Gabby Williams.

“Gabby Williams is incredible,” Burton said of her new All-Star teammate. “Her defense is incredible. Who she is as a person, I’ve admired, so I’m really excited to play alongside her. On both sides of the basketball, we’re aggressive. Obviously, she’s an amazing defender, but people sleep on her offense. She can spread the floor and attack in transition. We’re going to play fast, but there’s an IQ there that will work really well on both sides."

The Valkyries brought in three-time champion Kiah Stokes to bolster the post rotation and three drafted rookies will debut including Justė Jocytė (5th overall in 2025 Draft), Marta Suarez (16th overall in 2026 Draft) and Ashlon Jackson (23rd overall in 2026 Draft). Golden State is confident in the culture they have established and fitting that culture is a prerequisite for new players that General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin brings in. 

“Culture is the totality of our team,” Nakase said. “I don’t believe that you can instill competitiveness. It’s just who they are. Our front office did an amazing job of intentionally picking competitive players.”

Nakase’s team has its eyes set on competing for the ultimate prize, a WNBA championship, as they enter Year 2 of a five-year timeline. 

“Expectations for us obviously are to win a championship,” Nakase said. “Here in Golden State, Joe Lacob [Valkyries’ Co-Executive Chairman and CEO] told me in my interview process that if you take this job, you have to win in five years, so that is the expectation.” 

For Tiffany Hayes, the goal is simple: progress. 

“We don’t plan on moving backward — we plan on moving forward,” Hayes said. 

The Valkyries are no longer the new kids on the block. They have earned respect around the league. Players once battling for roster spots and rotation minutes are now prominent fixtures on the scouting report. 

“I’m always looking to get better,” Burton said. “It’s a privilege to be on people’s scouting reports. I’ve had many years where that wasn’t the case. I embrace that and don’t run from it. It’s a beautiful thing what we were able to do last year, but at the end of the day, last year is kind of removed from us. We have new expectations. We have a standard we want to uphold. The way I approach the game doesn’t change, but we want to elevate every game.’” 

It will take more than the reputation they established last season to yield similar success this year. According to Kate Martin, the continuity will aid in that process, but the work starts all over.

“It is nice to have a lot of the same personnel to continue to build that chemistry on and off the court,” Martin said. “The more you’ve played with someone, the more comfortable you are with them. But the work we put in last year is the work we put in last year. We have to restart all of that. This is a new year and we have to continue to put in that work and go even harder if we want to be successful this season.” 

After a competitive and thorough training camp, the Valkyries will play an exhibition preseason game against the Seattle Storm on Saturday before officially tipping off their 2026 season in Seattle on May 8.