What’s Next For Golden State’s Newest WNBA Franchise?

The Golden State Valkyries, the newest expansion team in the WNBA, are building something truly special from the ground up. As the team prepares for its debut season in 2025, General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin and Head Coach Natalie Nakase are leading the charge to establish a new and exciting franchise. With the full support of the Golden State Warriors and a shared vision for success, the Valkyries are gearing up to make their mark in the league.

The Valkyries will play their home games at the state-of-the-art Chase Center, where they’ll share the arena with the Warriors. The excitement surrounding the Valkyries is evident, with several Warriors players showing their enthusiasm for the new franchise. Draymond Green, a Warriors legend, was seen wearing a Valkyries jersey during Golden State’s 99-93 victory over the Houston Rockets, and Steph Curry, a multi-time NBA champion, took a moment to offer his congratulations to the Valkyries, saying, “I just want to say congratulations to the inaugural 2025 Valkyries squad, welcome to the Bay.”

As the Valkyries continue to shape their team and culture—from the expansion draft to their long-term vision—Nyanin and Nakase are clear in their mission: to build a franchise that will thrive both on and off the court.

Golden State Valkyries: What’s Next After The Expansion Draft?

With the expansion draft behind them, Nyanin and Nakase are now focused on the next steps for the team. For Nyanin, these include building out the team’s infrastructure and maintaining open communication with players.

“The immediate next steps are kind of the steps that even we’re leading into this process, right? We still have a lot of individuals to hire. We now have athletes, so communicating with them and their agents about their experiences that they’ve had and the experiences that they would like to have with us being a part of the Golden State Valkyries team. We have two construction projects happening: our practice facility and our locker room at Chase Center. You know, hopefully sleep at some point,” Nyanin said.

As the first General Manager of the Golden State Valkyries, Nyanin brings more than 10 years of experience in professional sports. Before joining the Valkyries, she spent five years with the New York Liberty, most recently serving as Assistant General Manager. She is responsible for overseeing all basketball operations for the Valkyries.

Golden State Valkyries: Building Team Chemistry From Scratch

The Valkyries had a successful expansion draft, selecting key players like Kayla Thornton from the 2024 New York Liberty Championship team, Kate “Money” Martin from the Las Vegas Aces, and Temi Fagbenle from the Indiana Fever. Nakase sees all the player selected as a perfect fit for the team’s culture and playing style.

Golden State Valkyries Expansion Draft Selections:

_{Monique Billings, forward (Phoenix Mercury), Veronica Burton, guard (Connecticut Sun), María Conde, forward (Chicago Sky), Temi Fagbenle, center (Indiana Fever), Carla Leite, guard (Dallas Wings), Kate Martin, guard (Las Vegas Aces), Iliana Rupert, center (Atlanta Dream), Stephanie Talbot, forward (LA Sparks), Kayla Thornton, forward (NY Liberty), Julie Vanloo, guard (Washington Mystics), Cecilia Zandalasini, forward (Minnesota Lynx)}

Nakase noted, “We were able to handpick players who fit the characteristics we’re looking for. They’re ultra-competitive, high-character individuals who are willing to sacrifice for the team. These players have a never-satisfied mindset, which is exactly what we need to succeed.”

For Nakase, starting with a new team presents the challenge of creating chemistry between players who are still in the process of getting to know each other. Many of the team’s draft picks are playing overseas, so Nakase is working to connect with them while they’re away.

“The challenge I think right now is a lot of the players are overseas playing,” Nakase explained. “We have Kate Martin who’s playing with Unrivaled, so it’s now about connection, right? How can I connect with them in a timely manner that makes sense for them with their schedules and for my schedules as well? So just FaceTime is great, you know, obviously calling and texting. It’s great to have Kate, you know, in the States so we can take a trip, you know, to Miami and go visit her as she plays with Unrivaled. But yeah, that’s kind of where my focus is going to be, is how can I be more connected, being intentional with having really close conversations and getting to know our players.”

Nakase, who has served as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and won two WNBA championships as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces, understands the importance of fostering close relationships with her players, both on and off the court.

Golden State Valkyries: Defense, Grit, and Execution

Nakase’s coaching philosophy is built on the foundation of defense and a strong team mentality. Drawing from her time with the Las Vegas Aces with Becky Hammon, she knows that championship teams are often defined by their defensive prowess and ability to execute under pressure.

“Defensively, you know, we’re gonna hang our hat on defense. We’re gonna be gritty and tough and battle-tested,” Nakase explained. “We definitely used more of our defense in terms of championships when I was with the Las Vegas Aces. So kind of having that mindset. And then offensively, I want to play the right way. We want quality shots over quantity. Execution obviously is going to be big, and then just paying attention to the little details of the game plan. So that’s kind of like my philosophy in a nutshell.”

Golden State Valkyries: Creating The Culture

As the team begins to form, Nyanin is dedicated to creating a culture that is collaborative and inclusive. She believes that the culture of the Valkyries will be shaped by the experiences and contributions of everyone involved in the organization.

“It’s being shaped daily. I would say the phrase that I say a lot is people are products of their experiences, and their unique experience that we have of building a team from the ground up is really important for me to make sure that we have just, like, an open way of building culture,” Nyanin said. “We’re trying to make sure that it’s not just my experiences that are going to be shaping the culture, and it’s not just Coach Natalie’s or, you know, anyone’s experience. It’s a collective of all the positives that we’ve had, and then we’re really, you know, holding space for our athletes and our future staff members to co-create this culture together. And the foundation of it really lies within who each individual is.”

Nyanin emphasized that building the team culture is a collaborative process. She values input from everyone in the organization, ensuring that the culture evolves as the team develops and grows.

Golden State Valkyries: Long-Term Vision

Nyanin is committed to creating a flexible and adaptable culture. She wants every player and staff member to feel empowered to shape the direction of the franchise.

“To be determined,” Nyanin said when asked about her long-term vision for the Valkyries. “I don’t really want each athlete and staff member that read this article to say the exact same thing that I said, right? I want them to come in with their own ideas. Because I think, not every idea is going to be taken and ran with, but the collaboration in trying to get to what Valkyries basketball looks like, both on and off the court, is the goal in year one. And as you say, five to ten years down the line.”

Golden State Valkyries: Drawing from Experience

Nakase’s emphasis on competitiveness and character is deeply personal. As a former player standing at just 5’1″, she learned early on that success came from being ultra-competitive and willing to do whatever it took to succeed.

“My non-negotiables for players—they fit, every player fits. It’s #1 ultra-competitive. You know, they have to love winning and they have to hate losing. #2, high character. They have to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team, meaning that they have to put the team first over themselves. And #3, it’s just a never-satisfied mindset, meaning I want them to be so competitive to where they’ll do whatever it takes to win. And so that’s really what we’re looking for as we’re watching each player through film: do they value those characteristics, do they embrace them, do they? And I would say yes, and I’m excited for every player that we drafted.”

Golden State Valkyries: 2025 WNBA Debut

As the Valkyries gear up for their inaugural season, both Ohemaa Nyanin and Natalie Nakase are focused on building strong relationships, implementing their vision, and continuing to develop their team.

For Nyanin, the opportunity to connect with new people is especially exciting. “On a personal level, I’m excited to connect with new people. After spending five years with the Liberty, leaving was difficult, but it’s been a great opportunity to work with a new group of elite, kind-minded individuals. I’m looking forward to creating something that’s inclusive, global, and authentic,” she shared.

Nakase, meanwhile, is eager to dive back into the details of team-building. “What I’m looking forward to is diving back into film once we get settled. There’s always so much to learn, and we’re going to be busy with free agency and the college draft. It’s a cycle we’re excited to continue—collaborating, discussing, and putting the best players on the court who fit our culture,” she explained.

As the Golden State Valkyries build their team and their culture, the future looks bright. With a strong leadership duo in Nyanin and Nakase, the Valkyries are primed to make a strong debut in the 2025 WNBA season.