The WNBA’s 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, set to begin play in 2025, will begin assembling the team’s inaugural roster when the league conducts the Golden State Expansion Draft on Friday, December 6, on ESPN.
Golden State will have the ability to select from a designated pool of available players as designated by each of the current 12 teams.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 WNBA season and in advance of the Expansion Draft, each of the existing teams will be required to submit to the league office a Roster List that includes every player to whom the team has rights – players on the team’s active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, and retired lists – as of the final day of the 2024 regular season. The deadline for the submission of the Roster List will be determined at a later date but is expected to be approximately 10 days prior to the date of the Expansion Draft.
The submitted Roster List of each of the current 12 teams will be required to designate a maximum of six “Protected Players” who will not be available for selection in the Expansion Draft. All other players on each team’s Roster List will be eligible for selection by the Valkyries (“Available Expansion Draft players)”.
Golden State will have the opportunity to acquire the player contract of, or the negotiating rights to, one available player from each of the current 12 teams.
If a player not signed to a contract for the 2025 season is selected, Golden State shall receive whatever rights to such player that the existing team would have had if that player was not selected in the Expansion Draft. The Valkyries will only be able to select one player in the Expansion Draft who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season. Golden State may choose such a player provided that the player has not previously played pursuant to a Core Player contract for two or more seasons. Golden State may then designate that player as its one Core Player in January. Any unrestricted free agents not selected in the Expansion Draft and not designated as a Core Player by their current team may be signed by any team, including Golden State, once the free agency period opens in February.
Between the time that the Roster Lists are submitted and a designated time on the day before the Expansion Draft, Golden State will be permitted to make trades with existing teams, including (i) an agreement to select a particular player from the list of Available Expansion Draft players, and trade that player to a team other than their existing team; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a particular player from such trading team’s list of Available Expansion Draft players.
Additional information with details regarding ESPN’s plans to broadcast the Golden State Expansion Draft will be announced.
