The Golden State Valkyries have taken their first steps toward building a roster for their inaugural season in 2025, and Friday’s expansion draft suggests there will be significantly more turnover for them in the near future.

Looking ahead, Golden State holds the fifth, 17th, and 30th picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. The team will make its official debut on May 16, hosting the Los Angeles Sparks at 10 p.m. ET. The Sparks feature stars like three-time All-Star Dearica Hamby and 2024 All-Rookie Team honoree Rickea Jackson.

Seven of Golden State's 11 picks are foreign players. It's unlikely they'll all be on the roster by opening day.

The Golden State Valkyries made their selections during the Expansion Draft to start forming their inaugural roster. What are the key takeaways?

The newest team in the WNBA — The Golden State Valkyries — announced their 2025 schedule and their first 11 draft picks last week. The Valkyries will play a total of 44 games during the regular season, which runs May through September. Half of those games will take place on their home court at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

The Golden State Valkyries have selected center Iliana Rupert of Atlanta, guard Veronica Burton of Connecticut, guard Carla Leite of Dallas and forward Maria Conde of Chicago with their initial picks of the WNBA expansion draft.

The Golden State Valkyries began the process of building their inaugural roster by selecting 11 players in the 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft presented by State Farm®

We mentioned this was a possibility in our expansion draft predictions. While Seattle has formidable options that could have been added, like Sami Whitcomb, Victoria Vivians or Mercedes Russell, all three are unrestricted free agents, and the Valkyries can add any of those players later.

Golden State Valkyries took Veronica Burton from the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA's expansion draft. What to know about the WNBA's newest team.