2025 Valkyries free agency 3: Jewell Loyd and Gabby Williams
the Seattle Storm living up to their name
The whole 2025 Valkyries Free Agency series is indexed here.
Update 2025-01-15:
From Across The Timeline:
Golden State Valkyries extended a qualifying offer to Veronica Burton » Reserved
Golden State Valkyries extended a qualifying offer to Julie Vanloo » Reserved
Golden State Valkyries extended a qualifying offer to Cecilia Zandalasini » Reserved
Golden State Valkyries extended a qualifying offer to Temi Fagbenle » Restricted
Update 2025-01-14: Gabby Williams was cored by the Storm, which means that she has to play for SEA on a super-max contract — unless she threatens to sit out the whole season. If she does that, then the core designation will expire in November. This is a legitimate possibility, since WNBA players can make plenty of money in other leagues, often more than in the WNBA. In that case, SEA would try to do a sign-and-trade with another team. Williams would presumably only sign a one-year deal (due to the upcoming raises in 2026), so the trade cost might not be that high.
The Seattle Storm are living up to their name. This could leave them vulnerable to other teams poaching their talent.
Jewell Loyd
Also, Jewell didn’t get traded to Golden State.
I mean, it’s still completely on the table. Like, just because it didn’t happen in the expansion draft does not mean that that is impossible to happen going forward, which would be super, super interesting.
Do we think, when do we think that trade happens? Do we think it happens when free agency opens in January? Or do we think it happens closer to the draft or closer to when the season begins? If you guys had to put a timeline on it, when do you think they pull that trigger?
I think it’s draft.
I was going to say draft too.
I feel like… because I think you’d want a pick out of that, and you would want to see just how interested other teams are in parting with their picks, right? And who else has the clarity on that?
I think fans don’t want to give up number three, and Golden State fans don’t seem interested in giving up number five either. So maybe you shop her throughout the night and say, “What is the highest pick that we can get for this?”
The way Nick Saban retiring last year at Alabama—every coaching move in college football was going to be made when the Alabama hire was made, right?
Domino, first domino.
Correct. Golden State is the first domino here. I do not see a lot of other teams moving or doing much, unless it’s retaining their stars. I don’t see many teams doing much until Golden State makes their move. I think that’s the vibe here.
Yeah, I agree. And also, I think it even depends as well, because if a Flau’jae Johnson declares, if a Lauren Betts declares, there’s players here that can even deepen this draft further, where a pick at six or seven now becomes just as valuable as four or five. It’s just those little one or two players.
Gabby Williams
I’ll do you one better here. The French players caught my eye in the expansion draft, like Iliana Rupert, Carla Leite, which was like, Wings fans are pissed, and rightfully so, because she is real and is going to be real for years to come. Gabby Williams, because the Seattle Storm has a lot going on right now.
It makes you wonder. Does she want that? She didn’t like Chicago because of the dysfunction within that organization. You know, she went to France and stayed in France because she likes the functionality and stability of the clubs that she plays for over in Europe.
And Golden State, by all accounts — you know, home jersey notwithstanding [they hate the conservative look of the jersey] — seems to be a pretty well-run operation and well-financed operation so far. She’s made a name for herself. There’s a big international flavor there. So I think there is a bit of a light bulb that goes off, maybe even more so than a Kelsey, because I feel like Gabby gives you two and three versatility, especially defense. A much better defender than Plum is. Plum, more offensively, but…
What I love about it is, I think Golden State—I wrote about it in Five Out this week—I think Golden State has the keys to a lot of free agency here. You know, their cap is pretty open. They have a lot of room to move. They have a lot to pitch, because right now, it’s easier to pitch promises than it is to pitch, “We’re different now.”