2025 Valkyries free agency: a series

Whom are analysts saying GSV should target?

This is a short series of collected commentary to get us thinking about free agency, which is around the corner.

1. Free Agency Overview & Overview of Valkyries Free Agency (this piece)

2. Re-signing the expansion draft players (1/9)

3. Jewell Loyd and Gabby Williams (1/13)

4. Valkyries extend qualifying offers to free agents Burton, Vanloo, Zandalasini, and Fagbenle

5. Will GSV sign-and-trade for Gabby Williams or another Cored star?

6. Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner (1/18)

7. Kelsey Plum, Emma Meesseman, Nneka Ogwumike (1/20)

8. Valkyries sign free agent Monique Billings (and reportedly Julie Vanloo and Veronica Burton)

Free Agency Overview

Here is a great site to keep track of WNBA transactions:

• Across The Timeline

• Explaining the WNBA Core Player System

From CBS Sports:

When does free agency start?

From Jan. 11-20, teams can make qualifying offers and "Core player" designations. After that period is over, free agency begins in full.

Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on Jan. 21, but players cannot sign contracts or offer sheets until Feb. 1.

Those rules will always be skirted to some extent, but teams caught breaking them will be punished under the league's tampering rules. Most recently, the Seattle Storm were fined in 2022 for jumping the gun on legendary point guard Sue Bird's re-signing.

…

A new CBA will almost certainly not be in place by the time free agency starts, so there's no telling exactly how much salaries will rise or what other benefits the players may win. It's clear, though, that things are going to be much better for the players starting with the 2026 season.

As a result, it makes sense for players to line up their contracts in order to be free agents in 2026. Not including those on rookie scale contracts, Kalani Brown and Lexie Brown are the only players with guaranteed money beyond 2025. Few, if any, will join them this offseason. Most free agents this winter, even those looking at potential max contracts, will stick to one-year deals in order to return to free agency next year.

That leads to a number of interesting possibilities. Would a player take less money for one year to join a contender in an attempt to win a title? On the flip side, would a team with cap space overpay someone for one year? There could be some unexpected deals this year.

Overview of Valkyries Free Agency

From Swish Appeal:

1. Golden State’s remaining roster needs

As the WNBA did not release the lists of protected players for the Golden State expansion draft, a few of the selections were surprises. Kate Martin moving to join her former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase in the Bay is very exciting, as is Monique Billings, coming from the Phoenix Mercury, getting a well-deserved roster spot. Kayla Thornton leaving the New York Liberty is sad, but she will be great on the Valkyries as well. And it was surprising to learn that the Indiana Fever did not protect Temi Fagbenle.

Looking at this roster, there is a clear need for centers, something the Valkyries can focus on in free agency. They also have yet to use the one core designation allotted to them as a new franchise.

Another factor to consider is that a few of the international players selected may or may not even come over to the WNBA this year. As general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said about the team’s perspective, “Our first order of business will be to make them trust our organization and prove that we want to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with them.” Whatever happens, the Valkyries will have wiggle room in free agency to make some big signings.

The overwhelming belief is that the Valkyries could attract one or two BIG free agents. They have plenty of cap space to work with and offer great facilities, as well as the opportunity for a rising star to create their own legacy as the No. 1 option on a new team.

No Cap Space WBB

If you are the ownership and you’re opening the Chase Center, Bay Area has, they have pretty loyal fandom. It’s not as fickle as like a Los Angeles or Miami or even in Atlanta. However, you gotta win games. Like there’s a lot to do in the summer in Northern California. And so I do think there’s going to be a desire of, we don’t want this just to be a novelty. Right out of the gate, we want this to be a product right at it. And while I love that expansion draft and I think they actually drafted really well, that’s not a team that I think is jacking people up. And then look, maybe an 18 to one, the bottom team might not be doing it for you either. Yeah, but at the very least you go win games. Yes, that’s, that’s my, that’s my head pick.

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.

Her Hoop Stats

Offseason priorities: Presumably, the shopping mentioned above. Despite the lean towards veterans with certain unexpected picks, Golden State took an awful lot of players in their expansion draft who aren't under contract. That means there's still an enormous amount of work to be done in building their 2025 roster. It's not hard to believe that anything from four to nine of those expansion players actually make the roster, so a lot of the playing staff is still in flux. They'll probably want at least one marquee signing to launch themselves with - Nneka Ogwumike? Gabby Williams? - and may well chase more, but they'll also be looking for the next tier of players to help round out the team for their inaugural season. Most players are only going to be signing for one year, given the impending new CBA and the jump in salaries everyone is anticipating in 2026, so this may not be an offseason where they're building the core of a future title contender. But the franchise clearly believes in its infrastructure, so once they get stars in the door they probably expect them to stay.