By Kenzo Fukuda

Copyright clutchpoints

OAKLAND– With a historic inaugural season in the WNBA officially in the books, the Golden State Valkyries have officially transitioned into the offseason, a significant one at that.

At her exit interview, general manager, Ohemaa Nyanin, acknowledged the task at hand for the Valkyries as the team looks to build on their 23-21 season in which they became the first-ever expansion franchise to make the postseason.

“I’m still in this season and trying to make sure that I don’t blow over anything that we’ve accomplished,” Nyanin said. “But then also not sit in the successes that we have, because we have goals ahead of time.”

Those goals include winning championships. Owner Joe Lacob has been very public about his goal of winning a WNBA title within the first five years of the franchise, something Nyanin and Coach of the Year winner Natalie Nakase are highly aware of. As special as this season was for Golden State across the board, they’ve set their sights on something loftier than the eighth seed in the playoffs.

But the Valkyries’ pathway to the top remains clouded in uncertainty. With nearly two-thirds of the league’s players set to hit free agency and a collective bargaining agreement that has yet to be fully negotiated and finalized, the landscape of the league muddies an offseason with enough problems at hand.

Especially when you factor in the team’s salary cap, Golden State as a free agent destination, the upcoming expansion draft, and who they choose to bring back, the Valkyries can take this offseason in a bunch of different directions.

Thus, the big question for Golden State is– what are they going to do?

Character will be a big priority

The Valkyries, across all of their exit interviews, identified character and chemistry, more than anything, as one of the biggest reasons for their success this season. And it seems like the Valkyries may stick with that line of thinking this offseason.

A reporter asked Nyanin what kind of impact players Golden State seeks to target this offseason, and the general manager emphasized character as much as talent.

“We want great humans,” Nyanin said, pointing to how the players endeared themselves to the fanbase and community.

“It’s really making sure that we [consider] the athletic ability of a person and who they are and what they would mean to this community. The fanbase has completely absorbed each of the athletes. So much that I don’t want to mess with that… The balance of– what does that look like, who does that look like, still hasn’t been determined.”

Valkyries’ General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin on the direction this offseason:
“We want great humans… it’s making sure that we put the athletic ability of a person and what they would mean to this community.”
She said the team is not necessarily looking for a face of the franchise. pic.twitter.com/JkQ5nA2DpL
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) September 23, 2025

It’s an understandable team-building perspective, especially considering what helped them win this season. It echoes Temi Fagbenle’s reflections from her exit interview.

“We are a team of ‘sixth women,’ Temi Fagbenle said in her exit interview.

“That in and of itself is different from any other team of the league in terms of not having any go-to superstar that other teams typically have. We all know our worth and how much we can bring to the team. Anyone can step up at any given night and carry us and help us. That’s the beauty of us, that’s our strength.”

Star hunting and the face of the franchise?

With their strength-in-numbers identity that the Ballhalla fanbase really took to, Golden State fought tooth and nail against the odds to secure a postseason birth. Character and chemistry were responsible for everything they built this season, and will remain a priority this offseason.

But what that means for free agency is still a question mark. Later in her exit interview, Nyanin stated she’s not overly concerned with going into full star-hunting mode.

“I don’t think about [finding] the face of the franchise. I think what Valkyrie basketball has meant is that– on any given night with any given roster, we can win basketball games. And the humility and the drive to win wasn’t held by any one person, which I think is a testament to the type of culture that coach Natalie and the rest of the staff built.”

Nyanin’s statements don’t necessarily rule the Valkyries out from pursuing top-tier talent. It does, however, narrow the scope of the kind of star they may look to add. Nyanin and Nakase want team-first players who are willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win. Nyanin also

“Valkyries basketball isn’t just in one human, and I think that’s the type of philosophy that we’re going to go with moving forward, because injuries are inevitable,” Nyanin continued, citing how injuries plagued Golden State this season.

“Problem solving and keeping the human first and a team-first mentality is exactly what we would like to continue to do.”

Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin on searching for that face of the franchise:
“I don’t think about the face of the franchise. On any given night with any given roster we can win basketball games. The drive to win wasn’t held to any one person.” https://t.co/YnaPG1poP3 pic.twitter.com/ASZ1C8mOSh
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) September 23, 2025

What will this Valkyries roster look like next season?

Still, the Valkyries have some tough decisions to make in the coming months.

Only Carla Leite and Kate Martin are under contract, on their rookie deals, next season.

They have some control over restricted free agents like Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini, which allows them to match any offer other teams make to them.

They also have leverage to keep exclusive restricted free agents Janelle Salaün, Iliana Rupert, Laeticia Amihere, and Kaitlyn Chen if they choose so. For those four, they can only negotiate with the Valkyries for their next contracts unless Golden State renounces their rights to them.

That leaves veterans Tiffany Hayes, Kayla Thornton, Monique Billings, Temi Fágbénlé, and Kaila Charles as unrestricted free agents.

Burton, Salaün, Rupert, and Leite seem like safe bets to remain in Golden State given their youth, growth, and essentialness to the Valkyries this season. But as for everyone else, anything can happen, especially with two expansion teams in the mix.

If the Valkyries do end up being aggressive in free agency, which they have the flexibility to do so with fourth-most cap space in the league next season, that likely means saying goodbye to some of these familiar faces.

Whatever Nyanin and the Valkyries decide to do, star, no star, or something in between, she understands this team is on a ticking clock.

“No season should be wasted,” Nyanin said about the pressures of chasing a championship.

“Nobody wanted to waste a day or waste a practice or waste a game… They wanted to achieve greatness every time they walked into this practice facility, or on the road, and in Ballhala at Chase Center. I think it only helped us create a collective rally cry to do something different.”