The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA‘s newest franchise, is set to tip-off its inaugural season in 2025.
Golden State is set to open its season against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 16 at Chase Center. Now that the Valkyries have a head coach in Natalie Nakase and a general manager in Ohemaa Nyanin, all that’s left is to select which players will wear Valkyrie Violet, black and white for the first time in franchise history.
Golden State will officially begin assembling its roster on Friday through the WNBA expansion draft, marking the league’s first since the Atlanta Dream joined the WNBA in 2008. An expansion draft is a selection process that allows new franchises to build their lineups by selecting players from other franchises, a method that may seem easy in theory, but is quite complex.
How exactly does the expansion draft work? How do you watch? We got you covered:
When is WNBA expansion draft?
The 2024 WNBA expansion draft will take place on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch WNBA expansion draft
The WNBA expansion draft will be broadcast on ESPN.
How does the WNBA expansion draft work?
Leading up to Friday’s expansion draft, each of the 12 current WNBA teams submitted a roster list to the league in late November that highlighted every player the team has rights to. Each team can designate up to six protected players on their roster, making them ineligible for selection by Golden State. Any player under a core designation — comparable to the NFL’s franchise tag — is also ineligible for selection. Every other player is fair game for the Valkyries to select in the expansion draft.
The Valkyries can select one available player from each of the 12 teams, regardless of position. (Golden State can also choose not to select a player from a team, if desired.) The field of available players will include unrestricted free agents, but the Valkyries can only pick up one unrestricted free agent across the entire league.
ICYMI: it’s Expansion Draft Week – and we’ve got all the information you’ll need to follow along.
Watch to see how the @WNBA Expansion Draft will work and be sure to tune in this Friday, December 6th at 3:30 pm PST on @ESPN.@CarMax | Expansion Draft pic.twitter.com/WQWzlSuZh0
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) December 3, 2024
Can the Golden State Valkyries trade players?
Yes. Golden State is allowed to engage in trade talks, beginning Nov. 25, the deadline for teams to submit their roster lists, until Dec. 5, the day before the expansion draft.
According to the WNBA, “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.”
The Valkyries can also trade a selected player for cap space.
Will the Golden State Valkyries draft players?
Golden State also will have an opportunity to add to its team through free agency, scheduled to begin in February, as well as the 2025 WNBA draft, which is set for April. The Valkyries have the fifth overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft, in addition to the 17th and 30th pick in the second and third round, respectively.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA expansion draft: How to watch Valkyries pick inaugural roster
