How Valkyries’ 2026 roster should shake out after training camp cuts

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How Valkyries’ 2026 roster should shake out after training camp cuts

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, May 2, 2026 ·

5 min read

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OAKLAND– It’s been a productive two weeks of training camp for the Golden State Valkyries as they prepare for their second season in the WNBA. The practices have been intense, the competition level has been heated, and the vibes feel as high as ever.

But a roster crunch is on the horizon as the regular season approaches. Especially as the Valkyries’ international players return from their sojourns abroad, only 12 players will make the final roster, along with two more on the newly added developmental roster spots, meaning Golden State will have to say goodbye to some friendly faces very soon.

For the most part, the Valkyries’ final roster is pretty much set, especially with so many players returning from last season. But given the depth at the back end of the roster and Golden State needing to fill certain needs with those players on the fringes, it’s a battle right now between those final precious roster spots.

Let’s take a look at where things stand with the Valkyries roster heading into 2026.

The locks

Veronica Burton – G
Gabby Williams – G/F
Illiana Rupert – C
Janelle Salaün – F
Kayla Thornton – F
Tiffany Hayes – G
Cecilia Zandalasini – G/F
Kiah Stokes – C
Kaila Charles – G
Justė Jocytė – G

These 10 players are locked into the Valkyries roster for a variety of reasons, but mainly because this is the strongest rotation coach Natalie Nakase can turn to for the majority of this season.

Centered around their star free agent acquisition, Gabby Williams, and franchise floor general Veronica Burton, Golden State’s looking to play fast, boast a feisty, top-tier defense, and shoot a lot of threes. Pretty much a more efficient, well-oiled version of last year’s squad.

Supporting them will be French sharpshooters Iliana Rupert and Janelle Salaün, players who thrived under Nakase’s system last season and will be looking to continue their development.

Next to them, they’ve re-upped veterans Kayla Thornton, Tiffany Hayes, and Cecilia Zandalasini to one-year deals, all of whom were productive when not hampered by injury last season.

Throw in Kaila Charles, whose strong two-way play on an emergency hardship contract towards the end of last season earned her a strong payday, and veteran center Kiah Stokes’ steady presence, and you can start to see how the Valkyries rotation will shake out.

Finally, among the locks is the wild card Justė Jocytė, Golden State’s rookie draft-and-stash from last season. If her European tape can translate to the rigors of the WNBA, the Valkyries could be adding a franchise-altering piece to the program.

She can score, she can playmake, and she can dazzle. The only issue is she’ll miss the first couple of games due to an overseas commitment.

The Kate Martin piece

A week ago, it would have been easy to put third-year guard Kate Martin among the locks. But now, with Martin’s Grade 2 right quad strain , things are a little bit more complicated.

With the recovery timeline for that kind of injury landing at around three to six weeks, Martin may miss a good chunk of games to begin the season. And given the unprotected nature of Martin’s rookie contract, the Valkyries could cut her without much of a hit to their books if they feel like they need to make space for one of the many players lurking in the wings.

However, given how highly Nakase talks about Martin, frequently citing her leadership, energy, and connectivity with the roster, along with her prowess as a sharpshooter, it still feels unlikely the Valkyries would cut bait on her due to this injury hampering her availability.

Golden State can make do while she’s out, which may not even be that long.

On the bubble

Kaitlyn Chen – G
Marta Suárez – C
Laeticia Amihere – F/C
Ashlon Jackson – G/F
Miela Sowah – G
Mariella Fasoula – G

With Martin being a semi-lock for the final roster, bringing the count to eleven, that leaves only one final spot for several deserving players.

But among those on the bubble, it seems like Chen has the inside track for several reasons.

For starters, she looks much improved from last season. Her offseason abroad and Athletes Unlimited gave her the playing time to really develop her handle, her finishing abilities, and her playmaking.

Secondly, she’s the only true point guard behind Burton at this training camp. Sure, other guards like Hayes and Jocytė can direct an offense, but they aren’t organizers like Burton and Chen. That point flows into the biggest reason why she’s likely to take the final roster spot: Nakase trusts her wholeheartedly.

Nakase talks to Chen like she talks to Burton. She includes Chen in her post-practice point guard meetings. Nakase even joked that they get into it sometimes, something the fiery head coach truly enjoys.

Two developmental spots

With Chen potentially taking the final spot, that leaves some big names off the roster. Namely Laeticia Amihere. The fourth-year big has always shown flashes in her limited minutes, but it seems like her clunky fit with the team could be the difference.

Along with Amihere, both rookies, Marta Suárez and Ashlon Jackson, look destined for the developmental spots despite the Valkyries genuine intrigue with both of them. Both have captivating skill sets but neither are ready to contribute this season. Hence why they’d be great for developmental spots.

But again, there are only two openings among those three players. It’s a tough decision that will come down to smallest of tiebreakers.

However, it’s worth noting it would be hard to see the Valkyries cutting bait on Suárez this quickly from a PR perspective stemming from the team’s draft night debacle.

Given the confusion of the fanbase and outrage around Golden State’s decision to trade the draft rights to LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson to move back to the second round and take Suárez, imagine their anger if the Valkyries waive that player less than a month after engaging in such a controversial trade.

Regardless, it appears to be Amihere, Suárez, and Jackson fighting for the two developmental spots which leaves Miela Sowah and Mariella Fasoula on the outside looking in.

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