On a Monday evening in April, the Golden State Valkyries step into a ritual every professional league knows well: the draft, where futures are handed out in a fixed sequence of picks. For an expansion club still stitching together its identity, the moment carries a quiet weight, since it is the first time this franchise will ever choose a player for itself. Its general manager, Ohemaa Nyanin, will make that choice at No. 5 at The Shed in New York, with the broadcast on ESPN, and what she selects will be an early signal of what kind of team this young organization hopes to become.
How to Watch the 2025 WNBA Draft as the Golden State Valkyries Make Their First-Ever Pick
The first pick in franchise history arrives at No. 5
Mark
Why is this particular pick such a big deal for Golden State?
Mimi
Because it's the first one the franchise has ever made. Until now the roster came from the expansion draft and free agency, so this is the first time they choose a player from the incoming class.
Mark
And they pick fifth. Is that a good spot?
Mimi
It's near the top, but Washington picks third, fourth and sixth, and Dallas and Seattle go first and second. A lot will be decided before Golden State's turn.
Luke
Can we say whether fifth is good or bad for them? The reporting only gives the position.
Mimi
No. The piece gives the slot and the order, not an assessment of the talent available at No. 5.
Mark
What about the roster they already have?
Mimi
Eleven picks in the December expansion draft, plus Tiffany Hayes, a former All-Star, and Monique Billings, who had been a pending free agent.
Luke
Worth noting that the piece calls this a key test of the roster build. That's framing, not a result. Nothing here tells us how good the roster is.
Mark
Who is running the draft room?
Mimi
General manager Ohemaa Nyanin, who has led the front office for 11 months.
Luke
And who they'll pick is unknown. The source doesn't name a target or a prospect.
Il Polso
- The Valkyries have never made a draft pick, and their first one arrives at No. 5 with no room to hide.
- Three picks sail by before Golden State is on the clock, with Washington holding three of the first six selections.
- Nyanin, eleven months into her role, must read the board and choose a player who fits a roster built largely from expansion-draft castoffs and free-agent signings.
- The first-round order is being shaped by a web of trades, leaving the Valkyries to pick from whatever talent remains when their turn comes.
On a Monday evening in April, the Golden State Valkyries step into a ritual every professional league knows well: the draft, where futures are handed out in a fixed sequence of picks. For an expansion club still stitching together its identity, the moment carries a quiet weight, since it is the first time this franchise will ever choose a player for itself. Its general manager, Ohemaa Nyanin, will make that choice at No. 5 at The Shed in New York, with the broadcast on ESPN, and what she selects will be an early signal of what kind of team this young organization hopes to become.
On Monday, April 14, the Golden State Valkyries will make their first draft pick in franchise history. The event takes place at The Shed in New York City, and ESPN will carry the broadcast beginning at 4:30 p.m. Pacific. The expansion club holds the No. 5 overall selection.
Much of the Valkyries' roster was already in place before the draft. In December, the team selected 11 players from other WNBA teams in the expansion draft, and free agency added more, including former All-Star Tiffany Hayes and Monique Billings.
The pick belongs to general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, who has led the front office for the past 11 months. Her choice at No. 5 will be the first of her tenure and an early test of how the roster is being built.
The first round is crowded with moves. Dallas picks first, Seattle second, and Washington third, with the Mystics also holding No. 4 and No. 6. Connecticut, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minnesota and Dallas follow with picks 7 through 12. Fans can watch through a cable provider or streaming services that carry ESPN, including Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, Sling and YouTube TV.
On Monday, April 14, at The Shed in New York City, the Golden State Valkyries will do something no version of the franchise has done before: make a pick in the WNBA draft. The expansion team holds the No. 5 overall selection, and the broadcast begins at 4:30 p.m. Pacific on ESPN.
The Valkyries arrive at the draft with much of their roster already in place. Most of it was assembled in December, when the team made 11 picks from other WNBA teams in the expansion draft. That process gave the new club its core before it had played a game.
Free agency added more. The Valkyries signed Tiffany Hayes, a former All-Star. They also signed Monique Billings, who had been a pending free agent when the team selected her in the expansion draft.
The person making the calls on draft night is general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, who has been guiding the front office for the last 11 months. The pick at No. 5 will be the first draft selection of her tenure and of the franchise's existence, and it will serve as an early test of how the roster is being built.
The Valkyries sit in the middle of a crowded first round. Dallas has the No. 1 pick. Seattle holds No. 2, acquired from the Los Angeles Sparks, and Washington has No. 3, which came from the Chicago Sky. The Mystics also own No. 4, so they pick twice before Golden State is on the clock. They hold No. 6 as well, acquired from the Atlanta Dream, which gives Washington three of the first six selections.
Beyond the Valkyries, the order runs as follows. Connecticut has Nos. 7 and 8, coming from the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever. The Sparks pick ninth, using a selection from Seattle, and the Sky pick tenth with one from Connecticut. Minnesota holds No. 11, and Dallas closes out the first round at No. 12 with a pick from New York.
Fans who want to watch can tune in through a cable provider, or through streaming services that carry ESPN, including Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, Sling and YouTube TV.
What to watch: how the three picks ahead of Golden State land, and who is left when Nyanin makes the Valkyries' first selection at No. 5.
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