Golden State Valkyries select Fever’s Temi Fagbenle in WNBA expansion draft

Temi Fagbenle (Image courtesy Indiana Fever)

The Golden State Valkyries selected center Temi Fagbenle from the Indiana Fever, guards Veronica Burton of Connecticut and Carla Leite of Dallas and forward Maria Conde from Chicago among their picks in the WNBA expansion draft on Friday.

The new Bay Area franchise is set to begin play next season. Golden State rounded out its 11-woman roster with Atlanta center Iliana Rupert; Las Vegas guard Kate Martin; forwards Steph Talbot of Los Angeles, Cecilia Zandalasini of Minnesota, Kayla Thornton of New York and Monique Billings of Phoenix; and Washington guard Julie Vanloo. The Valkyries did not choose a player from Seattle.

At 6-foot-4, the 32-year-old Fagbenle averaged 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists over 19 minutes per game for the Fever in the 2024 season. She was among the handful of players that the Fever left unprotected in the expansion draft to help stock the Valkyries roster.

“It’s a long process but it’s also a great process for us,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “We kind of did this cycle, where we collaborate, we discuss and then we go watch film, then do it again … and that went over and over again for about two months. And finally we decided, we picked the best players that fit our culture. So we’re excited and can’t wait to get going.”

This marked the WNBA’s first expansion draft in 16 years since the Atlanta Dream joined the league in 2008.

Golden State was free to acquire the contract or negotiating rights to one player from each of the other 12 WNBA teams. The Valkyries can also choose one player from the league who’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Valkyries will play at Chase Center, the 5-year-old home of the Golden State Warriors, and practice across the bay in the organization’s Oakland training facility.

Warriors star Draymond Green sported a Valkyries jersey with No. 25 on the back — for the inaugural campaign of 2025 — while sitting out injured during Thursday’s win over the Houston Rockets.