More Expansion Draft info and FAQs will be posted as information becomes available.

Below are answers to some of the main questions about the expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries.

Q: What is an Expansion Draft? 

A: An Expansion Draft is a process used by professional sports leagues to allow a new team to build its roster by selecting players from existing teams. In this case, the WNBA’s 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, which will debut in the 2025 season, will be able to select a player from a designated pool of unprotected players from each of the current 12 WNBA teams.

Q: When will the 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft Presented by State Farm occur?

A: The Expansion Draft is scheduled for Friday, December 6, 2024, at 6:30 pm ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.     

Q: Which players will be available in the Expansion Draft? 

A: Each of the existing 12 WNBA teams will submit a Roster List that includes every player they have rights to, covering active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, and retired lists. Each team can protect up to six players from this Roster List who will not be available for selection. All other players on the team’s Roster List who are not protected will be made available for selection by Golden State in the Expansion Draft. 

Q: When do teams have to submit their Roster List?

A: Teams must submit their Roster List by Monday, November 25. 

Q: How many players can the Golden State Valkyries select?

A: The Valkyries will have the opportunity to select one available player from each of the current 12 teams. 

Q: Can Golden State select a player from a team’s Roster List who is not signed for the 2025 season?

A: Yes. If a selected player is not signed for the 2025 season, Golden State will receive whatever rights to such player the existing team would have had if that player was not selected in the Expansion Draft. Golden State will acquire the player’s contract if a selected player is signed for the 2025 season. 

Q: Can Golden State select a player from a team’s Roster List who will be an unrestricted free agent after 2024? 

A: Golden State may only select one player in the Expansion Draft eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season. That player may be selected only if they have not previously played under a Core Player contract for two or more seasons. Golden State may then designate that player as its one Core Player in January. 

Q: What about former players?

A: Each team’s submitted Roster List for the Expansion Draft will only include players on the team’s active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, and retired lists as of the final day of the 2024 regular season.  

Q: Does Golden State have to select players according to on-court position? 

A: There are no on-court positional requirements. Golden State can choose players regardless of position, depending on team needs and available players. 

Q: Does Golden State have to build its entire team through the Expansion Draft? 

A: No. The Expansion Draft is just the start of Golden State’s roster-building process. After the Expansion Draft, Golden State will participate in the typical team roster-building functions in 2025, including the free agency period, which begins in February 2025, and the WNBA Draft Presented by State Farm, which will take place on Monday, April 14, 2025. Golden State currently holds the No. 5 overall pick and the fifth pick in the second and third rounds.