Valkyries shocked the WNBA in their first season. Now they're aiming even higher
"Just move on," head coach Natalie Nakase said on Sunday, the first day of Valkyries training camp. "That was last year, right? I'm always present with where my feet are. So nothing carries over from last year. It's a brand new year."
Yet in the next breath, Nakase acknowledged that a very important thing does carry over from last year: team chemistry.
Despite the opportunity for radical roster change with so many free agents available, the Valkyries instead chose to enhance the strong core they developed last season. They want to keep the successful unit together, and build on what they started in 2025.
"If you look around, all the rosters have changed," Naksase said. "So I think we're one of the teams who have built a continuity and maintained that. We did that intentionally. We're excited to build off of that.
"When you have success, you don't really want to go away from that."
In their Oakland training facility, with plenty of familiar faces, the vibes and energy were high on day one. At the end of practice, the players split into two groups and played a game of "Jeopardy," based on team terminology complete with the iconic music.
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"It keeps it fun and competitive," said guard Kate Martin, noting that her team won, "of course."
"Camaraderie, being the most together team, was our superpower last year," Martin said. "So we're building upon that."
Several players noted that what was stressed in the first practice were the same basic tenets that led to last year's success: defense, communication and - more than anything - relentless effort.
"Everyone can see how much fun we had last year, how much we enjoyed each other, so to come back with some familiar faces, it's exciting," guard Veronica Burton said. "We're also welcoming in some new people, so that balance of familiarity and chemistry will carry over but bringing in new skill sets and energy is going to be really exciting.
"We smashed a lot of expectations, but we have new ones for this year. We always want to compete for a championship. That's the goal."
After a prolonged offseason, where key events were delayed due to the lengthy labor negotiations, the past week has been a whirlwind with the beginning of free agency and the collegiate draft (when asked for her view of the Valkyries' newsworthy draft night trade, Nakase said, "We had a plan and we executed it.") For Nakase, any delays meant more time to prepare for the compressed training camp: the Valkyries' only preseason game is April 25 and they open the season in Seattle on May 8.
As camp progresses, the team will continue to integrate new faces. The Valkyries' headline free agent acquisition Gabby Williams was missing on Sunday, along with other key players who are just wrapping up their seasons in Europe, including last year's top draft pick Justė Jocytė.
Among the new faces present was rookie forward Marta Suarez, who watched what the Valkyries did last season from afar, at TCU, where she transferred after two years at Cal.
"If you weren't paying attention, they were loud enough to make sure you did," Suarez said. "This franchise comes from the Warriors so the expectations are high. The support of the community makes expectations even higher. You want to play for that. You want to play for the effort that they've put in, but also for the people that you have showing up every day.
"It's a new season but you have a great history to build upon."
Free agent acquisition Kiah Stokes was on hand. The center won three WNBA championships in Las Vegas, two with Nakase as her assistant coach.
"She was my coach that I could go to for anything back in Vegas," Stokes said. "I feel very comfortable. I can talk to her about anything - questions, concerns, comments."
Stokes, too, was paying close attention to what the Valkyries did last season.
"I think they surprised everyone by making the playoffs," she said. "But I know that I can elevate this team to another level. I bring championship experience. I played with a lot of players on this roster. … We've got a lot of new pieces that really know how to win, how to play hard, and I'm excited for what we can bring."
Stokes was drawn to the Valkyries because of the "incredible" identity Nakase was able to create right from the start in the first year.
"To establish that in year one and to make it a staple is super impressive," Stokes said. "It drew me to this organization. She knows what she wants and obviously it works.
"That's one thing they harped on during free agency: This is what we want. You either buy in or you don't come."
The Valkyries, veterans and newcomers, have bought in. They know where the bar is set.
The challenge will be in clearing it.
April 19, 2026
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Ann Killion
Sports Columnist
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