THE Valkyries of the Golden State selected Veronica Burton among the Connecticut Sunshine 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft Roster Friday.
Burton played 31 games for the Sun last season, averaging 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
The Valkyries are the 13th franchise in the WNBA and are scheduled to begin play during the 2025 season.
In the expansion draft, Golden State selected from a pool of available players determined by each of the other 12 WNBA franchises. Each team had to submit a maximum of six players who were “protected” and therefore ineligible for selection in the expansion draft.
In addition to Burton, the Valkyries selected Iliana Rupert (Atlanta Dream), Maria Conde (Chicago Sky), Carla Leite (Dallas Wings), Temi Fagbenle (Indiana Fever), Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces), Stephanie Talbot (Los Angeles Sparks) . ), Cecilia Zandalasini (Minnesota Lynx), Kayla Thornton (New York Liberty), Monique Billings (Phoenix Mercury) and Julie Vanloo (Washington Mystics). Golden State did not select a player from the Seattle Storm.
The Valkyries hold the fifth, 17th and 30th overall selections in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which will take place on April 14, 2025. Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the team’s front office is excited to have started to build the team for next season.
“Our goal was to build a team that embodies both versatility and depth, bringing a strong blend of leadership, defense and scoring ability,” Nyanin said in a press release. “These players were carefully chosen not only for their skills on the court, but also for their ability to fit into the culture we are working to build here at Golden State.”
The Valkyries will open the regular season at home against the Sparks on May 16. Golden State is scheduled to face the Sun for the first time in the regular season on June 22 at home.
This article was originally published in The Bulletin: Golden State Valkyries select Connecticut Sun’s Veronica Burton
