Monique Billings of the Phoenix Mercury was selected 10th among 11 players selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Expansion Draft on Friday.
This draft aimed to allow the new 13th team in the league to begin building its squad for its inaugural 2025 season.
“Monique is a relentless rebounder on both ends,” Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said during his post-draft press briefing. “She’s a ball of energy, a bright light. I actually had the opportunity to work with her when I was at USA Basketball. We went to Japan together, so I know her very well. “
The 6-4 Billings forward finished last season in Phoenix. She was initially signed by the Mercury to a seven-day contract after the Olympic break on August 18, after being released by the Dallas Wings. Phoenix extended Billings for the remainder of the season seven days later.
In his seventh season at UCLA, Billings averaged 4.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 13 games and two starts for the Mercury. She also recorded 8.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24 games during her semester in Dallas.
Former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase will lead the Valkyries coaching staff. Nakase was part of the Aces’ staff during the team’s back-to-back title runs in 2022 and 2023. She also served as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2018-20.
“The ultimate goal here for the Golden State Valkyries and from my owner (Joe Lacob)’s mouth, is we would like to win a championship in five years,” Nakase said. “He even said, ‘Maybe even sooner.’ So with that in mind, you have to have competitive players to win a championship.”
Who was probably protected from Mercury?
Golden State had 12 picks to take an unprotected player from the other 12 teams to fill out its maximum roster of 12 women, but opted not to take one from the Seattle Storm.
The 12 existing teams have been allocated six protected players. This includes those on the current roster and players whose draft rights are held by teams, making them excluded from the expansion draft. The teams’ protected lists were due to be submitted to the league on November 25. These lists are not published.
“I was really excited about every player I picked,” Nakase said. “And I can go all the way with the competitiveness of the fact that these players will do whatever it takes to win and their high character.”
Golden State will be able to add more players when free agency opens in February 2025 and through the regular WNBA draft on April 14. The Valkyries have the fifth pick in each of three rounds in April’s draft: No. 5 overall, No. 17 and No. 30.
Of the six protected players on each team, teams do not have to protect unrestricted free agents who have already played the maximum two years on contracts signed with the primary designation.
Golden State was allowed to choose one player from each team and one unrestricted free agent, who then becomes eligible to be designated the Valkyries’ primary player.
For example, Brittney Griner does not need to be protected by Mercury because she has reached the maximum number of base years and is an unrestricted free agent, ineligible for the draft.
Diana Taurasi, also an unrestricted free agent, would be protected – unless she informed the Mercury that she would be retiring.
The Mercury have Kahleah Copper, Rebecca Allen, Natasha Cloud and Sophie Cunningham on maximum contracts for next season, which would likely put them on the protected list.
WNBA expansion plan
Since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, the league has not had an expansion team.
San Francisco-based Golden State is the first wave of a three-team expansion plan that will continue with 14th and 15th teams in Toronto and Portland in 2026. Golden State and Toronto gained new franchises in May and Portland in September.
Toronto announced the new name of its team “Tempo” on Thursday. Portland’s previous team name was “Fire”, which was part of the league’s original four-team expansion alongside the Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever and Miami Sol in June 1999. The Fire and Sol disbanded three seasons later.
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Mercury’s Monique Billings in WNBA Expansion Draft
