Sports
What to expect next from the Golden State Valkyries after WNBA expansion draft
The Golden State Valkyries have taken their first steps toward building a roster for their inaugural season in 2025, and Friday’s expansion draft suggests there will be significantly more turnover for them in the near future.
General manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase emphasized the competitiveness of the group they drafted, and combined with owner Joe Lacob’s goal of winning a title within five years, there is a desire to be good now. The consequence of selecting a group ready to contend in 2025 means that it’s difficult to see the long-term vision of this particular set of 11 players.
For starters, Golden State drafted a veteran-heavy group, as seven of its 11 picks are at least 27 years old, which was the average age across the WNBA in 2024. Two are signed through 2025 while the remainder are up for new contracts. That leaves the Valkyries at a bit of a disadvantage in roster-building for the future because they don’t have extended team control of those players.
Introducing your first-ever Golden State Valkyries. This is just the beginning of our journey.
Expansion Draft presented by @CarMax. pic.twitter.com/8WU5mOYGRy
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) December 7, 2024
That situation is partly out of Golden State’s control; only two veterans (i.e., players not on rookie contracts) league-wide are signed past the 2025 season as players seek to maintain their freedom before the implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement. But the Valkyries not only selected players who have short contracts, but also internationals who have had sporadic relationships with the WNBA.
Julie Vanloo was a 31-year-old rookie in 2024. Temi Fagbenle had a four-year gap from the WNBA from 2020 to 2023. Cecilia Zandalasini was out of the league for five years before returning to Minnesota this season. Iliana Rupert has missed two of the last four WNBA seasons due to national team commitments. Maria Conde has never played for the WNBA despite being drafted in 2019, and she told The Athletic that playing for Spain would always be her priority during the summer. Golden State is taking a risk that these players will be available and willing to play despite a track record that suggests otherwise.
The first question Nyanin addressed in her news conference Friday was about Conde, and Nyanin admitted that she does not know if the Spanish national will come stateside in 2025. Conversations are necessary with her, Carla Leite and the aforementioned European players, especially since EuroBasket starts on June 18, 2025, and lasts for two weeks. The Valkyries are mostly starting from scratch, too. For instance, when Zandalasini came back to the Lynx, it helped that Cheryl Reeve was still the coach. Other than Rupert and Nakase, who were both in Las Vegas in 2022, there aren’t many established relationships with these players.
“This entire process is complex, there’s a lot of unknown, and I will say that ad nauseam, unfortunately,” Nyanin said. “I’m looking at it from the human perspective, like what can we continue to express to these athletes that make them want to come and play in this Valkyrie violet and black and white.”
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Golden State also seemingly prioritized win-now players over younger ones who might take time to develop. Only one of their selections is under a rookie contract, and though Kate Martin projects to be a fine player, she doesn’t necessarily have star upside. The Valkyries likely could have taken swings on players such as Alissa Pili (Lynx), Shaneice Swain (Sparks draftee) or Han Xu (Liberty) but chose to take known quantities in Zandalasini, Stephanie Talbot (Sparks) and Kayla Thornton (Liberty). Washington likely had an even longer list of young players unprotected, and Golden State went with the 31-year-old Vanloo despite also drafting Veronica Burton (Wings) and Leite at point guard.
“These are players that are hungry. … They’re players that could have started on other teams,” Nakase said about their veterans. “I’m just really excited to give them the opportunity.”
These decisions make sense for the 2025 iteration of the Valkyries. Establishing a culture of competitiveness right away might be the most prudent move for an expansion team. Win now, develop a reputation and become an attractive free-agent destination. Golden State’s expansion selections are also high-character veterans who could be valuable recruiting tools during the offseason.
The Valkyries also aren’t bound to keep any of these players. They can assemble an entirely new roster in free agency. Thornton and Talbot are also on easily tradable contracts if another team is interested.
Regardless of what path Golden State pursues from here, it’s also true that the Valkyries punted on an opportunity to build for the future with younger players. They don’t have a deep pool of young talent from this draft. That doesn’t preclude long-term success, but it does mean the front office will have to keep turning over this roster, as veterans tend to move more frequently than players on rookie deals.
As a result, for all the excitement surrounding this crop of Golden State Valkyries, it would be surprising if the majority of them suited up on May 16. Setting aside the uncertainty regarding player availability, Golden State still needs to figure out a direction for its roster, which will require more maneuvering. The Valkyries have only just begun.
(Photo of Chiney Ogwumike and Natalie Nakase: Mike Rasay / NBAE via Getty Images)
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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