Caroline Ducharme earned a chance to pursue her WNBA dreams this week, as the UConn women's basketball product signed a training camp contract with the Golden State Valkyries, marking another twist in the WNBA's 2026 offseason moves.
The Valkyries offered Ducharme a one-year, nonguaranteed deal at minimum salary. Players on training camp contracts compete to make the final 12-player roster, with many facing waivers before WNBA preseason concludes.
"We're so excited to be able to add Bailey, Caroline, and Ndjakalenga to our training camp roster," Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin said, also welcoming Bailey Maupin, and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to the team. "Each of these players have shown a high level of competitiveness, a winning mentality, and a desire to improve."
Caroline Ducharme battled significant injury adversity throughout her UConn women's basketball career. She averaged just 7.4 minutes across 25 games in 2025/26 after sitting out much of the previous two years with various injuries.
The 6-foot-2 guard arrived at UConn as the Class of 2021's No. 5 prospect. She excelled in her freshman year, averaging 9.8 points and 21 minutes per game across 11 starts in 31 appearances.
However, injuries derailed the rest of her trajectory. Ducharme suffered her first head injury in February of her freshman season. She missed 13 games with a concussion sophomore year, before neck spasms kept her out for all but four games in 2023/24. She didn't receive clearance to return until late February 2025.
Ducharme's redshirt senior year brought migraines that cost her six games, with coach Geno Auriemma often listing her status as day-to-day.
Ducharme now reunites with former teammate Kaitlyn Chen on the Valkyries, while fellow Huskies Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes also play for the 2025 WNBA expansion team.
