Washington spoiled the party last night, as Kiki Iriafen’s 23 points and 12 rebounds powered the No. 8 Mystics’ 90-82 comeback win over No. 3 Golden State — snapping the Valkyries’ franchise-record nine-game winning streak.
Center Shakira Austin added a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double, while Sonia Citron chipped in 17 points and six assists, propelling the young Mystics above the playoff line on a 13-12 record.
“You don’t win that many games without handling adversity well,” Golden State guard Kaitlyn Chen said postgame. “Today was just sort of a tough one… But I think we’re gonna bounce back.”
Chen served as the home side’s lone bright spot, dropping a career-high 20 points and six assists off the bench to become the first reserve player leaguewide to post at least 20 points and five assists this season.
“She doesn’t have to start — that’s not important to her,” coach Natalie Nakase said of Chen. “The minutes that she’s on the floor, she’s impacting her teammates.”
Before tipoff, Golden State congratulated Gabby Williams on becoming the 2025 expansion team’s first-ever All-Star starter with a tribute video and framed jersey.
“V [Veronica Burton], she’s just so mindful and said, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we watch Gabby for the All-Star Game and cheer her on and support her,’” Nakase added. “We’re definitely going to do that. I told them I’m going to miss them over the next six days.”
Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 points on perfect shooting off the bench as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Indiana Fever 88-75 on Wednesday in Indianapolis. The win extended Golden State's streak to eight games and capped a perfect 5-0 road trip.
Kaitlyn Chen Sparks Valkyries vs Fever Third-Quarter Run
Chen didn't score in the first half. But she took over in the third quarter, hitting all four of her field goal attempts for 12 points in the period. Her 3-point play with two seconds left gave the Valkyries a 58-51 lead. She then opened the fourth with a driving layup to extend the lead to nine.
In just 10 minutes of action, she finished 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Golden State's defense proved just as decisive in the match.
Golden State Valkyries vs. Indiana Fever Match Player Stats
The Valkyries held Indiana, which came in averaging over 93 points per game, to just 75 on 40% shooting while forcing 16 turnovers. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 16 points.
On the other end, Kelsey Mitchell paced the Fever with 20 points, but Caitlin Clark managed just 13 points and six assists on 4-of-14 shooting after a second-quarter injury scare.
With the win, Golden State (18-7) heads home after the successful road swing. They'll next face the Washington Mystics Saturday at 8:30 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
The Golden State Valkyries have claimed the No. 1 spot in the 2026 WNBA power rankings. A five-game winning streak pushed the expansion side past former champions the New York Liberty for the first time this season.
And their defense is what carried the climb.
Valkyries' Defense Shuts Down Washington Mystics
On Monday against the Washington Mystics, Golden State shot just 35% from the field and scored only 62 points. Still, the Valkyries won by 13 after holding Washington to 49, a league-low score this season. The Mystics managed just 16 second-half points, also the fewest by any WNBA team this year.
Not a single Golden State starter reached double figures. Instead, the Valkyries' bench made the difference.
Guard Kaitlyn Chen led all scorers with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes, sparking 39 combined reserve points.
"Our defense is all effort and sort of a mental thing," Chen said after the game. "It's something we put all our focus in every day."
Coach Natalie Nakase also credited halftime adjustments for Golden State's win over the Mystics. The Valkyries allowed 22 points in the paint before the break, then just eight after it.
Golden State Valkyries Pull Ahead of New York Liberty in Power Rankings
While the New York Liberty search for consistency as they try to stay in the playoffs race, Golden State (15-7) is building its case on the defensive end.
The Valkyries will next face the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday at 7 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
With the 2025 WNBA Playoffs in full swing, many big-name players are shifting their focus to the winter, joining the 2026 roster for offseason leagues like 3×3 upstart Unrivaled and 5×5 Athletes Unlimited.
Connecticut Sun rookie Aneesah Morrow officially signed with AU Pro Basketball this week, joining WNBA veteran teammate Tina Charles, Las Vegas Aces standout and 2023 AU champion NaLyssa Smith, as well as fellow pro first-years in guards Kaitlyn Chen (Golden State Valkyries) and Te-Hina PaoPao (Atlanta Dream) on the AU court.
The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season also boasts several returning stars among its 40-player league roster, including Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse, Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark, Seattle Storm guard Lexie Brown, and New York Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison.
Tipping off its fifth season in February 2026, the month-long Nashville-based competition features rotating teams and individual leaderboards, offering an alternative to both overseas play and Unrivaled's 3×3 team format.
"It's player-driven," Charles said in her own AU Basketball signing announcement earlier this month. "I think that's really neat, you know, something that I've never been a part of, nor have I seen on men's or women's side."
How to watch the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Basketball season
The upcoming 2026 season of AU Pro Basketball runs from February 5th through March 2nd, with all 24 games airing live across several different broadcasters.
With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming later this month, teams across the league aren't waiting for the August 7th deadline to pull the trigger on trades and waivers, significantly shaking up league rosters.
On Monday, Dallas abruptly traded forward NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick, surprising Smith and her Wings teammates — including girlfriend DiJonai Carrington.
"Sick to my stomach dawg, never seen this coming," Smith posted to X after the WNBA announced the trades, adding "if I could've chose anywhere to go it would've been Vegas, so hella excited [for] this new opportunity."
WNBA trades target future prospects
The recent WNBA trades both reflect the depth of options Dallas has in their frontcourt — most recently boosted by the Wings acquiring center Li Yueru from Seattle last month — and indicates the team's early play at a talented WNBA Draft class, with NCAA stars like USC's JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo going pro in 2027.
At the same time, Smith's trade extends Las Vegas's first-round draft drought, with the Aces — who last added a first-round selection in 2022 — currently without an early draft pick until 2028.
As the Las Vegas focuses on leveling up this season, hoping Smith helps boost their current seventh-place league standing, the Aces also added roster cuts to their Monday trade.
Las Vegas handed out waivers to guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year forward Elizabeth Kitley, who was selected 24th overall by the Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite tearing her ACL at the end of her NCAA career.
Golden State waives 2025 EuroBasket champ Vanloo
Making their own controversial Monday move was 2025 expansion side Golden State, as the Valkyries cut Belgian guard Julie Vanloo shortly after the 2025 EuroBasket champion rushed to return to California, skipping her national team's title-winning celebrations.
"Literally just touched down in the bay," Vanloo wrote on an Instagram story littered with broken heart emojis. "I need some time to process all of this man and put my feels into words. I can't right now."
While Golden State faces backlash for the timing of the cut, waiving Vanloo ultimately opens up a contract for the Valkyries, with rumors swirling that either guard Kaitlyn Chen or forward Laeticia Amihere will earn the roster spot after impressing as replacement players during European absences.
All in all, with WNBA roster space remaining at a premium, teams are making big swings in an effort to shore up their ranks as they push toward the 2025 season's halfway point.
With EuroBasket set to tip off on Wednesday and injuries mounting league-wide, WNBA teams are filling out dwindling rosters with more short-term contracts — and calling back some familiar faces along the way.
While some European standouts withdrew from EuroBasket consideration — including Phoenix's Satou Sabally and Seattle's Gabby Williams — others, like New York's Leonie Fiebich and Golden State's Temi Fagbenle, will join their national teams for the regional FIBA tournament through the end of June.
Due to these planned absences, WNBA teams temporarily suspend their EuroBasket players' contracts, allowing squads to add others to their rosters.
Players signed due to temporary absences are technically on rest-of-season deals, though the agreements can end whenever the missing athletes return.
In contrast, the league requires that teams release any hardship signings due to injury once squads tally enough healthy original players to satisfy the WNBA's 10-athlete roster minimum.
Featuring a lineup stacked with international talent, Golden State made the most transactions this week, temporarily suspending four regular contracts as 2025 EuroBasket stars departed for the annual competition.
To bolster their depleted bench, the Valkyries brought back 2025 WNBA Draft Cinderella pick Kaitlyn Chen and recent training camp participant Laeticia Amihere on short-term contracts, in addition to guard Aerial Powers and forward Chloe Bibby.
Elsewhere, after losing forward Maddy Siegrist to injury and temporarily suspending the contracts of centers Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, Dallas acquired center Li Yueru from Seattle — with the Wings possibly needing additional hardship signings in the coming days.
The Storm snagged two future draft picks in the Saturday deal — a second-round selection in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2027.
Ultimately, teams are striving to find a balance between stocking up and maintaining consistency, all while operating under the WNBA's roster constraints — with further league expansion fast approaching.
Big-name roster cuts dominated the WNBA headlines on Wednesday, with teams scrambling to meet the league's size and salary cap requirements before Friday's 2025 season tip-off.
The Golden State Valkyries, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, and Dallas Wings announced finalized rosters, leaving a handful of teams still weighing their options as the clock ticks down.
Expansion side Golden State caused the most Wednesday commotion, dropping 2025 WNBA Draft Cinderella story Kaitlyn Chen (UConn) and 2023 No. 8 overall draft pick Laeticia Amihere (South Carolina), among other cuts, after initially waiving this year's No. 17 overall pick Shyanne Sellers (Maryland) last week.
With this year's No. 5 overall pick Justė Jocytė (Lithuania) choosing to remain overseas for this summer's EuroBasket, the Valkyries will now make their WNBA debut without a single 2025 draftee.
The South Carolina alum scored 20 points in her preseason debut for the Valkyries and was selected 8th overall by the Dream in the 2023 Draft. pic.twitter.com/JNQVpP1twS
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) May 14, 2025
2023 WNBA Draft Class takes a hit
The hits kept coming for the 2023 WNBA Draft class, as Atlanta's No. 6 overall pick Haley Jones (Stanford) and Minnesota's No. 7 selectee Grace Berger (Indiana) joined Amihere on the league's cutting room floor on Wednesday — leaving only five 2023 first-rounders currently on WNBA rosters.
On the flip side, the Connecticut Sun dropped 30-year-old guard Diamond DeShields on Thursday morning — just three months after signing the 2021 WNBA champion.
Ultimately, rookies, mid-career players, and veterans alike are on the chopping block this week, with teams showing little mercy for fan favorites as they hone in on what promises to be a highly competitive 2025 WNBA season.
The WNBA starts a new chapter on Tuesday, as the Golden State Valkyries — the league's first expansion team since 2008 — take the court in a preseason showdown against fellow California side Los Angeles.
"It'll be our franchise's first game," Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton told the media from training camp. "I'm just excited to get to the court."
Drawing from both April's college draft and an earlier expansion draft within the league, the Valkyries' roster is still a work in progress as they attempt to form a distinct playing style under first-year head coach Natalie Nakase.
Backed by an inaugural training camp lineup that appears to prioritize international talent, the team already waived Maryland standout Shyanne Sellers after drafting the guard 17th overall last month.
Cinderella selection Kaitlyn Chen — taken No. 30 overall from 2025 national champion UConn's roster — is now Golden State's only NCAA draftee.
"It's just that I have to choose the best 12 that are going to fit. Doesn't mean it's the most talented, it means it's the best 12," Nakase said of the Saturday decision to waive Sellers.
Along with the pains of refining a 2025 roster and building team culture, the WNBA's 13th team — the league's first new addition since the Atlanta Dream joined — is also experiencing the natural growing pains of expansion.
Golden State Warriors Sports — the ownership group behind both the Valkyries and the NBA's Golden State Warriors — recently rebranded to simply "Golden State" to indicate equity among its properties.
How to watch the Golden State Valkyries in WNBA preseason
The Valkyries will make their WNBA debut in a preseason exhibition game against the LA Sparks at 10 PM ET on Tuesday.
The game will stream live on WNBA League Pass.
WNBA rookies like Paige Bueckers — the overall No. 1 pick at the 2025 Draft — touched down in Dallas on Wednesday, tipping off a new era of Wings basketball ahead of next week's team training camp.
"There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be a part of something where we can build with each other and create a new sisterhood, we're really excited," Bueckers said at the Wings' introductory press conference.
"Plus, we got these hats, the cowboy boots — we're ready to invest all of ourselves into Dallas," she added, flanked by fellow Dallas rookies Aziaha James, Madison Scott, JJ Quinerly, and Aaronette Vonleh.
2025 WNBA rookies gear up for team training camps
The coming season's training camps officially begin on Sunday, with a new generation of WNBA stars landing in their pro markets this week.
"I'm excited to be with everyone on this team," said Bueckers. "We've got some dogs. I'm excited to build that in camp, build the passion, build the excitement of a new system, a new coaching staff, a new team."
"Everybody's been so welcoming," No. 3 overall pick Sonia Citron said about her new home with the Washington Mystics this week. "And you can really tell the culture that they have here."
"I'm not new to having to learn a new system, and a new coaching staff, and new teammates," said two-time NCAA transfer Hailey Van Lith, who went 11th overall to the Chicago Sky following a breakout final college season with TCU.
"My mindset going into any team is, 'How can I help this team win?'" added Van Lith. "I'll figure that out very quick, I'm assuming."
"I'm really grateful to be part of this organization, especially with so many people that have poured so much into this," said Kaitlyn Chen, a surprise third-round pick by 2025 expansion team Golden State. "And to have this much support coming into such a tough league means a lot."
The new pros will have to get their bearings quickly, as May 16th's season tip-off — and the unavoidable roster cuts that come before it — are fast approaching.
Showing up in part to support fellow Husky and overall No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, two additional UConn stars heard their names called during Monday night’s 2025 WNBA Draft.
On the heels of teammate Bueckers's draft night endorsement, both transfer guard Kaitlyn Chen and forward Aubrey Griffin emerged from the crowd to take the stage in the third round.
Incoming expansion team Golden State snapped up former Princeton standout Chen with the overall No. 30 selection, before the Minnesota Lynx grabbed Griffin with Monday's second-to-last pick.
"Honestly, [I'm] still in a little bit of shock…. I was really just here to watch Paige get drafted and I'm so happy for her," Chen told reporters afterwards. "I didn't really have any expectations coming into the night, but to be able to experience that with my team all around me and them all jumping and screaming was pretty amazing."
Griffin, whose pro dreams dimmed after suffering an ACL tear in January 2024, returned to Storrs for the 2024/25 NCAA season. This decision that earned her a national championship and a WNBA invitation.
"I honestly didn't think I would get picked," added Griffin. "I'm just super grateful that I can be able to continue playing the game that I love. I'm just lost for words right now."
NCAA stars snag surprise WNBA Draft picks
Other late-round addition included Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers and Iowa guard Lucy Olsen. Both players earned second-round invites from the Golden State Valkyries and the Washington Mystics, respectively.
Joining Chen and Griffin is Kansas State guard Serena Sundell. The third-round pick will vie for a spot on the Seattle Storm roster. Las Vegas Aces hopeful Harmoni Turner also went in the third round. Turner became Harvard's second-ever WNBA Draft night selectee.
Alabama star Sarah Ashlee Barker claims Monday's biggest Cinderella story.
A lower-profile colege recruit, Barker's breakout 45-point NCAA tournament performance boosted her stock. The LA Sparks subsequently selected her as the draft's overall No. 9 pick.