The Golden State Valkyries had a rough start to the season, even without a single dribble in the regular season games. The franchise came under fire for the Flau’Jae Johnson trade, where the GM refused to give the reason for the decision.
Later, the Kate Martin waiver became a point of discussion among fans, as the player showed her discontent by deleting the Valkyries’ name from her social media profile. Now the franchise had to make a quick decision following the pregnancy confirmation from Center Iliana Rupert.
Iliana Rupert To Miss Entire 2026 Season For Golden State Valkyries Following Pregnancy
The Valkyries announced that center Iliana Rupert is pregnant and will miss the entire 2026 WNBA season. The new CBA terms protect the player and the franchise, allowing the team to file for a replacement contract.
Under the current WNBA roster and player benefit guidelines, Rupert will receive her full salary during her absence and cannot be traded without her consent. This medical exception allows the expansion franchise to sign an additional player to fill its roster spot without violating salary cap limits.
Valkyries file for replacement contract for Iliana Rupert due to pregnancy.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) May 7, 2026
Team is awaiting league approval.
To finalize their mandatory 12-player roster alongside this filing. Although the team had the option to keep or release Kate Martin, per league rules, Martin cannot serve as the replacement player for Rupert’s vacated roster spot.
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With Rupert sidelined for the year, the Valkyries will rely heavily on ten-year veteran Kiah Stokes and Laeticia Amihere to manage their frontcourt rotation during their inaugural season. As a backup, the team recalled one of its rookies on a replacement contract.
Golden State Valkyries Sign Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda To Replacement Contract
While coach Natalie Nakase targets a championship in the 2026 season, the team has undergone multiple changes and needs to focus on the goal. As per the latest update, the Valkyries acted fast and recalled their training camp member guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to a replacement contract.
As per the confirmation, the player will join the team immediately. The 2026 rookie was one of the players on a training camp contract after going undrafted in 2026.
The Golden State Valkyries have signed guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to a replacement contract. pic.twitter.com/l4l935r4zR
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 8, 2026
The 6-foot-2 guard played her final season with Vanderbilt, where she averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 47.2 percent from the field during the 2025-26 season. The star developed into an elite playmaker and scored during her three seasons with the Texas program. Mwenentanda guided the Longhorns to the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, opening March Madness with consecutive double-digit scoring performances.