The Golden State Valkyries were one of the expansion teams this year. And while almost nobody had high hopes for the team, Valkyries reached the playoffs in their first go. Their performance prompted head coach Natalie Nakase to be honored as the AP Coach of the Year. And with such a big opening year, the team will be looking to get even better next year. And Kaitlyn Chen could be a pivotal figure in their long-term success.
Chen came in as a third-round draft pick. And while she did not make the initial roster, she did end up on the bench when some of the top stars left for EuroBasket. Thankfully, with her latest antics in the EuroLeague, Chen has garnered significant spotlight.
Kaitlyn Chen Makes Significant Progress In EuroLeague
It is quite a common practice for WNBA stars to travel abroad during the offseason. For Chen, it was her big moment as she signed with the defending champions, ZVVZ USK Praha. She also joined two of her WNBA teammates in the Praha roster, namely, Janelle Salaun and Makayla Timpson. Well, till now, the Valkyrie star’s performance has been quite decent. But in her recent appearance, Chen had an impressive outing.
Praha squared off against the Gdynia. And while the defending champions won, Chen finished with some phenomenal numbers. She dropped 10 points, seven rebounds, one steal, and 10 assists. She also had 5-of-7 shooting from the field. What was more impressive was the fact that the Valkyries star scored her maiden double-double in just her seventh game as a pro.
Kaitlyn Chen in Praha’s 97-51 EuroLeague win over Gdynia:
— christan (no i), ß (@ChristanWNBA) October 22, 2025
10 pts, 7 rebs, 10 asts, 1 stl
5-7 FG
First double-double in Euro play. Full breakdown coming soon https://t.co/pMFT0qLLeJ
Certainly, such a performance would significantly boost her confidence. After all, getting to rub shoulders with some of the best basketball talents, rookies like Chen will get to learn a lot. Likewise, her WNBA and Praha teammate, Makayla Timpson, recently shared her goal in the EuroLeague.
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Kaitlyn Chen’s Teammate Makayla Timpson Shares Big Goals For EuroLeague
For most of the WNBA players, the offseason is not just a break. It is also an opportunity to upgrade themselves for the next season. Similarly, Timpson had been on a learning curve with the Indiana Fever this year. Thankfully, the Fever rookie has found herself one of the biggest teams to don the jersey for. And naturally, she looked pretty much excited for the same.
“I’m expecting to see my competition unfold. To play in the best league in Europe and just go out and dominate on the court,” said Timpson.
Certainly, with all the young WNBA players entering the EuroLeague, the experience they are gaining is invaluable. Now, it will be interesting to see how well they can implement it into their game in the coming season.