The Golden State Valkyries’ entry in the WNBA had been imposing, with Natali Nakase leading the side to the playoffs. Nakase won the coach of the year award for her output, while Veronica Burton won the most improved player of the year accolade for her consistency. Another key member of the franchise was veteran forward Kayla Thornton.
The German-born star earned her first All-Star call following an impressive season under Nakase, but enters the market as a free agent and could be a very enticing prospect for many franchises.
Golden State Valkyries Could Lose Kayla Thornton
The 2026 WNBA season will be one of the most unique offseasons in recent history. The league will be ready to welcome many talented young stars via the draft and many veteran stars in free agency. At the same time, many franchises are looking to strengthen their rosters and keep hold of their superstars.
For the Bay Area franchise, its veteran star power put it in the playoff contention and deserved an eighth-place finish. While the front office went all in for the top players available, they signed a few vets on one-year contracts, making them unrestricted free agents for the 2026 season.
The Golden State Valkyries in 2025:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 18, 2025
— First expansion team to make playoffs
— Most wins by an expansion team
— All-Star Kayla Thornton
— MIP Veronica Burton
— COY Natalie Nakase
What an inaugural season. pic.twitter.com/ENAGj7wd2C
Kayla Thornton, Tyffany Hayes, Monique Billings, and Temi Fagbenle are a few of the top names entering the 2026 season as unrestricted free agents. Out of these stars, Thornton was the top performer for the side until she got injured late in July.
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Even though the team sustained the forward injury, it provided them a blueprint to cope without their highest-paid player, which hints at a possible departure of the 6-foot-1 forward.
Golden State Valkyries Might Be Without Kate Martin In 2026 Season
With the 32-year-old forward, the side could also lose Kate Martin. As per the expansion draft rules, a franchise can designate six players as “protected players” that will be unavailable for selection by the new teams.
While the player did some clutch plays down the line, she was mainly the player off the bench, who the side would be ok to let go instead of any starter or from the forward lineup. Martin faced a similar situation in the 2025 off-season, where her impact was good enough for the expansion team but not for the established team.
At the moment, Kate Martin is happy after re-signing with the Unrivaled for Season 2, but the star might have to look into her 2026 season.