What's next for the Valkyries? Why Golden State could add star free agent to championship core

After winning the WNBA title in just their second season as a franchise, the Valkyries are set up for sustained success Nov 4, 2026 at 3:32 pm ET • 7 min read Even as the confetti rained down from the rafters in Ballhalla, it was hard to believe that the Golden State Valkyries had actually won the 2026 WNBA title in just their second year of existence. No team in North American professional sports had ever become champions that fast, and the Valkyries did it without a single All-WNBA player -- a first in league history. "All it took was good people. That's it," Finals MVP Gabby Williams said. "All we heard last year, 'We don't have no stars, we don't have no talent.' Yeah right. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game. They don't care about scoring. They just want to play defense and rebound and do whatever it takes. We built a beautiful culture here." 'I stayed patient': How Finals MVP Gabby Williams made history in Game 7 to fuel Valkyries to WNBA title Jack Maloney The Valkyries exceeded expectations in 2025 by becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, but even after making Williams their marquee signing in free agency last offseason, no one expected them to be title contenders. If anything, their decision to punt on the 2026 WNBA Draft by trading the No. 8 pick (Flau'jae Johnson) for two second-rounders raised significant questions about their process. And when French center Iliana Rupert was ruled out for the season due to maternity leave, their frontcourt appeared extremely thin. And sure enough, the Valkyries got off to a middling start. As the midpoint of the season approached, the Valkyries were 10-7 and just 3-6 against teams that eventually made the playoffs. Everything changed after that point, ironically with three wins over the Atlanta Dream in the span of 11 days. Those victories were part of a nine-game winning streak that catapulted the Valkyries into the top half of the standings, where they would remain the rest of the way. They went 22-5 to close the season, and nearly chased down the Minnesota Lynx for the top seed. They did so on the back of one of the best defenses we have ever seen. The Valkyries' 99.1 defensive rating was more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team, and they were second in opponent turnover rate (19.2%) and second in opponent true shooting (53.5%). Williams, who finished second to Angel Reese for Defensive Player of the Year, made the All-Defensive First Team, while Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes were All-Defensive Second Team honorees. The Valkyries' defense, combined with excellent depth and complete buy-in from everyone in the organization, helped make up for an offense that could be downright disastrous. They didn't have a single player average even 15 points per game. Their 108.2 offensive rating was seventh in the league and the second-worst among playoff teams. They were dead last in field goal percentage (42.2%) and 13th in true shooting (54%). Their inability to generate reliable offense nearly ended their season in the first round. They trailed the Dallas Wings by 16 in the second half of their winner-take-all Game 3, and had to pull off a miraculous comeback to secure the first playoff series victory in franchise history. In the semifinals, they swept the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces despite shooting 36.4% from the field, and pulled off another dramatic second-half comeback in Game 3 before winning in overtime to complete the sweep. The Finals was more of the same. They held the Dream to eight points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and pulled off another late comeback despite shooting 32.1%, the third-lowest field-goal percentage in a Finals win in league history. So it went the rest of the way. In their four Finals victories, the Valkyries scored 68, 67, 64 and 68 points, respectively. In Game 7, they trailed by nine in the second half and were stuck on 32 points late in the third before Williams took over. She scored 28 of her 30 points -- tied for the most in a winner-take-all game in Finals history -- in the second half, and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two minutes to play. "[Coach Natalie Nakase] told me to stay patient. I trust her with my life," Williams said when asked what flipped in the second half of Game 7. "I stayed patient. I trusted her. She said, 'Stay patient, stay patient. The game is going to open up for you.' And it did." "It's what we did all year," Williams added. "Just trust each other." Season at a glanceRecord: 32-12 (No. 2 seed)Offensive rating: 108.2 (7th)Defensive rating: 99.1 (1st)Net rating: Plus-9.1 (1st)Biggest strength: DefenseThe Valkyries were one of the best defensive teams ever. They had high-end defensive talent in Williams, Burton, and Stokes, and an array of big, physical, and versatile wing players they could cycle through to maintain a high level of intensity throughout each game and the entire season. They led the league in defensive rating by a wide margin, forced turnovers at a high rate and shut down the paint. Remarkably, they held opponents to just 14 restricted-area attempts per game, 61.4% shooting on those attempts, and 31.1 points in the paint per game. Those marks all led the league. Way-too-early 2027 WNBA Power Rankings: Valkyries on top; Fever, Lynx, Liberty have major offseason questions Jack Maloney Biggest weakness: ScoringOn the flip side, finding consistent offense was a major issue for the Valkyries. They launched a league-record 30.3 3-point attempts per game, and when the 3s were falling, they could really pile up some points. But when they weren't, the Valkyries didn't really have any answers. In addition to their inefficient shooting, the Valkyries were last in restricted area attempts per game (14) and 12th in free throw rate (0.271), and Williams' 14.4 points per game were the second-fewest by any team's leading scorer. Key free agentsKayla Thornton (Unrestricted)Tiffany Hayes (Unrestricted)Cecilia Zandalasini (Restricted)Kaitlyn Chen (Reserved)Biggest question: Can they sign a max free agent?Weeks after the Valkyries traded the No. 8 pick on draft night, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the deal was made to maintain salary cap flexibility. "We thought we had the opportunity to potentially sign another athlete," Nyanin said at the team's media day. "My job is to make sure we maintain an understanding of what's happening today and then what could happen in the future. So the flexibility that is needed to really be able to withstand whatever could happen in the future is something I hold near and dear to me."There were plenty of rumors, particularly surrounding Napheesa Collier, but the Valkyries did not sign another max free agent alongside Williams. Now, after winning the title anyway, they will have significant cap space this winter. The official salary cap number for 2027 remains unclear due to the new revenue-sharing model, but it should be upwards of the $7 million it was in 2026. The Valkyries only have $3.2 million in guaranteed money on the books for 2027.Nyanin could very easily sign a max free agent and still have enough flexibility to fill out the rest of the roster. And there are a number of big names on the market this year, including Collier, Jackie Young, Kelsey Mitchell and Kelsey Plum. WNBA free agency rankings: 10 best players available, from Napheesa Collier to Sophie Cunningham Jack Maloney Collier would be the most natural fit. She's one of the most efficient scorers in the league and would provide a major boost to the Valkyries' offense without harming their defensive structure. In fact, the former Defensive Player of the Year could make the Valkyries even better on that side of the ball. Young isn't on Collier's level as a defender, but she's not a negative on that end either, and would give the Valkyries an elite offensive talent. Mitchell and Plum are arguably even better than Young on the offensive end, but are such poor defenders that the Valkyries may not be interested, no matter how much they could fix their scoring woes. The Valkyries' commitment to doing things their way has to be commended, but achieving consistent playoff success in the years to come will be difficult without more help in the scoring department. This offseason represents a unique opportunity to add a star without sacrificing any members of their core, and Nyanin's comments prior to the season showed that they are interested in acquiring a big name. But can they? The past six months have been an advertisement for the Valkyries' culture, their rabid fan base, and the organization's commitment to excellence. In a vacuum, any player would want to be a part of this group. But in that regard, could winning the title backfire? Some players, especially stars, may not want to join the reigning champs for fear of being seen as front-runners, but it's too early to say how free agents will react. If Nyanin can convince a star to come to the Bay Area, that would be bad news for the rest of the league.WNBA Draft outlookThe Valkyries have all of their own picks (Nos. 14, 29 and 44) in the 2027 WNBA Draft, but their first-round selection at No. 14 is the only one that really matters -- certainly for 2027. Of course, that's if the Valkyries even want to make a pick. They essentially punted on the draft last season when they traded the No. 8 pick (Flau'jae Johnson) for two second-round picks. If they want to keep the pick, a draft-and-stash option like French forward Aïnhoa Risacher could be an option. She's an unselfish, defense-minded player and wouldn't disrupt the team's current operations. Plus, they already have three French players on the roster.