SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Golden State Valkyries did not target making an international roster in Friday’s WNBA expansion draft as the league’s 13th franchise continues to take shape. At the start of the draft, head coach Natalie Nakase and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the non-negotiable traits they emphasized were “competitiveness, high character and a never-satisfy mindset.”

But at the end of the draft, Nakase and Nyanin were impressed by their squad’s initial international exposure. Seven of the 11 players the Valkyries selected Friday are from outside the United States.

“The international part… that wasn’t my mindset,” Nakase said. “It was about building the best team I wanted to build.”

Friday’s selection included Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain), Stephanie Talbot (Australia), Julie Vanloo (Belgium), Maria Conde (Spain), Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy) and Iliana Rupert and Carla Leite, both from France.

Nakase said she was particularly excited about Fagbenle’s availability. In 2024, the veteran Indiana Fever forward immediately built a relationship with No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark and made the starting lineup just seven games into the season. Fagbenle’s defensive presence was a major factor in the fever. But she only played 22 games after suffering three injuries.

Golden State also acquired players who made names for themselves in the WNBA, including Kate Martin and Kayla Thornton.

Martin, drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in 2024, will be reunited with Nakase, who served as an assistant coach on Becky Hammon’s team. Entering her rookie season, Martin played an important role as the Aces battled numerous injuries. In her first ten games, she averaged 19.3 minutes and made 37% of her shots from 3-point range.

But as the Aces regained their health, Martin’s responsibilities shrank. It gives the Valkyries a young player with a high ceiling.

Thornton, an eight-year veteran, helped the New York Liberty win their first WNBA title last season. She played in 11 playoff games and averaged 12.5 minutes, the second most among New York reserves. She is one of four Valkyries draftees to win a WNBA championship.

“Championship experience is crucial,” Nakase said. “You were there for those big moments. You’re in the playoffs in these big locker room meetings and these drills that go down to the last detail. So yeah, that was a big part of bringing this team together. We have a goal and we want to get there with the right players, but at the same time with the right minds.”

The picks were announced in three groups of four in alphabetical order by team name:

Atlanta Dream: Iliana Rupert, C

Chicago Sky: Maria Conde, F

Connecticut Sun: Veronica Burton, G

Dallas Wings: Carla Leite, PG

Indiana Fever: Temi Fagbenle, C

Las Vegas Aces: Kate Martin, G

Los Angeles Sparks: Stephanie Talbot, F

Minnesota Lynx: Cecilia Zandalasini, F

New York Liberty: Kayla Thornton, F

Phoenix Mercury: Monique Billings, F

Washington Mystics: Julie Vanloo, G

“Our goal was to assemble a squad that embodied both versatility and depth, bringing a strong mix of leadership, defense and scoring ability,” Nyanin said. “These players were carefully selected not only for their abilities on the court, but also for their ability to fit into the culture we are working to build here at Golden State.”

Billings was the only unrestricted free agent the Valkyries acquired, but Nyanin did not commit to giving her the core designation. Billings is currently playing in China and is the only player Nyanin had no contact with on draft day.

Golden State chose not to select a player from the Seattle Storm. Nyanin said she didn’t think any of the Storm’s available players would make the impact expected by the Valkyries.

In a somewhat surprising move, the Valkyries opted not to make any trades on draft day, even though the organization said it held multiple meetings with teams across the league. Nyanin said she wanted to recruit players she could envision as part of the future franchise, not as an asset for a trade pick.

Only three of Golden State’s selected players are currently under contract for 2025, leaving Golden State with $1.2 million in cap space left, the league’s second-highest total behind the Connecticut Sun, according to HerHoopStats.

It gives the Valkyries plenty of flexibility to operate in free agency, which begins in January.

“We want to be competitive from day one … so we’re going to do our best,” Nyanin said in reference to how aggressive the team plans to be in free agency. “We want to make sure they know we want them. Hopefully when we call they’ll say, ‘Yes, 100 percent’ and come.”

Friday marked the WNBA’s first expansion draft since the Dream joined the league in 2008. All twelve of the WNBA’s other teams were able to protect up to six players – including those who finished the season on their roster and anyone else the team holds rights to. Those six players were exempt from the expansion draft, as were the unrestricted free agents who had already played a maximum of two years on contracts signed with the core designation.

The league has not released the list of protected players.

The Valkyries could only select one player from each team and only one unrestricted free agent, who could then be named a core player by the Valkyries. WNBA teams are allowed to have 12 players on a roster, and the Valkyries will continue to add to their roster in free agency and the WNBA Draft on April 14, when they have the Nos. 5, 17 and 29 picks.

Before the 2026 season, the WNBA will hold additional expansion drafts for Portland and Toronto, the league’s 14th and 15th ranked teams. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she expects the league to grow to 16 teams by 2028.

Last month, Rock Entertainment Group, also affiliated with the NBA’s Cavaliers, announced it would apply to send a WNBA expansion team to Cleveland. Philadelphia, Denver and South Florida, among others, are said to be exploring expansion offers.

The Valkyries will play in the WNBA next summer and host the Sparks on Opening Day, May 16.