The Golden State Valkyries made their first major roster statement of the offseason, waiving guard Kate Martin and signing dynamic forward Gabby Williams, a move that rippled across the WNBA and drew a sharp response from South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
Martin, who was part of the Valkyries’ initial roster after the expansion draft, landed quickly, securing a development spot with the Los Angeles Sparks. The transaction, first reported by multiple outlets, removed one of the most recognizable young players from the Bay Area’s new franchise. Williams, a former UConn standout and French national team star, brings instant credibility and local flavor—she spent part of her youth playing at the Mission Recreation Center, a hub of San Francisco’s grassroots hoops culture.
Staley, never one to ignore what she sees as unfair treatment of her former players, took to social media to chide a reporter over a post about the Valkyries’ decision to let Martin go. While the content of the post and Staley’s exact words were not detailed in initial headlines, the exchange highlighted the emotional weight of roster construction during an era of rapid expansion and shifting player pipelines.
The addition of Williams gives the Valkyries a defensive playmaker who can handle the ball and guard multiple positions. She last appeared in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm and has also played for the Chicago Sky. Her connection to the Bay Area makes her a natural ambassador for a franchise that’s leaning heavily into community ties as it prepares for its inaugural season.
For Martin, the development deal with the Sparks represents a chance to reset and carve out a role in Los Angeles. She showed flashes of a two-way game during her rookie campaign with the Las Vegas Aces and arrives at a Sparks team that is rebuilding under new leadership.
The Valkyries’ moves arrive during a historic investment surge in women’s sports across the Bay Area, with ownership groups and civic leaders making what many are calling a $1 billion bet on the region’s appetite for top-flight women’s basketball. The franchise is expected to be a centerpiece of that push.
Online, the transactions ignited search interest, with terms like ‘valkyries’ and ‘gabby williams’ spiking across social media as fans and analysts weighed the short- and long-term implications for a team that intends to compete from day one.