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What are the WNBA expansion teams? Valkyries Coach, Draft and more

Posted on by Vanessa
What are the WNBA expansion teams? Valkyries Coach, Draft and more

The WNBA Finals begin today, with the New York Liberty taking on the Minnesota Lynx in the fight for the 2024 title. But this afternoon, the WNBA announced potentially even bigger news: The league's newest team, the Golden State Valkyries, have found their head coach in Natalie Nakase.

Nakase previously served as the first assistant coach for three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, who won the championship in 2022 and 2023. She is the first Asian American coach to win a title and will be the first Asian American head coach in the WNBA. She played in college for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins and previously worked for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers for ten seasons.

““Being named head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true,” Nakase said in a statement. “I am grateful to Joe Lacob, Ohemaa Nyanin and the Golden State front office for entrusting me with this responsibility. We strive to build a winning culture of courage, hard work and competitiveness. We will strive to improve, compete and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization.”

But the Valkyries aren't the only team heading to the WNBA. Here's what you should know about the three expansion teams – and what the draft players will look like.

The Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries will be the WNBA's 13th team and will play their first game in May 2025. The team was announced last October and has already passed 17,000 season ticket deposits first women's team in sports history. They will play at the Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors.

The team, led by President Jess Smith, has already announced a number of partnerships, including with Chase and Kaiser Permanente.

“I think part of what's beautiful and powerful about it is that it's the vision of doing it together for the first time,” Smith said The athlete in October. “There are legacy brands and great partnerships. But there is also a power in being there from the beginning and from day one that no one can ever take away from us. Like this inaugural jersey that will mean something to this region and beyond.”

The team will have the opportunity to select players when the league conducts the Golden State Expansion Draft on Friday, December 6th. Golden State will have the option to acquire the player contract or negotiating rights for one available player from each of currently 12 teams, according to the WNBA; Certain players will be “protected players,” meaning they will not be available for selection in the expansion draft.

Toronto

San Francisco isn't the only city getting a WNBA team – the league is also going international, with a team coming to Toronto in 2026. It will be the WNBA's 14th team, they announced in May. The company is owned and operated by Kilmer Sports Ventures, which invests in the NBA's Toronto Raptors, the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS's Toronto FC and other professional sports franchises and their chairman Larry Tanenbaum.

“Bringing a WNBA team to Toronto represents an important milestone for our league as we continue to expand both domestically and outside the United States,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “Given Larry Tanenbaum's outstanding track record of leading successful sports franchises and Toronto's appeal as a dynamic, diverse city that cares about the game of basketball, we are confident that this new team will thrive and become a great resource as a premier WNBA organization “Inspire and support the community in the Toronto area and across Canada.”

The team will play its home games at the historic Coca-Cola Coliseum, where the Toronto Sceptres of the PWHL play. Additional games may be played at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Raptors and Maple Leafs.

Portland

The City of Roses will also have a new WNBA team in 2026. It will be the league's 15th team, they announced in September. Lisa Bhathal Merage, whose family has previously invested in the NBA's Sacramento Kings and as majority owner of the NWSL's Portland Thorns, will serve as majority owner and WNBA governor.

“Portland has been the global epicenter of the sports lifestyle for decades, and today we are the global epicenter of women’s sports,” Merage said in a statement. “We believe in the transformative power of women’s sports and are thrilled that the W will call Portland home. We know Portland’s vibrant and diverse communities will rally around this team.”

The Portland team will play at the Moda Center, home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. And this isn't the first time the city has had a WNBA team: Previously, the city was home to the Portland Fire, who played just three WNBA seasons from 2000 to 2002 and never advanced to the playoffs before dropping out.

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Charlotte Walsh (she/her) is deputy news editor at Women's Health, where she covers the intersection of wellness and entertainment. She previously worked as a writer at The Messenger, E! News and Netflix. In her free time, she enjoys reality TV, tennis, and films starring Nicole Kidman.

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