The Golden State Valkyries waived Kate Martin on May 7 as the team finalized its roster ahead of the 2026 WNBA season. Martin, one of the first players Golden State selected in its 2024 expansion draft, is out after a preseason battle with a right quad strain.
The move ends a short but uneven run for Martin in Golden State, where her first season was inconsistent production-wise even as she remained a fan favorite. She had eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes against the Seattle Storm on April 25, one of the stronger showings in a preseason window that still left the Valkyries deciding between players fighting for two roster spots.
Golden State kept Kaitlin Chen and Laeticia Amihere instead, a call that drew scrutiny after a reporter posted analysis saying both players made the cut over Martin when the roster was revealed. Dawn Staley then wrote on X that it was “not cool” to use other players’ names, specifically Amihere, in a personal preface and said she hoped coverage of the Valkyries would be unbiased going forward.
Coach Natalie Nakase said Chen earned her place by diving into offseason work, playing overseas and stateside with Athletes Unlimited, then training in the Bay Area before the season began. The team also needed more post depth with center Iliana Rupert out indefinitely because of pregnancy, a roster wrinkle that helped shape the final decisions. For Golden State, the choice fits a broader pattern of hard trimming as it closes in on a second season in which every spot has to count, a reality that also hangs over the Flau'jae Johnson trade still echoes as Valkyries trim roster to 13 and Veronica Burton to lead Valkyries into second WNBA season after breakout.
