The Golden State Valkyries opened their 2025 season the way they expect to keep playing: with a roster built around veteran experience, overseas development and very little concern for the traditional draft path. But in their season opener against the Seattle Storm, Janelle Salaün made sure the focus did not stay on the usual starters for long.
Salaün led the Valkyries in scoring and field goal attempts in the game, a sharp reminder that the team’s most productive young players may not always be the ones who begin the night on the floor. The opener featured a starting lineup of Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Gabby Williams, Kayla Thornton and Kiah Stokes, with Burton, 25, and Williams the only players in their 20s.
That is part of the Valkyries’ identity. They have made clear they value contributors who spent years playing professionally overseas before becoming draft eligible, and they do not place the same emphasis on traditional draft picks as most other WNBA teams. Salaün, Juste Jocyte and Iliana Rupert fit that mold, giving the expansion-style roster a different look from teams built around college pipeline prospects.
After the game, Natalie Nakase said she had a selfless team and that players did not care too much about starting. The words fit what the lineup suggested: roles matter less than production, and the first five are not the only players who can shape the night. Salaün’s opening performance also reinforced why she is seen as the most promising young player on the roster until Jocyte gets a chance to play in the WNBA.
The tension for Golden State is simple. A roster leaning this heavily on veteran talent can look stable on paper, but it still needs young players to seize moments when they arrive. Salaün did that in one game. If she keeps doing it, the Valkyries’ unusual roster-building philosophy will look less like a theory and more like the way this team intends to win.
