SAN FRANCISCO – The 2026 WNBA Champion Golden State Valkyries know better than anyone that what they had as a team this year was special. But they also know that, given how the league functions, it's very unlikely the Valkyries will be able to bring the band back together exactly as it was for next season.
“I've just been focusing on my family, my friends, my loved ones, soaking in the moment with them, my teammates, yesterday having everyone at the house again, because unfortunately, we'll never have exactly this group ever again,” Gabby Williams said, as the Golden State star – who herself doesn't have to worry about leaving the Bay – alluded to the elephant in the room that is WNBA free agency.
With Kayla Thornton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Tiffany Hayes, Kaitlyn Chen, and Laeticia Amihere set to hit free agency, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and the Valkyries front office have $3.64 million in cap space to work with, the seventh most in the league, and currently have seven players under contract for 2027.
However, Golden State will have to make tough decisions about who to bring back next season for the title defense, weighing factors like money, interest in other free agents, interest from other teams, and players' personal career goals.
“Yeah, no, I haven't even thought about that,” Thornton said when asked if she's put any thought into her impending free agency and wanting to return to Golden State. “Right now, I'm just soaking in each day and soaking in with my girls and just take me day by day.”
“Same,” Zandalasini said, sitting next to Thornton at the podium. “I think we all wanna repeat ourselves, so we will see what is happening in the offseason. But I think, for me especially, I love this place. I love the team. I find myself being comfortable being here, so that's a very big thing for me.”
Thornton and Zandalasini have been key contributors since the Valkyries selected each in the expansion draft two years ago, and both players hold historical significance to the young franchise.
Thornton scored the Valkyries' first official points in the expansion team's June 8, 2025 debut a year ago, becoming the franchise's first All-Star last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. She returned this season and played in all 57 games for Golden State this year, regular season and playoffs.
As for Zandalasini, head coach Natalie Nakase has likened her to “Michael Jordan” on occasions, and though the Italian forward isn't on quite that level, it speaks to the love and admiration the Valkyries have for her, starting a majority of games in her time in Golden State and remaining a key part of the rotation in the postseason. Zandalasini will be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning Golden State can match any contract offer a team throws her way, a useful tool in retaining her unless a team throws in specific poison pills or goes above what they are willing to spend.
Is Tiffany Hayes retiring?
As for veteran Hayes, who has stepped away from the game in the past, the 37-year-old guard said she doesn't plan to retire.
“Right now, no,” Hayes said. “I mean, that's always a game-time decision. So when it comes up, it comes up. I'll still be here.”
Hayes also said she'd like to return to Golden State next season, but made it clear it is not just up to her.
“I would love to,” Hayes said when asked if she would like to return to the Valkyries. “But it's not just me.”
Hayes signed her one-year, $600,000 contract with Golden State on April 18, a day before this season's training camp, which could indicate how negotiations might progress this upcoming offseason. However, like Thornton and Zandalasini, Hayes is a historic and beloved member of the Valkyries. Before leaving the Las Vegas Aces to join Golden State in their inaugural 2025 season, Nakase asked Hayes to take a “leap of faith” with her in joining an expansion team with only goals and dreams to build on.
That leap of faith was rewarded this season, as Hayes was instrumental in the Valkyries' championship run. She averaged the second-most points on the team behind Gabby Williams, collecting 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 13 games in the 2026 playoffs, serving as their spark plug off the bench before Nakase inserted her and Kaila Charles into the starting lineup in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, a critical adjustment that helped them tie the series.
As for Hayes' offseason plans, she will focus on getting healthy after a grueling playoff run, saying she wants to meditate more and disconnect from her phone and social media. Hayes will be playing in Unrivaled's second season and plans to travel outside the country, with Saint Martin and Japan among her current destinations.
Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen's contract situations
Like Zandalasini, Amihere is also a restricted free agent this offseason, which lets Golden State bring her back if they want. However, given how Amihere's minutes waxed and waned this season, both sides may consider the possibility of a clean break, as her pathway to getting real playing time next year is muddied by center Iliana Rupert returning after missing this season with a pregnancy exception, as well as her being positionally a tweener between being a four and a five.
Amihere wasn't asked specifically about her view on her free agency, but was asked how she managed her inconsistent playing time this season, especially given that she played well when she was on the floor.
“I just want to win. I want to do whatever the team needs for me,” Amihere said. “It's a blessing to play basketball. It's a blessing to be in the WNBA. So every single time that I had the opportunity to go out there, I don't take it for granted. So I think it's pretty easy to do that. I'm filled with people that I genuinely love and want to see achieve good things. So I know when I'm out there, they feel the same.”
From that lens, Amihere's close ties with the team are encouraging as she considers returning next season.
Article Continues BelowChen, on the other hand, seems entrenched in Golden State's plans next season. Beyond just the fact that she became Veronica Burton's de facto backup point guard, displayed a big leap in her offensive abilities, and earned the trust of Nakase as a lead ballhandler, Chen is a reserved free agent this season, meaning she can only negotiate a contract with the Valkyries unless they renounce their rights. This prevents her from leaving if she desires to and caps her negotiating power. Something would have to suddenly turn sour this offseason for Chen to not be back in a violet uniform next season.
Should the Valkyries run it back or retool?
Regardless, what's key to the prospects of each of the Valkyries' free agents returning is Golden State's overall team-building philosophy. The Valkyries value continuity, chemistry, depth, and character, which is why they re-signed all of these players last offseason. The only difference between last offseason and this offseason is that they won a championship, proving their formula can win at the highest level.
That being said, owner Joe Lacob has a history of going big-fish hunting on the Golden State Warriors side of things. And before the Valkyries won the title, there were rumblings in league circles that Lacob had the desire to add a star free agent in the offseason, with impending free agent Napheesa Collier's name being prominently floated around, especially given that they are being pretty clean on their books.
However, it's unclear if that desire has changed now that the Valkyries won with this group of players, which gives them a very reasonable reason to run it back with the same team instead of going the alternate route of retooling with high-cost free agents. If it ain't broke, and it is far from broke, why fix it? As Nakase said at the trade deadline this season, “If you have a great culture, don't f**k with it.”
Whatever the Valkyries decide to do, they are taking their last few days soaking up every last minute with each other before they embark into the offseason and head their separate ways. They know better than anybody that their time together was a special, rare thing few get to experience in the WNBA.
It's not over yet, though. The Valkyries still have a parade to conquer.
“It's gonna be sad,” Thornton said when asked about the Valkyries season being over. “Besides winning the championship, this team, the relationship that we built with these amazing, beautiful women has been a lot. So that's definitely gonna be hard when we all have to leave. But the parade (on) Wednesday, I'm excited. That parade is not only for us, but it's gonna be for our fans. So I'm excited to see them and how they can come out and show us support.”