{"id":305279,"date":"2026-05-08T02:18:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T02:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/305279\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T02:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T02:18:24","slug":"valkyries-waive-kate-martin-search-for-replacement-for-iliana-rupert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/305279\/","title":{"rendered":"Valkyries waive Kate Martin, search for replacement for Iliana Rupert"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEATTLE\u00a0\u2014 The Golden State Valkyries<\/a>\u2019 initial 12-player roster came with a handful of surprises ahead of their season-opening tipoff against the Seattle Storm on Friday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guard Kate Martin<\/a>, injured with a Grade 2 quad strain for a majority of training camp, was waived. Additionally, center Iliana Rupert<\/a> is pregnant, which means the Valkyries filed for a replacement contract to fill Rupert\u2019s spot.<\/p>\n

Rupert has full trade protection and is guaranteed the entirety of her contract, with the Valkyries getting salary cap flexibility for that roster spot in return. The request is awaiting league approval.<\/p>\n

The pregnancy announcement leaves 10-year veteran Kiah Stokes as the only center on the roster. The Valkyries could add another center once the league approves the replacement contract, or bring back Martin, who played 42 games for Golden State last year. Teams have 48 hours to add Martin to their roster.<\/p>\n

The moves also paved the way for Kaitlyn Chen<\/a>, in her second year with Golden State, to crack the roster as a backup point guard to starter Veronica Burton.<\/p>\n

Big free-agent addition Gabby Williams<\/a> along with veteran Tiffany Hayes<\/a>, 2025 first-rounder Just\u0117 Jocyt\u0117<\/a> and Kaila Charles round out the backcourt portion of the roster. Guard Miela Sowah remains in one of the two developmental roster spots, so one of those is still open.<\/p>\n

Player\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Pos.\u00a0 \u00a0 Ht\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Exp\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 DOB\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0School\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Country<\/p>\n

Gabby Williams\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0F\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 5-11\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 7\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9\/9\/1996\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Connecticut\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0France\/U.S.<\/p>\n

Laeticia Amihere\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0F\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06-3\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a07\/10\/2001\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 South Carolina\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Canada<\/p>\n

Veronica Burton\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05-9\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a07\/12\/2000\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Northwestern\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0U.S.<\/p>\n

Kaila Charles\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\/F\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 6-1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03\/23\/1998\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Maryland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0U.S.<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Chen\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 5-9\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 2\/22\/2002\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Connecticut\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 U.S.<\/p>\n

Tiffany Hayes\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05-10\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a013\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9\/20\/1989\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Connecticut\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0U.S.<\/p>\n

Just\u0117 Jocyt\u0117\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0G\/F\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06-0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0R\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 11\/19\/2005\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 —\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Lithuania\/U.S.<\/p>\n

Iliana Rupert\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0C\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06-4\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 3\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a07\/12\/2001\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tango (France)\u00a0 \u00a0 France<\/p>\n

Janelle Sala\u00fcn\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a06-2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a01\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a09\/5\/2001\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 —\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0France<\/p>\n

Miela Sowah*\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a05-10\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0R\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 6\/4\/2000\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Duke\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Australia<\/p>\n

Kiah Stokes\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a06-3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a010\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 3\/30\/1993\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Connecticut\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0U.S.<\/p>\n

Kayla Thornton\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 F\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a06-1\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010\/20\/1992\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0UTEP\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0U.S.<\/p>\n

Cecilia Zandalasini\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a06-2\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a04\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a03\/16\/1996\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 PF Schio (Italy)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Italy<\/p>\n

Nakase\u00a0to help coach Team USA:\u00a0Team USA announced that Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase<\/a> will serve as an assistant coach to Kara Lawson, Duke\u2019s head coach, for the 2026 FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup set for September in Berlin. Alongside Nakase are fellow WNBA coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury) and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SEATTLE\u00a0\u2014 The Golden State Valkyries\u2019 initial 12-player roster came with a handful of surprises ahead of their season-opening…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":305280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[113987,124739,101,103,102,104,106,105,127,124738,8859],"class_list":["post-305279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-iliana-rupert","tag-kate-martin","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news","tag-sports","tag-valkyries","tag-womens-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305279\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}