SAN FRANCISCO — The ghost of draft night returned this weekend when the Golden State Valkyries included Marta Suarez in a wave of roster cuts — the player at the center of a trade that sentLSU star Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm shortly afterdrafting her.
The move could be procedural but is loaded with subtext.
Golden State can offer Suarez a developmental contract, but she must first clear waivers — and coach Natalie Nakase made clear the team has not decided whether to bring her back at all, leaving the final chapter of the trade still unwritten.
“We’re still evaluating and every day could be something different,” Nakase said after Sunday’s practice at Chase Center. “Because the players were all very impressive both on and off the court, we want to make sure we’re evaluating because we understand those two spots are going to be part of our team. I want to just make sure we’re doing the right thing. We’re looking at everything.”
Golden State Valkyries’ Marta Suarez (77) takes a shot against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Despite requests for interviews, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin was not made available to reporters, though she was present at Sunday’s practice.
While bringing back Suarez on a developmental contract would make the most sense to give the franchise a young player to develop for future seasons, trying to convert Suarez into that role comes with risk.
Suarez will be on the waiver wire for 48 hours, leaving her free to sign with any team. Multiple franchises around the league could look to sign Suarez for her upside and rookie-scale contract, including Seattle, Connecticut and Portland. All three teams have young rosters and the cap space to absorb a player like Suarez.
Nakase said the circumstances aren’t ideal, but the Valkyries will have to move forward with the rules already in place.
“The league made their decision on making that rule, and then we just got to make sure we make that to fit our team as best to our ability,” Nakase said. “Let’s just understand the rule and then again, connect the best 14 that we’re going for this year. So with that, we definitely don’t want to make mistakes.”
On Saturday, the Valkyries waived Suarez along with Ashlon Jackson, Mariella Fasoula, Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, Miela Sowah and Cate Reese. All were expected to be fighting for a roster spot, but expectations were high for Suarez given the draft night trade.
The Valkyries stunned the WNBA world when they swapped the rights to Johnson for Suarez earlier this month and only got a future second-round pick in return. The sides had agreed to the trade before Golden State picked Johnson, but Nyanin’s refusal to talk about the swap following the draft left more questions than answers.
Seattle Storm’s Flau’jae Johnson (4) takes a shot against Golden State Valkyries’ Cate Reese (35) at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
On paper, Suarez seemed like the better fit for Golden State’s system as a versatile post player who hit 3-pointers at a near 40% clip in college. But she did lack high-end athleticism and there were questions as to whether she would be an effective defender at the pro level.
While Suarez did have her moments in the Valkyries’ April 25 preseason game against the Storm, she finished with just five points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
Meanwhile, Johnson has shown the potential to be a true starter in Seattle’s system through the team’s first two preseason games. Against Golden State, Johnson scored 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Against the Portland Fire on Wednesday, Johnson scored 20 points in 19 minutes.
“I’m a businesswoman. In this business, things happen and you’ve got to adjust,” Johnson said of the draft night trade before Seattle’s preseason game against the Valkyries. “And I think just being able to adjust, it wasn’t much confusing.”
While the Valkyries haven’t decided who will take their developmental roster spots, Nakase said she is looking for someone to be solid in the locker room as well as on the floor.
“Connectivity off the court — I value that more than anything,” Nakase said when asked what she’s looking for in a developmental player.
Golden State Valkyries’ Marta Suarez (77) takes a shot against Seattle Storm’s Stefanie Dolson (31) in the third quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)