Golden State Valkyries staffers pump up the crowd before a preseason game between the Seattle Storm and the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco on April 25, 2026. 

The Golden State Valkyries should be contenders in their second WNBA season and just reached the WNBA’s first $1 billion franchise valuation, according to a CNBC report on Monday. But before they can tip the new season off on Friday, they’ll have to address yet another controversial roster decision.

Over the weekend, the Valkyries waived six players to trim their training camp roster down to 13, one number more than the WNBA final roster size. Of the players let go, none was more noteworthy than forward Marta Suárez — for reasons that mostly had nothing to do with her basketball skills.

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Three weeks ago at the WNBA Draft, the Valkyries shocked the league when they traded their No. 8 pick, whom they used to take college star Flau’jae Johnson, to the Seattle Storm. In the deal, the Valkyries got Suárez, who was taken with the No. 16 overall pick at the start of the second round, and a 2028 second-round pick. The move stunned the New York City audience, media members and Valkyries fans, and it left everyone searching........

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