The champagne from the San Francisco parade on November 4th is barely dry, but for the newly crowned Golden State Valkyries, “offseason” is apparently just a suggestion. Most of the team is already back on the grind, skipping downtime to hit the court again. Top WNBA players often compete year-round, sometimes even making more money playing overseas, and this squad is proving that grind hardly ever stops. Good news for us fans, though, right? We’re itching to see our champions back on the floor, and it’s happening way sooner than later.
Stateside Showdowns: Unrivaled Pulls in the Champs
Five Valkyries players are staying right here in the US for Unrivaled, the three-on-three women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. And get this: Collier is even rumored to be a free agent target for Golden State. It’s awesome to see top players staying stateside. Gabby Williams is scheduled to play for the Laces, and she’s bringing her partner Marine Johannes with her. Kaitlyn Chen is linking up with her former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers on the Breeze. Then we’ve got Veronica Burton for the Mist, Tiffany Hayes for the Phantom, and Kayla Thornton for the Rose. Kaila Charles is also slated for Unrivaled, though she’s in the “player pool” ready to fill in for any injuries. The league plays on a touring schedule across the country, and we won’t have to wait long to see some action; two games are set for Chase Center on January 11th.
From China to Turkey: The International Hustle
Then there’s the international crew, showing just how global this grind is for top WNBA talent. Rookie Juste Jocyte is already signed up for Project B, an international basketball league startup kicking off in China in January. They’re scheduled to play their games in cities around the world like Tokyo and Valencia, Spain. Talk about a world tour! Janelle Salaun, our reigning Sixth Player of the Year and the most prominent player to actually miss the San Francisco parade, is heading to Turkey to play for Galatasaray. That’s dedication, right? Missing the celebration for the work. Cecilia Zandalasini is off to her home country, Italy, competing for Schio. Aminata Gueye signed a deal back in June to play for Czech team ZVVZ USK Praha. Even our development players are globetrotting: Ashten Prechtel is currently hooping in Japan for Eneos Sunflowers, which also caused her to miss the parade, and Miela Sowah is scheduled for Australia with the Townsville Fire.
Three Valkyries Still Undecided
But not everyone’s offseason plans are locked in. Laeticia Amihere, Kiah Stokes, and Iliana Rupert are still the unknowns as of Thursday afternoon. Rupert actually missed this past season because of her pregnancy. She last played for Fenerbahce in Turkey, where she even won EuroLeague Women last year. Amihere last played abroad in 2025 with Uni Girona CB. Kiah Stokes’ last international stint was also with Fenerbahce, but that was back in 2024. She played in the Athletes Unlimited league last offseason and hasn’t publicly indicated where or if she will play this offseason. What’s she gonna do?
So yeah, “offseason” is a loose term for these champions. They’re scattered across the globe, bringing their A-game to courts worldwide. For us fans, it just means more basketball sooner. Get ready for those Unrivaled games at Chase Center in January, and keep an eye on Project B’s global schedule. These champs aren’t resting, and neither should we!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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