If Marine Johannes is available, you take Marine Johannes. The Valkyrie are gonna be bad and that’s what they should be (2027 Draft is coming) but they at least need to be a fun watch to keep their new fan base interested.
If Marine Johannes is available, you take Marine Johannes. The Valkyrie are gonna be bad and that’s they need to be (2027 Draft is coming) but they at least need to be a fun watch to keep their new fan base interested.
@@robmonroe9113I agree 100% either take the exciting player or go with youth/upside. Grabbing older players for 2nd round trade bait over players who were either drafted in the first round or would have been, if not for injury, is backwards thinking imo.
veronica, awak, dorka and mikiah are four players that are on my radar for players i want on my favorite teams or just feel like people should keep an eye on
with carelotn’s breakout and ceci showing potential, I think Cheryl prioritizes win now with Napheesa hitting her prime and protects Ceci over Diamond to get her a fresh start
I think I’d rather take a flyer on Berger and Kitley over Kristy Wallace and Stokes. If you know you’re gonna be bad, it’s better to have younger players with upside than peaked veterans. Same reason why indiana should have kept Engstler over Wallace or Vivans last season. Trades just don’t happen enough in the W to justify taking safe value picks.
As a Fever fan from Indiana, I'd rather keep Berger and possibly let Temi go to the draft. I'd like to just use Smith as a piece to trade up in the draft to try and get the young tall French teen to replace Temi if not able to keep her. They can possibly get a FA to fill the void for another season until she comes over. From a Valkyrie point of view, I'd go for Kitley from Vegas and Katie Holmes from Seattle. Both were out this season recovering from surgery. Both are low post scorers with good post game. Holmes is thicker with the best footwork coming out of college, above Cardoso if she was taller (only 6'3-4) and was an all American multiple years. Kitley is slimmer like a volleyball player and was good too. Kitley is taller with long arms and could be used more for defense rotation help. A poor man's Brink, but not bad. If the Fever doesn't protect Berger, the Valkyrie will surely take her. She's way better and younger than Wallace. They could pair her with Holmes from IU and Kitley VT. Who knows where Amore falls in the draft due to her size, so they could try to pair her back up with Kitley. Golden State also has TJD from IU to help the IU women assimilate to SF.
got super excited to see this video pop up on my feed, i was interested in your take on the expansion draft more than any other wnba video creator or writer. totally agree that vegas, seattle, and phoenix should protect martin, muhl, and taylor. i wasn't overly impressed by any of their rookie seasons but i think it's being overlooked by a lot of people that they provide their teams value and flexibility just by being on cheap contracts
I wonder if Seattle will still protect Nika after her ACL tear :(. would be brutal though if they don't protect their rookie after she suffered such a devastating injury.
I'd love to see you explain how the expansion draft works in depth. Interesting to see that you have Martin as one of LVs 6. Thanks for the video as usual.
@@Xfactor444-x4n He explained some of it and I'm not saying his video was deficient, he just didn't intend to explain it all. If you think he explained all of it you don't have a clue how complex it is or how salary caps and the CBA work. Do just the tiniest bit of research before you post.
@billsmith5166 contracts are not an issue. They're dealing with bench players, and players on rookie deals. They can pretty much just focus on picking the best players that fit together. Stop acting so condescending
@@zionthedon7745 Contracts are an issue. For example, if GS were to pick Natisha Heidemann from Minnesota, they would be required to give her a supermax contract because she is an unrestricted free agent. I think that will cause them to pass on Heidemann.
If I were the Golden State Valkyries I would ensure experience for Gabby Williams Marine Johannes Natasha Howard Jordin Canada Nneka Ogwumike Emma Meesseman Chennedy Carter Diamond Deshields Queen Egbo Amanda Zahui B and the young juju watkins kiki iriafen paige bueckers
Great video, i also think Lynx have the most to lose and Mystics, they have some young talent and mynx has good solid players with playooff exp stretch big is hard to find in this league and getting one for 'free' is ideal for new franchise.
Why take the risk to protect players that you don't know if they will come to play with you or not (Leïla Lacan, Carla Laïte) ? Leonie Fiebich for example was drafted in 2020 by LA Sparks but she is playing his rookie season only this year after 4 years with NY Liberty.
@@mariusdimilano9529 Carla has personally told me she wants to play in the W & she came over to Dallas this summer for a visit and to meet everyone in the organization. I think she’s a lock to be protected
I think golden state should go after Alissa Pili. She can be an impact player if given the opportunity. She can’t crack Minnesota rotation so I’d go after her..
I was shocked when the Lynx chose Pili just ahead of Angel Reese in the 2024 draft. The Lynx could have used another "big" to offset Jonquel Jones and Sabally in the finals. Reese slipped in the draft because of perceived attitude issues, which were overblown. I liked Pili's game when she was in college, but she needs to get herself into better condition/shape if she wants more WNBA playing time. Pili sets good picks, but is slow and clumsy in the pick-n-roll and is a big liability on defense. I'll be surprised if Pili is picked-up by Golden State.
Thank you for breaking down the stipulations of the draft etc and great video ,i don't know marine to golden state ,i would love to see her in the w again but i have doubts .
I fundamentally disagree, there is already excitement from getting a team that has zero baseline. So you would be screwing over an established franchises and its fans over because the new toy came around. Could to imagine being fever fan, and the WNBA saying nah Clark is going to the expansion team, because they are new. You just set the fever back forever. It’s one thing if you team botches the pick. Should the newest guy in your fantasy league get the number one pick, for the soul reason of being new?
@@rollerphoneI agree but the other teams would complain about it but being fair because they earned the#1 pick. However every expansion team should have the #1 pick. The goal is to put butts in seats!
Thank you Hunter! I very much enjoyed this video, very informative and Detailed. I don’t have any real strong predictions, or anything useful here, as I’m continuing to learn as much as I can, and a Newbie to All of this. But once again, you provided alot of excellent detailed information that is really helpful In the learning process for me. I did want to point out, a heartbreaking situation, that I learned of Yesterday. Storm Rookie, and my 2nd favorite player, Nika Mühl Sadly Tore her ACL During the overseas Turkish league Besiktas game When she was making a great play on the Ball late in the 3rd Quarter. It is obviously a season ending injury. And She was Having a great Game both Offensively and Defensively. Just heartbreaking. I had been all Psyched up like a lot of Nika Mühl Fans, Finally getting to see her play and showcase what she can really Do, Since the ridiculous Storm Coach only gave Nika a total of 57 minutes for the Entire Season! And that even made alot of Seattle fans very unhappy too with the Storm coach there. I couldn’t even finish watching the video where they showed the Full event, I had to turn it off, hearing her gut wrenching cries and in such pain and agony. Ive followed Nika’s Career for quite some time and Nika is as Tough as Steel, She Never flinches from physicality nor complains so seeing her that way laying there and hearing her agony, Actually put me in tears, which is rare for me, because I don’t get moved too often. Anyway, all I can do is Support her and pray for her a Great Full recovery along with Cameron Brink, and the other players, who have been injured this year. Something I never want to see for any player. Anyway, thank you again Hunter for another great Video. It will certainly be interesting seeing what is in store this Off Season and how everything develops. P.S. My Team The Fever, are making some big moves and have been shaking things up. Fever GM Dunn, Revealed some Detailed things in an Indianapolis radio Broadcast on 107.5 The Fan. I think The Fever are more serious than I thought, about Building around Caitlin, and Releasing some Players, Picking Up a few Veteran Solid Players To Fit The Fever who can also Play Great Defense. And Dunn also Said Re-signing and Keeping Mitchel is a Top Priority for them. I would love to see them grab a player like Sabally, But I don’t know how much of a shot they have at that. The only thing I do know is that apparently out on social media there’s a great number of WNBA Players who have Voiced that they would love to play Along side of Caitlin, Due to many things with Her, but especially her passing ability.
Sky fan here, id rather keep Rachel. I can't stand LA dribbling down the shot clock for 15 seconds each possession. She had some nice moments but is overall too inconsistent. A fine backup, but should no way be starting. Time to move Chen to PG or hopefully upgrade via the draft.
Are we projecting Azzi Fudd to go #3 or #4 so as to be unavailable? Also, much as I want Dorka to stay in MN. I want her to play. And GSV will give he the opportunity to play regular minutes. Also Dorka is an exceptional passer out front for a big.
@@HunterCruse14 I wouldn't either. If they select 5 (first round), that is too soon. If they select 19(second round), that is too late. I'm just trying to get a feel of who is going off the board and when. Paige and Kiki are the obvious first two. Then, who are the next few selections?
For Indiana, NaLyssa Smith is in her fourth year before free agency and this year all teams are losing a spot with expansion so I just don’t see teams trading much for her right now. I know she’s a good player who needs a different system (and the second pick of the 2022 draft) but I wouldn’t protect her. The reason is the team needs the backup 1-2 guard because Wheeler is way too expensive right now and might be gone in free agency. So I would protect Grace Berger who was the Fever’s seventh pick in 2023 and who will imo be grabbed in expansion if not picked and I think the Fever need her more considering her position. This also frees up money for free agency and the Fever need a few, in addition to signing Mitchell.
I agree. This is why I wonder how replaceable Temi is? While Smith isn't of much value 1:1, I think she'd be worth it for a team to trade back in exchange for her in a pick swap. If the Fever could find a fill in center for a season or two, they could use the pick swap to draft the French teen. But I'd definitely protect Berger over Smith if there's no comparable FA that they can sign to fill Temi's role.
@@HunterCruse14 Vandersloot has a big contract and she has at most 1 or 2 seasons left, lots of miles on those legs. GS needs young players that can develop. Sloot is in a perfect situation with NYL where she can come off the bench and keep the show rolling.
Good video as always. For Dallas, I would protect Soutou, Arike, Maddy, Jacy, Soares and either Kalani Brown or Jailyn Brown. Kalani has cheap salary for two more years. Jailyn reserved for 2005. Would loved to of had Lou Lopez, but did not play hardly any this year so not sure if she can play in wnba.
How many players can they reasonably carry if the roster size is 12 MAX? You are talking 12 from the expansion draft, plus 2 from the regular draft plus free agents? Also, I see Cheryl Reeve keeping either Juhasz or Zandalasini over Diamond Miller. Both have more time playing than Diamond this year, and Cecilia is the obvious replacement for Carlton when she needs a rest. Diamond doesn't have the same ability to spread the floor at this point as Cecilia, while Dorka is the only other big that Cheryl has.
I strongly agree. Diamond Miller was an excellent player in college for Maryland but has regressed in the WNBA. It might be best for her to get a fresh start at GS. I wish her well. She was one of my favorites and is such a beautiful person. As a Lynx fan, it sucks to know that we are probably going to lose someone I really like, whether it be Diamond, Dorka, Natisha, or Cece.
Excuse my ignorance (I really am ignorant of the WNBA contractual rules) but what are the conditions that allow teams to protect players? You've predicted that Seattle will protect Gabby Williams but it was my understanding that she is now an unrestricted free agent. Doesn't that mean that you can go wherever you choose?
This all hinges on the special rule of Core Designation, which in simple terms allows teams to (unilaterally) make a restricted FA out of an unrestricted one (but the team is also forced to offer them the max money they can give them). So in your example, Seattle could core Gabby thus preventing her from going wherever she chooses - she'd have to sign with Seattle. Now, Seattle is not very likely to core Gabby in reality, but still if Seattle do not protect her, Golden State could take her in the draft and core her themselves, thus preventing other teams, Seattle included, from being able to sign her - she'd have to sign with Golden State. Seattle feel confident in Gabby wanting to continue there even after she becomes an unrestricted free agent, so they are likely to protect her. Obviously, without this special rule, it would not make any sense for teams to protect (or take) unrestricted free agents in the expansion draft, you are right.
@@kojiharuqueen Interesting. Thanks for the helpful reply. I think Williams and Johannes will prefer to play at the same club (s) next season so I'm not sure if that makes it more likely that they'll both end up playing for Seattle or that they'll both go to Golden State...or even that they'll both pass on the WNBA next summer. But I'm sure Johannes has said recently that it's a priority for her to return to the WNBA. I'm not sure that they'll stay in Turkey for more than this current season and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they actually go back to play for Lyon next year.
Protecting an unproven player like pouch when Amihere has 2 years 1 RFA YEAR LEFT with all the untapped potential is insane . Your giving GS a starter lol😂
Golden State should consider grabbing players rotten on the bench. These were heroes in college but now they're all ignored. Grace Berger, Lou Lopez Senechal, etc. and for the draft, I'll pick Georgia Amoore, Kaitlyn Chen, and Lucy Olsen and add some bigs.
I feel like we HAVE to be working towards getting either Paige, Juju, or Hidalgo in the next few years. Paige is entirely dependent on how the W decides to fit us into this year's draft. I'm head over heels for the hiring of Natalie Nakase as our head coach. Listening to her in interviews and on the Warriors broadcast the other day, I feel like her basketball philosophies are a perfect fit with the basketball identity already developed here in the bay by the Golden State Warriors. I do have a few sentimental or hoops crushes that I'd love to see for a season or two behind the wheel while we move towards drafting the first face of our franchise. Let me tell you, if we get Juju Watkins, omg, the bay area will EXPLODE. I'm already insufferable about my Steph Curry fandom and allegiance, if you give the Valkyries the Michael Jordan analog to Caitlin Clark's Larry Bird, we're gonna make the 2017 warriors season look like a flash in the pan. Overall, I think the kinds of players we go for in this expansion draft will tell us a lot about who we're targeting in the college draft over the next few years. I'll have to learn more about what prospects are overseas, but I think the best course of action would honestly be to do everything we can to get this roster ready to go out and select Juju Watkins
The Washington Mystics should protect 1) Shakira Austin 2) Aaliyah Edwards 3) Aerial Atkins 4) Emily Engstler 5) Sika Kone (Doesn't turn twenty-three until next season in July) 6) Jade Melbourne (Doesn't turn twenty-three until next season in August). Emily Engstler and Sika Kone I believe have turned the corner and Jade Melbourne is the only legitimate point guard on the roster; plus they're young, good defenders and they offer position flexibility. We need young talent to make us attractive to a Max Player two years from now in 2026. Britney Sykes is Thirty years old and Stephanie Dolson is Thirty-Two years old.
@@jamalhartley4413The Mystics have moved on from veterans before...ie Natasha Cloud. Before Cloud they moved on from Kristi Tolliver in favor of the younger player Cloud. Remember the Mystics still have two first round picks as well as the rights to EDD(CORED) which they can use to trade for another vet or obtain another pick in the draft. As players in the"W"get older the years of them playing in the league and overseas wears on the body and Britney is 30. Even while Sykes was out last year for all of those games injured the Mystics were still competitive in all of those games, it's not inconceivable that they would succeed without her.
Hunter I guess you took for a given that DT is retiring. I agree with you, but I don’t think she’s given the official confirmation yet. She would be protected by PHX right?
@@HunterCruse14 Agree. She has a max salary and she is a defensive liability. Phoenix won't protect her, but she won't get picked anyway. She should retire instead of hanging-on and dragging down PHX.
You got JJ below, but you also have to protect Kahleah on Phoenix (I'm assuming you'd want to protect Kahleah). We have a Sixth Pod coming out this week on this topic. Just going to let you know my GS picks with your protected list are Isobel Borlase, Rachel Banham, Veronica Burton, Kalani Brown, Grace Berger, Megan Gustafson, Aari McDonald, Dorka Juhasz, Marine Johannes, Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan (I guess), Mackenzie Holmes??? and Jade Melbourne (thank you for not protecting Jade Melbourne). I think the majority of Golden State's Year One roster is not going to come out of this expansion draft.
I like your videos but this not it, you mentioned Lexi hulk twice, didn’t keep copper, and there no reason you keep Martin over queen egbo, Megan gustofson, or Kia stokes
It is not doomed. What do you expect? You want to come in the league and win the championship in the first year/ Why the league want you to do that? It is not just W and it is also the same in NBA. Expansion team never wins championship right in their first year and it is not doomed.
Take Rupert, Hirsch, Johannès, Lacan, Leite, Koné, Allemand; draft Malonga and Coulibaly; sign Gabby and Salaün. Establish a francophone superteam. Win the championship. Call yourself the World Champions.
I was so on the same page with this. I know nothing really about these WNBA draft shenanigans but I saw all those available great French players and thought, why not just pick as many of them as you can? You could have half the French national squad, if not more. Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes are box-office. Salaun has started off the EuroLeague season like a train - she probably deserved more game-time at the Olympics. Lacan, Leite and Malonga are great young prospects who are posting huge stats in the French national league.
@@rach9250 We'll see, it's just historically been complicated to bring foreign players over to the W. Even more so in recent years. Even more so with French players. And even more so even more so with French players playing in France! The national federations are uncooperative, the schedules are uncooperative. Events like the Eurobasket and even the Olympics make it even more troublesome. Of course, the American side also has not always been the most flexible and understanding... I'm sure it'll all get worked out within the next few years. The WNBA will have become just too lucrative to miss out on it!
@@kojiharuqueen The French Federation have actually just changed their rules (like literally in the last couple of weeks) to enable national team players to come later to pre-major tournament preparation, so there should never be a repeat of the 2023 EuroBasket situation where Marine Johannes was excluded from the team for reporting to play for the Liberty. I think this is smart and will suit everybody.
NY Liberty can legitimately claim to be world champions. They would be favored to beat any of the best non-US women's teams, such as Fenerbahce (Istanbul), USK Prague, Valencia, Venezia, Ekaterinburg, or the best French team (Bourges). I'd bet on the Lynx over any of them as well.
I understand your distaste for Angel (and it is a matter of taste), but she is a valuable young player and is very popular in Chicago. She will be back with the Sky next year, no matter the coach. You nor I know what the Chicago locker vibe is like. Getting rid of Witherspoon was probably a mistake.
First off it is foolish to start a new team when there are so many inept teams. They need to make the teams they currently have stronger. Build a great WNBA brand so that viewership can continue to grow, become self reliant, have a plethora of superstars, stars and good role players. Most teams finish their season way under 500. And too many poor shooters. The referees leave a lot to be desired. Get quality referees and build the finance to pay them good. I do not understand how they thought to weakened teams by drafting from a team to start new teams. Dumb dumb dumb!
So let me get this straight: the WNBA has been losing money every year for 25 years or more...and they are EXPANDING! Are the NBA players expected to put up more money now to support these two new franchises, or is the WNBA expecting the Caitlin Clark effect to bail them out? I haven't heard anything about this topic in the media. Concerning the lists shown in this video, I was surprised to see Hunter would protect Kate Martin for the Aces instead of Megan Gustafson. I would rather have Megan on my team than Martin.
@@jamalhartley4413 The new media rights deal is laughable. In the new media rights deal, the NBA's revenue will be 30X more than the WNBA. But based on the average viewership for regular season games & the number of games for 2023, the NBA should be earning 15X the WNBA. (2023 average viewership for NBA was 1.56 million vs 505K for the WNBA w/5 times more games in the NBA). But that differential does not include or account for the huge influx of viewers that Caitlin Clark has brought to the WNBA this year. The Fever's average viewership for regular season games is higher than all but 4-5 NBA teams & average viewership for 2024 increased 172% in 2024. (The WNBA is also adding more teams & increasing the number of games played.) Now the NBA do have a much greater differential for the playoffs which make up around 8-10% of the games played. In 2023 the NBA would have around a 50X greater viewership for playoff games. But does NBA playoff viewership justify the WNBA value being half as much as it should be? And the WNBA had a142% increase in playoff viewership this year & is increasing the number playoff games in 2025, so the playoff differential will drop to 31X by 2025. So when Adam Silver starts bragging about his negotiation of the WNBA media deal & how he got a higher amount based on Caitlin Clark, I have to call BS. The WNBA media deal should have been $5 billion, if the increased viewership Caitlin Clark brought in this year was actually factored in.
A year ago your argument might have made sense, but for 2025 and beyond, things have greatly improved for the WNBA in terms of attendance, TV viewership, TV contracts, and the value of WNBA franchises. The NBA is on a plateau, and in the next few years they will lose popular players such as LeBron, Durant, Curry, Harden, and Chris Paul, so they will probably remain relatively flat compared to the WNBA.
@@53toddk I have actually looked at a lot of the numbers for both leagues & the gap has shrunk much more than people realize. CC has completely changed the metrics. For the 2024 regular season average viewership (w/o NBATV) is only 2.5X higher (the NBA also has 1.7X more televised games but the largest portion of their games are on NBC while the largest portion of WNBA games are on ION), average ticket prices are only $10 more & attendance is only 10X for the NBA even though they play 5X more games. Now the NBA still blows the WNBA away in playoffs & where I think the NBA makes most of money esp. media rights. But even those numbers are decreasing for the NBA & rising for the WNBA. The gap for the playoffs is huge, but w/# of games increasing, if CC starts making it to the finals, that gap there get a lots smaller too.
CORRECTION: Jonquel has to be protected, so for NY, remove Marquesha & for PHX, remove Charisma & add Kah
You can't add Marine if you're adding JJ.
The Liberty will protect JJ. If Marine is willing to come over, that would be great for the Valkyries. From LV, I would take Elizabeth Kitley.
If Marine Johannes is available, you take Marine Johannes. The Valkyrie are gonna be bad and that’s what they should be (2027 Draft is coming) but they at least need to be a fun watch to keep their new fan base interested.
If Marine Johannes is available, you take Marine Johannes. The Valkyrie are gonna be bad and that’s they need to be (2027 Draft is coming) but they at least need to be a fun watch to keep their new fan base interested.
@@robmonroe9113I agree 100% either take the exciting player or go with youth/upside. Grabbing older players for 2nd round trade bait over players who were either drafted in the first round or would have been, if not for injury, is backwards thinking imo.
FINALLY IM SEEING A VIDEO ON THE VALKRIES
veronica, awak, dorka and mikiah are four players that are on my radar for players i want on my favorite teams or just feel like people should keep an eye on
You made a major oversight, by not protecting
K. Cooper from Phoenix. She averaged 21 points.
Oh yeah I meant to include her. I for some reason thought her contract was up. Just remove Osborne lol
Yeah if Copper were to be unprotected she's definitely getting picked.
As always, another great video! Keep it up!
Marine Johannes is a for sure pick up!!! 🙌🏼
Really solid breakdown. Hard to argue with most of your selections.
with carelotn’s breakout and ceci showing potential, I think Cheryl prioritizes win now with Napheesa hitting her prime and protects Ceci over Diamond to get her a fresh start
I think so too
I think dorka juhasz is going to be protected because she has the higher upside imo. The diamond project ain't really going well so far
You don't think Golden State would try to pick up Dana Evans? She's a bucket and wants out of Chicago.
I think I’d rather take a flyer on Berger and Kitley over Kristy Wallace and Stokes. If you know you’re gonna be bad, it’s better to have younger players with upside than peaked veterans. Same reason why indiana should have kept Engstler over Wallace or Vivans last season. Trades just don’t happen enough in the W to justify taking safe value picks.
As a Fever fan from Indiana, I'd rather keep Berger and possibly let Temi go to the draft. I'd like to just use Smith as a piece to trade up in the draft to try and get the young tall French teen to replace Temi if not able to keep her. They can possibly get a FA to fill the void for another season until she comes over.
From a Valkyrie point of view, I'd go for Kitley from Vegas and Katie Holmes from Seattle. Both were out this season recovering from surgery. Both are low post scorers with good post game. Holmes is thicker with the best footwork coming out of college, above Cardoso if she was taller (only 6'3-4) and was an all American multiple years. Kitley is slimmer like a volleyball player and was good too. Kitley is taller with long arms and could be used more for defense rotation help. A poor man's Brink, but not bad.
If the Fever doesn't protect Berger, the Valkyrie will surely take her. She's way better and younger than Wallace. They could pair her with Holmes from IU and Kitley VT.
Who knows where Amore falls in the draft due to her size, so they could try to pair her back up with Kitley.
Golden State also has TJD from IU to help the IU women assimilate to SF.
got super excited to see this video pop up on my feed, i was interested in your take on the expansion draft more than any other wnba video creator or writer. totally agree that vegas, seattle, and phoenix should protect martin, muhl, and taylor. i wasn't overly impressed by any of their rookie seasons but i think it's being overlooked by a lot of people that they provide their teams value and flexibility just by being on cheap contracts
Thank you!
I wonder if Seattle will still protect Nika after her ACL tear :(. would be brutal though if they don't protect their rookie after she suffered such a devastating injury.
Even though she would miss next season, I'd take her for the future.
Even before injury why would they protect a player who barely played and scored only 2pts?
@@bennybenson5 they have quite an aging roster, and those under contract still.
I'd love to see you explain how the expansion draft works in depth. Interesting to see that you have Martin as one of LVs 6. Thanks for the video as usual.
Damn weren't you paying attention. He did explain it
@@Xfactor444-x4n He explained some of it and I'm not saying his video was deficient, he just didn't intend to explain it all. If you think he explained all of it you don't have a clue how complex it is or how salary caps and the CBA work. Do just the tiniest bit of research before you post.
@billsmith5166 contracts are not an issue. They're dealing with bench players, and players on rookie deals. They can pretty much just focus on picking the best players that fit together. Stop acting so condescending
@@zionthedon7745 Before you say I'm condescending, read his comment. I was responding in kind. By the way, who was talking about contracts?
@@zionthedon7745 Contracts are an issue. For example, if GS were to pick Natisha Heidemann from Minnesota, they would be required to give her a supermax contract because she is an unrestricted free agent. I think that will cause them to pass on Heidemann.
6:24: What about Odyssey Sims?
Thanks Hunter for this great content 🎉
Is Maddy free agent this next season?
@@nr14989 Siegrist?
AWESOME WORK HUNTER
If I were the Golden State Valkyries I would ensure experience for Gabby Williams Marine Johannes Natasha Howard Jordin Canada Nneka Ogwumike Emma Meesseman Chennedy Carter Diamond Deshields Queen Egbo Amanda Zahui B and the young juju watkins kiki iriafen paige bueckers
Great video, i also think Lynx have the most to lose and Mystics, they have some young talent and mynx has good solid players with playooff exp stretch big is hard to find in this league and getting one for 'free' is ideal for new franchise.
Why take the risk to protect players that you don't know if they will come to play with you or not (Leïla Lacan, Carla Laïte) ?
Leonie Fiebich for example was drafted in 2020 by LA Sparks but she is playing his rookie season only this year after 4 years with NY Liberty.
@@mariusdimilano9529 Carla has personally told me she wants to play in the W & she came over to Dallas this summer for a visit and to meet everyone in the organization. I think she’s a lock to be protected
They're not protecting Kate Martin.
Indiana is gonna snatch her asap
@@AlexOtto Who Fever is going to offer in exchange for Kate Martin? Fever has virtually nothing that other team want.
@@AlexOtto she's under contract for 3 more years, they'll have to wait unless they trade for her.
@@alexsamain812I actually didn't know that, especially considering she was a surprise pick.
Yes they are
I think golden state should go after Alissa Pili. She can be an impact player if given the opportunity. She can’t crack Minnesota rotation so I’d go after her..
They should get her and Diamond Miller off the Lynx. That team is loaded with talented players.
I was shocked when the Lynx chose Pili just ahead of Angel Reese in the 2024 draft. The Lynx could have used another "big" to offset Jonquel Jones and Sabally in the finals. Reese slipped in the draft because of perceived attitude issues, which were overblown. I liked Pili's game when she was in college, but she needs to get herself into better condition/shape if she wants more WNBA playing time. Pili sets good picks, but is slow and clumsy in the pick-n-roll and is a big liability on defense. I'll be surprised if Pili is picked-up by Golden State.
Thank you for breaking down the stipulations of the draft etc and great video ,i don't know marine to golden state ,i would love to see her in the w again but i have doubts .
The one thing i will add is that some teams will most likely trade their 1st round picks to the valkyries in order to keep another player.
I think new teams should be allowed to have the #1 draft pick of that year
I so agree with this. It doesn't make business sense for a new team to suck for years before it can take off.
Absolutely. Especially to help new franchises build a fanbase. A #1 pick is a massive marketing tool.
As a Future Toronto fan I'm lowkey hoping we tank our first season and give ourselves the opportunity to draft Juju
I fundamentally disagree, there is already excitement from getting a team that has zero baseline. So you would be screwing over an established franchises and its fans over because the new toy came around. Could to imagine being fever fan, and the WNBA saying nah Clark is going to the expansion team, because they are new. You just set the fever back forever. It’s one thing if you team botches the pick.
Should the newest guy in your fantasy league get the number one pick, for the soul reason of being new?
@@rollerphoneI agree but the other teams would complain about it but being fair because they earned the#1 pick. However every expansion team should have the #1 pick. The goal is to put butts in seats!
Great insight once again
Does Nika Muhl getting hurt change if you think Seattle will protect her?
Thank you Hunter! I very much enjoyed this video, very informative and Detailed. I don’t have any real strong predictions, or anything useful here, as I’m continuing to learn as much as I can, and a Newbie to All of this. But once again, you provided alot of excellent detailed information that is really helpful In the learning process for me. I did want to point out, a heartbreaking situation, that I learned of Yesterday. Storm Rookie, and my 2nd favorite player, Nika Mühl Sadly Tore her ACL During the overseas Turkish league Besiktas game When she was making a great play on the Ball late in the 3rd Quarter. It is obviously a season ending injury. And She was Having a great Game both Offensively and Defensively. Just heartbreaking. I had been all Psyched up like a lot of Nika Mühl Fans, Finally getting to see her play and showcase what she can really Do, Since the ridiculous Storm Coach only gave Nika a total of 57 minutes for the Entire Season! And that even made alot of Seattle fans very unhappy too with the Storm coach there.
I couldn’t even finish watching the video where they showed the Full event, I had to turn it off, hearing her gut wrenching cries and in such pain and agony. Ive followed Nika’s Career for quite some time and Nika is as Tough as Steel, She Never flinches from physicality nor complains so seeing her that way laying there and hearing her agony, Actually put me in tears, which is rare for me, because I don’t get moved too often. Anyway, all I can do is Support her and pray for her a Great Full recovery along with Cameron Brink, and the other players, who have been injured this year. Something I never want to see for any player. Anyway, thank you again Hunter for another great Video. It will certainly be interesting seeing what is in store this Off Season and how everything develops. P.S. My Team The Fever, are making some big moves and have been shaking things up. Fever GM Dunn, Revealed some Detailed things in an Indianapolis radio Broadcast on 107.5 The Fan. I think The Fever are more serious than I thought, about Building around Caitlin, and Releasing some Players, Picking Up a few Veteran Solid Players To Fit The Fever who can also Play Great Defense. And Dunn also Said Re-signing and Keeping Mitchel is a Top Priority for them. I would love to see them grab a player like Sabally, But I don’t know how much of a shot they have at that. The only thing I do know is that apparently out on social media there’s a great number of WNBA Players who have Voiced that they would love to play Along side of Caitlin, Due to many things with Her, but especially her passing ability.
Thank you for that correction on NY and protecting Jonquel Jones. I was gonna ask lol!!!
Also, I don’t recall mentioning Courtney Vandersloot of NY
For Chicago, they’d be more inclined to protect Rachel over Lindsey. Rachel was one of their leaders.
Sky fan here, id rather keep Rachel. I can't stand LA dribbling down the shot clock for 15 seconds each possession. She had some nice moments but is overall too inconsistent. A fine backup, but should no way be starting. Time to move Chen to PG or hopefully upgrade via the draft.
Are we projecting Azzi Fudd to go #3 or #4 so as to be unavailable?
Also, much as I want Dorka to stay in MN. I want her to play. And GSV will give he the opportunity to play regular minutes. Also Dorka is an exceptional passer out front for a big.
I wouldn’t take Azzi that high
@@HunterCruse14 I wouldn't either. If they select 5 (first round), that is too soon. If they select 19(second round), that is too late. I'm just trying to get a feel of who is going off the board and when. Paige and Kiki are the obvious first two. Then, who are the next few selections?
How much I would like to see Emma Meesseman's come back. For now it would be just an awesome adding to any team
For Indiana, NaLyssa Smith is in her fourth year before free agency and this year all teams are losing a spot with expansion so I just don’t see teams trading much for her right now. I know she’s a good player who needs a different system (and the second pick of the 2022 draft) but I wouldn’t protect her. The reason is the team needs the backup 1-2 guard because Wheeler is way too expensive right now and might be gone in free agency. So I would protect Grace Berger who was the Fever’s seventh pick in 2023 and who will imo be grabbed in expansion if not picked and I think the Fever need her more considering her position. This also frees up money for free agency and the Fever need a few, in addition to signing Mitchell.
I agree. This is why I wonder how replaceable Temi is?
While Smith isn't of much value 1:1, I think she'd be worth it for a team to trade back in exchange for her in a pick swap.
If the Fever could find a fill in center for a season or two, they could use the pick swap to draft the French teen.
But I'd definitely protect Berger over Smith if there's no comparable FA that they can sign to fill Temi's role.
Why not Vandersloot?
Why not draft her or protect her? I could see Golden State being interested in that just to have an experienced PG
@@HunterCruse14 Vandersloot has a big contract and she has at most 1 or 2 seasons left, lots of miles on those legs. GS needs young players that can develop. Sloot is in a perfect situation with NYL where she can come off the bench and keep the show rolling.
Good picks for ATL, Pouch can be a Fiebich type player for them
Banger!! Plus why would 1.the Aces not protect Kitley and 2. If they don’t why wouldn’t GS draft them ?
No shot I keep Chennedy Carter or Onyenwere in Chicago. Culture improvements must start with those 2 gone
Good video as always. For Dallas, I would protect Soutou, Arike, Maddy, Jacy, Soares and either Kalani Brown or Jailyn Brown. Kalani has cheap salary for two more years. Jailyn reserved for 2005. Would loved to of had Lou Lopez, but did not play hardly any this year so not sure if she can play in wnba.
Correction, I forgot about Carla Leite. Protect her !
I’m curious why you don’t see Grace Berger getting taken from the Fever? Seems like a better deal than Kristy Wallace.
How many players can they reasonably carry if the roster size is 12 MAX? You are talking 12 from the expansion draft, plus 2 from the regular draft plus free agents? Also, I see Cheryl Reeve keeping either Juhasz or Zandalasini over Diamond Miller. Both have more time playing than Diamond this year, and Cecilia is the obvious replacement for Carlton when she needs a rest. Diamond doesn't have the same ability to spread the floor at this point as Cecilia, while Dorka is the only other big that Cheryl has.
I strongly agree. Diamond Miller was an excellent player in college for Maryland but has regressed in the WNBA. It might be best for her to get a fresh start at GS. I wish her well. She was one of my favorites and is such a beautiful person. As a Lynx fan, it sucks to know that we are probably going to lose someone I really like, whether it be Diamond, Dorka, Natisha, or Cece.
Why not give us the unprotected probables for each team?
Is everyone on the fever safe or not?
Excuse my ignorance (I really am ignorant of the WNBA contractual rules) but what are the conditions that allow teams to protect players? You've predicted that Seattle will protect Gabby Williams but it was my understanding that she is now an unrestricted free agent. Doesn't that mean that you can go wherever you choose?
This all hinges on the special rule of Core Designation, which in simple terms allows teams to (unilaterally) make a restricted FA out of an unrestricted one (but the team is also forced to offer them the max money they can give them). So in your example, Seattle could core Gabby thus preventing her from going wherever she chooses - she'd have to sign with Seattle. Now, Seattle is not very likely to core Gabby in reality, but still if Seattle do not protect her, Golden State could take her in the draft and core her themselves, thus preventing other teams, Seattle included, from being able to sign her - she'd have to sign with Golden State. Seattle feel confident in Gabby wanting to continue there even after she becomes an unrestricted free agent, so they are likely to protect her. Obviously, without this special rule, it would not make any sense for teams to protect (or take) unrestricted free agents in the expansion draft, you are right.
@@kojiharuqueen Interesting. Thanks for the helpful reply. I think Williams and Johannes will prefer to play at the same club (s) next season so I'm not sure if that makes it more likely that they'll both end up playing for Seattle or that they'll both go to Golden State...or even that they'll both pass on the WNBA next summer. But I'm sure Johannes has said recently that it's a priority for her to return to the WNBA. I'm not sure that they'll stay in Turkey for more than this current season and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they actually go back to play for Lyon next year.
I don’t see a world where Elizabeth Kitley isn’t on this golden state team
Totally agree with this! Hunter, don't you see the Aces taking Kitley instead of Stokes?
You guys really need to go back and watch the film in Hannah Stouke. If Indiana gets their hands on her, it's almost a wrap.
Protect Kate Martin no way.; Elizabeth K. Is a 6’6 center that can score they going to keep her.
This guy is off on protected players. Nothing to see here.
Why Las Vegas Aces protect Kate Martin?
It’s either that or just protect Alysha but does GS draft & core an older AC? Maybe?
In my opinion yes. AC is very crucial to LV success. Still has some years left in her.
Protecting an unproven player like pouch when Amihere has 2 years 1 RFA YEAR LEFT with all the untapped potential is insane . Your giving GS a starter lol😂
What players do you expect or should retire after this year?
You wouldn’t protect Heideman from the Lynx? Thank you for another great video
I most certainly would. Well I don't know her contract situation and he never brought her up surprisingly.
Do you think Washington will core or protect EDD? Odd situation, that. And thanks for this well-thought-out video!
I don’t think you can protect EDD. It’s not worth it ngl
EDD should officially retired. She has chronic health conditions that hamper her.
@@nettadavis9384 well I kinda hope she retires too, for her sake. But no announcement from her as of this writing.
Why kate Martin they don’t even played her 😳
Golden State should consider grabbing players rotten on the bench. These were heroes in college but now they're all ignored. Grace Berger, Lou Lopez Senechal, etc. and for the draft, I'll pick Georgia Amoore, Kaitlyn Chen, and Lucy Olsen and add some bigs.
I feel like we HAVE to be working towards getting either Paige, Juju, or Hidalgo in the next few years. Paige is entirely dependent on how the W decides to fit us into this year's draft. I'm head over heels for the hiring of Natalie Nakase as our head coach. Listening to her in interviews and on the Warriors broadcast the other day, I feel like her basketball philosophies are a perfect fit with the basketball identity already developed here in the bay by the Golden State Warriors.
I do have a few sentimental or hoops crushes that I'd love to see for a season or two behind the wheel while we move towards drafting the first face of our franchise. Let me tell you, if we get Juju Watkins, omg, the bay area will EXPLODE. I'm already insufferable about my Steph Curry fandom and allegiance, if you give the Valkyries the Michael Jordan analog to Caitlin Clark's Larry Bird, we're gonna make the 2017 warriors season look like a flash in the pan.
Overall, I think the kinds of players we go for in this expansion draft will tell us a lot about who we're targeting in the college draft over the next few years. I'll have to learn more about what prospects are overseas, but I think the best course of action would honestly be to do everything we can to get this roster ready to go out and select Juju Watkins
Temi will be 33 next year, she took like 5 years off and is nothing but a hustle player, she won’t get drafted so no need to protect her
Your picks are good at least sounds good 😂😂😂
I think AT and DB may want to go to the Valkyries together
And get gouged by California taxes?
The Washington Mystics should protect 1) Shakira Austin 2) Aaliyah Edwards 3) Aerial Atkins 4) Emily Engstler 5) Sika Kone (Doesn't turn twenty-three until next season in July) 6) Jade Melbourne (Doesn't turn twenty-three until next season in August). Emily Engstler and Sika Kone I believe have turned the corner and Jade Melbourne is the only legitimate point guard on the roster; plus they're young, good defenders and they offer position flexibility. We need young talent to make us attractive to a Max Player two years from now in 2026. Britney Sykes is Thirty years old and Stephanie Dolson is Thirty-Two years old.
I think you keep Brittney sykes
@@jamalhartley4413The Mystics have moved on from veterans before...ie Natasha Cloud. Before Cloud they moved on from Kristi Tolliver in favor of the younger player Cloud. Remember the Mystics still have two first round picks as well as the rights to EDD(CORED) which they can use to trade for another vet or obtain another pick in the draft. As players in the"W"get older the years of them playing in the league and overseas wears on the body and Britney is 30. Even while Sykes was out last year for all of those games injured the Mystics were still competitive in all of those games, it's not inconceivable that they would succeed without her.
Liz kitley from the aces
Hunter I guess you took for a given that DT is retiring. I agree with you, but I don’t think she’s given the official confirmation yet. She would be protected by PHX right?
Yeah yeah i’d dare GS to draft her if she decides not to return. Idk why they’d want a 43 y/o DT lol
@@HunterCruse14 Agree. She has a max salary and she is a defensive liability. Phoenix won't protect her, but she won't get picked anyway. She should retire instead of hanging-on and dragging down PHX.
They need to get diamond miller
JuJu Watkins WYA 💪🤞
They gonna take Shatori from Washington and I'm gonna be pissed. Lol! Washington had a tough year because of injuries but they got a lot of talent.
No way on Earth would I protect Nalyssa Smith. In fact, if no one takes her I would waive her just to get her off the roster.
Protect her to be part of a trade to get Sably from Dallas. Or don’t protect her and consider Dantis or Berger instead.
And it's possible Gabby Williams may not even be playing in the WNBA anymore...
They need to get Liz Cambage
Why don't you like to show pics? Is it a copyright thing?
You forgot Kahleah Copper
Players can be cored for 3 years not 2
Hi Hunter, can you also make a review on what likely Valkyrie select from the expansion draft
Tina Charles?
She is likely to retire since ATL fired her buddy as coach
Thomas Sarah Anderson David Thompson Timothy
Williams Anthony Clark Ruth Gonzalez Michael
You got JJ below, but you also have to protect Kahleah on Phoenix (I'm assuming you'd want to protect Kahleah).
We have a Sixth Pod coming out this week on this topic. Just going to let you know my GS picks with your protected list are Isobel Borlase, Rachel Banham, Veronica Burton, Kalani Brown, Grace Berger, Megan Gustafson, Aari McDonald, Dorka Juhasz, Marine Johannes, Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan (I guess), Mackenzie Holmes??? and Jade Melbourne (thank you for not protecting Jade Melbourne).
I think the majority of Golden State's Year One roster is not going to come out of this expansion draft.
Yes yes i missed on that. We ended up w very similar rosters
I like your videos but this not it, you mentioned Lexi hulk twice, didn’t keep copper, and there no reason you keep Martin over queen egbo, Megan gustofson, or Kia stokes
I put a correction in the pinned
Lopez Patricia Hall Jose Walker Frank
I thought it was an NBA2k rebuild 😅😅
So, basically, the Valkyries are doomed before birth!
This is typical Year 1 expansion roster stuff
If anything, there’s more intriguing young players than the last draft in 08
It is not doomed. What do you expect? You want to come in the league and win the championship in the first year/ Why the league want you to do that? It is not just W and it is also the same in NBA. Expansion team never wins championship right in their first year and it is not doomed.
Well I feel like Atlanta got a better team in 2008 than it appears GS will here.
Perez Anthony Anderson Paul Hall Carol
Kylee Shook
Take Rupert, Hirsch, Johannès, Lacan, Leite, Koné, Allemand; draft Malonga and Coulibaly; sign Gabby and Salaün. Establish a francophone superteam. Win the championship. Call yourself the World Champions.
LETS GO IM HERE FOR IT
I was so on the same page with this. I know nothing really about these WNBA draft shenanigans but I saw all those available great French players and thought, why not just pick as many of them as you can? You could have half the French national squad, if not more. Gabby Williams and Marine Johannes are box-office. Salaun has started off the EuroLeague season like a train - she probably deserved more game-time at the Olympics. Lacan, Leite and Malonga are great young prospects who are posting huge stats in the French national league.
@@rach9250 We'll see, it's just historically been complicated to bring foreign players over to the W. Even more so in recent years. Even more so with French players. And even more so even more so with French players playing in France! The national federations are uncooperative, the schedules are uncooperative. Events like the Eurobasket and even the Olympics make it even more troublesome. Of course, the American side also has not always been the most flexible and understanding... I'm sure it'll all get worked out within the next few years. The WNBA will have become just too lucrative to miss out on it!
@@kojiharuqueen The French Federation have actually just changed their rules (like literally in the last couple of weeks) to enable national team players to come later to pre-major tournament preparation, so there should never be a repeat of the 2023 EuroBasket situation where Marine Johannes was excluded from the team for reporting to play for the Liberty. I think this is smart and will suit everybody.
NY Liberty can legitimately claim to be world champions. They would be favored to beat any of the best non-US women's teams, such as Fenerbahce (Istanbul), USK Prague, Valencia, Venezia, Ekaterinburg, or the best French team (Bourges). I'd bet on the Lynx over any of them as well.
Johaness would be a great pickup…female Curry
who cares !!!
The New coach of Chicago will let Reese go. They got rid of Witherspoon...They know Reese will be locker room poison
I understand your distaste for Angel (and it is a matter of taste), but she is a valuable young player and is very popular in Chicago. She will be back with the Sky next year, no matter the coach. You nor I know what the Chicago locker vibe is like. Getting rid of Witherspoon was probably a mistake.
First off it is foolish to start a new team when there are so many inept teams. They need to make the teams they currently have stronger. Build a great WNBA brand so that viewership can continue to grow, become self reliant, have a plethora of superstars, stars and good role players. Most teams finish their season way under 500. And too many poor shooters. The referees leave a lot to be desired. Get quality referees and build the finance to pay them good. I do not understand how they thought to weakened teams by drafting from a team to start new teams. Dumb dumb dumb!
Smith is one of the worst players in the entire league. I highly doubt she'll be protected.
So let me get this straight: the WNBA has been losing money every year for 25 years or more...and they are EXPANDING! Are the NBA players expected to put up more money now to support these two new franchises, or is the WNBA expecting the Caitlin Clark effect to bail them out? I haven't heard anything about this topic in the media. Concerning the lists shown in this video, I was surprised to see Hunter would protect Kate Martin for the Aces instead of Megan Gustafson. I would rather have Megan on my team than Martin.
Your negative and plus there going to use 2.2 billion dollar deal ofc
@@jamalhartley4413 The new media rights deal is laughable.
In the new media rights deal, the NBA's revenue will be 30X more than the WNBA. But based on the average viewership for regular season games & the number of games for 2023, the NBA should be earning 15X the WNBA. (2023 average viewership for NBA was 1.56 million vs 505K for the WNBA w/5 times more games in the NBA). But that differential does not include or account for the huge influx of viewers that Caitlin Clark has brought to the WNBA this year. The Fever's average viewership for regular season games is higher than all but 4-5 NBA teams & average viewership for 2024 increased 172% in 2024. (The WNBA is also adding more teams & increasing the number of games played.)
Now the NBA do have a much greater differential for the playoffs which make up around 8-10% of the games played. In 2023 the NBA would have around a 50X greater viewership for playoff games. But does NBA playoff viewership justify the WNBA value being half as much as it should be? And the WNBA had a142% increase in playoff viewership this year & is increasing the number playoff games in 2025, so the playoff differential will drop to 31X by 2025.
So when Adam Silver starts bragging about his negotiation of the WNBA media deal & how he got a higher amount based on Caitlin Clark, I have to call BS. The WNBA media deal should have been $5 billion, if the increased viewership Caitlin Clark brought in this year was actually factored in.
A year ago your argument might have made sense, but for 2025 and beyond, things have greatly improved for the WNBA in terms of attendance, TV viewership, TV contracts, and the value of WNBA franchises. The NBA is on a plateau, and in the next few years they will lose popular players such as LeBron, Durant, Curry, Harden, and Chris Paul, so they will probably remain relatively flat compared to the WNBA.
@@53toddk I have actually looked at a lot of the numbers for both leagues & the gap has shrunk much more than people realize. CC has completely changed the metrics.
For the 2024 regular season average viewership (w/o NBATV) is only 2.5X higher (the NBA also has 1.7X more televised games but the largest portion of their games are on NBC while the largest portion of WNBA games are on ION), average ticket prices are only $10 more & attendance is only 10X for the NBA even though they play 5X more games.
Now the NBA still blows the WNBA away in playoffs & where I think the NBA makes most of money esp. media rights. But even those numbers are decreasing for the NBA & rising for the WNBA. The gap for the playoffs is huge, but w/# of games increasing, if CC starts making it to the finals, that gap there get a lots smaller too.
Caitlin!
Doesn’t play for golden state dummy
God help the 2025 Rookies ones coming into the league i suggest they all call Caitlin Clark now and they will get the real deal from it now