3 major challenges for Kate Martin-led Golden State Valkyries in their maiden WNBA season

The Kate Martin-led Golden State Valkyries will make history this year as they embark on their maiden season in the WNBA. The arrival of the Valkyries in Chase Center adds to an incredibly talented field in which 12 teams slug it out on a nightly basis.

In order for the Valkyries to make a dent in their first WNBA season, they will have to figure out some things on and off the court. The players, the coaching staff and the front office need to collaborate in order to proactively face the challenges over the next five months.

An identity on both ends of the floor

Perhaps the most enduring issue to be faced by the Valkyries in 2025 is the question of their identity, both offensively and defensively. Without the benefit of firsthand experience playing together in actual WNBA games, Golden State will have to figure things out as they go.

The good news for them is that they are loaded with talent, giving them multiple possibilities as far as customizing their Xs and Os on both ends of the floor. They have promising young talent, including Martin, Temi Fagbenle and Veronica Burton, as well as dependable veterans like Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Burton. This combination should allow them to field a competitive team every night.

The question of the go-to girl

The Valkyries, of course, would have an easier time figuring out their on-court identity if there is one player who can step up as the go-to leader, particularly when the chips are down and the team needs guidance on the floor.

Again, there are a number of players on the Valkyries roster who can potentially fit this description. The sooner they can establish their leadership roles, the better. One candidate for this would be Fagbenle, who has refined her craft across Europe for the past few years. Whether the 6-foot-4 center can carry the burden of becoming a WNBA centerpiece will be an interesting storyline moving forward.

The weight of expectations

While the emergence of a WNBA expansion team in the Bay Area is a fascinating prospect, it also comes with tremendous pressure as excitement builds up among the local fanbase. Getting off to a rocky start in their maiden season would certainly be a terrible way to pay off the anticipation of hoops lovers in San Francisco.

The last time a WNBA expansion team played its inaugural season was 2008, when the Atlanta Dream announced their arrival in the league. The Dream ended up with a 4-30 record that year. It's safe to say that the Valkyries would like to avoid that fate.