3 reasons why the Golden State Valkyries might not make expected splash in debut season

The Golden State Valkyries will be the 13th team in the WNBA as they make their debut this year. As the new season approaches, the anticipation regarding the league's newest addition has seen a surge. But the Valkyries might not be able to reach the heights that most expect them to reach.

Analyzing the team's situation heading into the first regular season of their existence, here are three reasons why the Valkyries could struggle in their inaugural year.

The Golden State Valkyries lack a true All-Star-level talent

The Valkyries were the only team in this year's expansion draft, but their pickings were slim as they only had access to the pool of unprotected players remaining from the rest of the league. While some experts still lauded the team's draft performance, one of the roster's biggest weaknesses is their lack of top-level talent.

There are multiple players on the roster with potential, but the team doesn't have a legitimate WNBA All-Star, which could sink their ship early into the season.

The team will lack the sheer talent necessary to be competitive against their loaded opponents, who not only have All-Star talent but the right complementary pieces to go with their skillset. The Golden State side has a couple of options for adding talent, but they will need to nail their draft pick.

The Valkyries have the fifth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, and ESPN's latest mock draft has the team selecting French center Dominque Malonga. At 6-foot-6, Malonga is one of the prospects with the highest potential in this class, and she would have no shortage of opportunities with the Valkyries.

The new team could also take a chance on free agent Chennedy Carter, who would bring in some much-needed scoring potential and could be a valuable asset despite her off-court issues in the past.

Golden State has a tough schedule ahead of them

As their welcome gift in the WNBA, the Valkyries were greeted with one of the toughest schedules in the league. At the very beginning of the year, the team faces a three-game stretch against Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart's New York Liberty in New York twice before heading home and hosting Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx.

The Valkyries may struggle with their morale if they have to endure losing runs at the very start of their journey.

Head coach Natalie Nakase certainly has her work cut out as she gets set to lead her team through their inaugural season in the WNBA. Nakase is a former WNBA Champion and has worked to form a good connection with her team. However, she faces an uphill climb when it comes to maintaining a positive atmosphere in the locker room.

Kate Martin is under a lot of pressure to perform

As they made their picks in the expansion draft, the Golden State Valkyries' strategy was clear; they wanted to make sure they had a lot of cap space next season to pursue the bigger stars expected to be available next winter. Golden State did surprise, however, when they selected former Aces guard Kate Martin as one of their players.

WNBA experts were surprised that Martin wasn't protected by the Aces in the expansion draft after showing flashes of talent in her limited minutes last season. The former Iowa Hawkeye is under a lot of pressure as fans look to her to be one of the biggest contributors for the Golden State Valkyries this season.

While she had some nice moments last season, Martin is largely unproven as a WNBA talent. She averaged just 11.5 minutes in 34 games last season with the Las Vegas Aces and struggled to find a role as a scorer on one of the best teams in the WNBA.

While the Valkyries aren't expected to win the title in their first season, Martin and other young players are under pressure to deliver.