OAKLAND – The Golden State Valkyries will open their first training camp at the team’s training center in Oakland on Sunday, but the first -round choice will not be present.
As expected, the 19 -year -old Lithuanian guard was not appointed to the Valkyries training camps list, and her absence confirms that she will not be with the team to start the regular season.
Jocytė should play for the national Lithuanie team in Eurobasket in June and could join the WNBA extension team in mid-season if they choose it. It collected on average 12.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 interceptions per game and pulled 35% of the three -point line in the best French women’s league last season.
The Valkyries have 18 players on their training camp list and will have to reduce this number to 12 before the team’s season is opened against the Los Angeles sparks at the Chase Center on May 16.
Golden State should play his first of the two pre-season games nine days after the training camp start.
The recruits Shyanne Sellers (written in the second round, 17th in total) and Kaitlyn Chen (third round, 30th in total) will compete for places in a crowded daycare group which includes Carla Leite, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Veronica Burton, Migna Tourré and Julie Vanloo.
Sellers and Chen have shown the possibility of 3 university -high -level shooters and could slip as a complementary parts if they were doing the team.
“I already know on the basis of the conversations that we have had that they are already preparing mentally and physically at this very competitive training camp,” the general manager of Valkyries, Ohemaa Nyanin said last week about sellers and Chen.
Freshly released by winning a WNBA championship with the New York Liberty last season, striker Kayla Thornton should be one of the team’s best score options. The nine -year -old veteran started 11 games for Liberty in 2024 and pulled a career summit of 35.7% compared to the three -point line.
Thornton, as well as Monique Billings and Stephanie Talbot, are at the top of an experienced advanced unit which could be the strongest position group in the Valkyries in the season.
Among the other absent from notable training camps are Iliana Rupert and María Conde, two of the Valkyries choices during the December expansion draft.
The absence of a Conde was expected after suffering an injury from Achilles playing in a game in Euroléague in January. Rupert has not yet signed a contract with the Valkyries.
According to team officials, the Elissa Cunane center and striker Janelle Salaün will arrive at the camp on a later date after having made international commitments.
California Daily Newspapers
