The Golden State Valkyries added yet another crazy chapter to their offseason a day before the team is set to play its season opener in Seattle.
The Valkyries announced on Thursday they have waived fan favorite Kate Martin and filed for a replacement contract for starting center Iliana Rupert due to pregnancy.
Martin’s departure is shocking, given her popularity with the fan base and in the locker room. Martin has spent each of her first two seasons with coach Natalie Nakase after getting drafted by Las Vegas, where Nakase was an assistant, and getting picked in the expansion draft by Golden State.
The third-year guard suffered a Grade 2 quad strain last week and was progressing well, having been upgraded to day-to-day on Tuesday.
Valkyries’ Iliana Rupert (12) takes a shot against the Minnesota Lynx in the third quarter during Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
But Rupert’s pregnancy changed things.
To add more frontcourt depth, Laeticia Amihere has made the opening night roster and will likely play behind veteran Kiah Stokes at center.
In theory, Rupert could have played parts of the season depending on what stage of the pregnancy she is in, but the fact that Golden State has filed for a replacement contract signals it expects Rupert to miss significant time or the entire season.
A league source confirmed to the Bay Area News Group that Martin cannot be the replacement player for Rupert’s spot on the team, per the new collective bargaining agreement. The only way she can return would be on a developmental contract.
However, bringing Martin back on a developmental deal comes with its own set of hurdles.
The former Iowa standout has 48 hours to clear waivers before the Valkyries would have the opportunity to sign her to a developmental deal. Martin certainly has the talent to make another roster and will probably be coveted as a 3-point shooter.
And even if Martin does clear waivers, she would have to take a significant pay cut to be activated for 12 games, which is the maximum for a developmental player. Martin would have made $293,510 this season if she stayed on the roster and will only be eligible to make around $60,000 on a developmental deal.
Golden State Valkyries’ Iliana Rupert (12) celebrates her 3-point basket against the Indiana Fever in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Valkyries still have their final developmental spot open, but general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said Tuesday that the front office doesn’t want to get into a habit of releasing players and bringing them back.
“We want to definitely make sure that we aren’t signing athletes, waiving them, signing them and releasing them,” Nyanin said. “That’s not the type of organization that we are. So we want to be very thoughtful and intentional as to how we use these spots.”
Rupert will be eligible to travel with the team throughout her pregnancy, though she does not have to. She cannot be traded without her consent, per the league’s new Dearica Hamby rule, which doesn’t allow teams to trade pregnant players without the player’s permission. Rupert will also receive her full salary without a cap hit for the Valkyries.
The French center will have a spot on the team, but if the Valkyries are granted a replacement contract, they would essentially be granted an extra roster spot. She shot 44.2% from the 3-point line last season across 21 games.
Later Thursday, 2025 first-round pick Justė Jocytė’s contract was temporarily suspended as she finishes out the postseason for Spar Girona in Spain.
Here is the Valkyries’ roster going into Friday’s season opener: Gabby Williams, Kaitlyn Chen, Laeticia Amihere, Justė Jocytė, Kayla Thornton, Kaila Charles, Miela Sowah (developmental), Iliana Rupert, Janelle Salaün, Tiffany Hayes, Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini and Kiah Stokes.
Golden State Valkyries’ Kate Martin takes questions during their media day at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
