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The Golden State Valkyries captured their first championship less than two weeks ago, but their celebratory offseason has been disrupted by an explosive interview from Justė Jocytė, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Speaking in her native Lithuania to BasketNews, Jocytė expressed uncertainty about her future in the Bay Area following a personally frustrating campaign where she barely played en route to the title, averaging 3.1 points and 1.1 assists in 8.1 minutes across 16 appearances and totaling just five minutes in the playoffs.
What Did Jocytė Say?
Because the interview was conducted in Lithuanian, CBSSports.com summarized her key points from English translations. Jocytė revealed mixed feelings about the championship season due to her limited playing time and admitted she is unsure about returning to the Valkyries because of that lack of court time and a strained relationship with coach Natalie Nakase. She stated that she never fully understood why she remained out of the rotation and received varying explanations throughout the season, while also lamenting a lack of communication from both Nakase and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin.
Reporting for CBSSports.com, Kenzo Fukada subsequently noted that Jocytė and her representatives were frustrated that Nakase changed her reasoning to the media regarding the benching. This inconsistency made it difficult for the young guard to figure out what adjustments she needed to make to break into the rotation.
How Have the Valkyries Addressed the Situation?
Neither Nakase nor Nyanin has spoken to the media since the interview aired, but Valkyries owner Joe Lacob addressed the matter on Tim Kawakami’s podcast. Lacob acknowledged that he understands the player’s competitive frustration over wanting to win and not getting to play, noting that she is only 20 years old on a deep, talented roster. Lacob expressed a strong desire to have her back, predicting she will earn significantly more playing time in the future while recognizing that emotional reactions happen in the heat of the moment.
Why Does This Matter?
Jocytė is far from a standard end-of-the-bench roster filler. As a European phenom, she led Lithuania to a silver medal at the U16 European championships at age 13 and turned pro at 14 with ASVEL Lyon, becoming the youngest player to appear in France’s Ligue Féminine de Basketball and EuroBasket Women. Before arriving in the WNBA, she led Lyon to the EuroCup Women 2025 semifinals alongside Dominique Malonga and helped Spar Girona secure a fourth-place finish in EuroLeague Women 2026. Standing at 6 feet tall, the left-handed guard has proven herself on major stages as a teenager.
At just 20 years old—an age where she would be starting her junior year of college—Jocytė possesses immense potential. The Valkyries made a major investment by selecting her fifth overall in 2025, and she remains under contract through 2028 with a team option for 2029, earning under $400,000 next season. While the franchise currently holds ample cap space, future max player signings in free agency could tighten flexibility, making cheap young talent crucial for extending their title window. Even after trading the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft for two second-rounders, the team will not want to abandon a former No. 5 overall selection.
What Options Do Jocytė and the Valkyries Have?
The Valkyries could theoretically waive Jocytė since her contract is unprotected, doing so at no cost to open up a roster spot and cap space, though that outcome appears highly unlikely. Alternatively, if she makes it clear she refuses to play for the team again, a trade could be explored this offseason. Despite her age, potential, and affordable salary, her public comments have removed much of the franchise’s leverage in determining fair trade value.
Another possibility involves Jocytė sitting out the 2027 season. Lithuania will automatically qualify as one of the hosts for EuroBasket Women 2027, scheduled for June 16-27, a tournament that was already going to cause her to miss a portion of the WNBA season. She could potentially skip the WNBA entirely to prepare for one of the biggest competitions of her career and her country’s history, especially if she remains on the roster in the spring. In that scenario, the Valkyries would retain her rights, though that may hold limited value with expansion on the horizon.
Finally, a reconciliation remains possible where Jocytė and the organization smooth things over ahead of next season. Given her youth, room for growth, and rookie contract, a path still exists for her to join the rotation and become an important piece of the franchise’s future.
Compounding the pressure on the Valkyries is the impending arrival of expansion drafts. This offseason marks the final one without an expansion draft until 2030, with the Cleveland Sirens joining in 2028, followed by a Detroit franchise in 2029 and a Philadelphia team in 2030. This timeline leaves the Valkyries under heightened pressure to resolve the situation, lest they be forced to protect her in upcoming expansion drafts over more established players or risk losing her unprotected for nothing.
