Valkyries' Juste Jocyte wants out even after WNBA title win

The Golden State Valkyries’ championship high appears to be over for one player.

Valkyries guard/forward Juste Jocyte spoke with the media in her native Lithuania this week. In her remarks, Jocyte expressed dissatisfaction with the team (despite their 2026 WNBA championship victory) and indicated that she wanted out of Golden State.

“It’s fun for the team, but on the other hand, I didn’t contribute much,” said Jocyte, according to a rough translation from BasketNews. “It’s both very fun and partly sad because you don’t feel the same way. You don’t care as much.

“And I don’t even know my position, whether I would like to go back next year,” Jocyte added. “It’s a very ambiguous feeling … I still haven’t fully understood why I didn’t play, and those excuses are ridiculous.”

Jocyte also indicated in the interview that she had a strained relationship with Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and added that she has communicated to Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin that she does not want to return next season. You can read Jocyte’s full interview at the link here.

Still only 20 years old, Jocyte was Golden State’s No. 5 overall pick during the 2025 WNBA Draft. Interestingly enough, all four players who were selected ahead of her that year (Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen) have already managed to develop into All-Star selections.

Meanwhile, Jocyte (a two-time Lithuanian Women’s Basketball Player of the Year) did not join the Valkyries in 2025 due to her national team commitments and then appeared in just 18 total games for Golden State in 2026. She averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 assists over 8.1 minutes per game in the regular season and then played just five total minutes over two garbage-time appearances during the playoffs.

The Valkyries clearly made all the right decisions with their rotations this season as they won the WNBA title in just their second season of existence (and brought some great vibes along the way). But Jocyte clearly does not want to be a part of those vibes any longer as she attempts to search for a bigger role on a different team next season.