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The Golden State Valkyries (5-5) have been one of the best stories of the 2025 WNBA season.
After starting 2-5, the 2025 expansion team is riding a three-game win streak heading into a week of games against the Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun.
However, with six players headed to compete in EuroBasket 2025, head coach Natalie Nakase will need some domestic players to step up as they face Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark this week.
To aid the backcourt, Golden State signed Bueckers' former teammate from their 2025 UConn NCAA championship team, Kaitlyn Chen.
One domestic player more likely to step into a bigger role is guard Kate Martin, who gave Nakase one of the easiest decisions that the coach has had with the Valkyries so far.
Martin was selected by Golden State in the WNBA expansion draft from the Las Vegas Aces, where she spent her rookie season after playing with Clark in college at Iowa.
From year one to year two, Martin has more than doubled her scoring average from 2.6 points per game to 6.2. She is also averaging nearly five more minutes per game.
The Golden State Valkyries selected Kate Martin in the WNBA Expansion Draft
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 7, 2024
What a rookie season she had with the Aces ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zqqT2adwd7
"She was my No. 1 priority from Vegas," Nakase said. "In the expansion draft, we handpicked players that embody our culture: hard-working, mental toughness and ultra-competitive."
"Kate fits all of those," she continued. "Kate is our culture."
Martin, 25, put her skills together into two eye-catching performances off the bench this month. On June 1, she hit her career-high of 14 points in the first half against the Minnesota Lynx.
KATE MARTIN IS ON FIRE ‼️
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 2, 2025
11 POINTS IN 5 MINUTES.
MIN-GSV | WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by@coinbase pic.twitter.com/PumraG528H
Less than a week later, she followed up with 12 points and seven rebounds in a season-high 26 minutes as the Valkyries dismantled her former team, the Aces.
"My goal is always to make an impact and be a good teammate," Martin said. "No matter how big or small my role is, I'm doing the dang thing and trying to do it to the best of my ability."
More must-reads:
- Three-time All-Star will be key to Fever weathering troubling Caitlin Clark injury update
- Injured Phillies pitcher takes big step toward return
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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WNBA Pay Gap Exposed After Player Chooses College Over Pros Despite Being Drafted
Although she was selected in the third round of the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics with the No. 30 pick, Belgium forward Nastja Claessens was announced as a member of the Kansas State Wildcats basketball roster on Friday. Albeit a huge addition for the Wildcats, who are adding a player who was a member of the Belgian Senior National Team that won FIBA Women’s EuroBasket last month, and was also a member of Belgium's 2024 Paris Olympics roster, it is a huge slap in the face to the WNBA. WNBA Pay Issues As the WNBA All-Stars proudly displayed before the WNBA All-Star Game earlier this month, players in the league are not all on board with the league's current pay structure. The biggest stars in the league, such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Sabrina Ionescu, along with the other All-Stars, all wore shirts that read "Pay us what you owe us." According to Market Watch, the current CBA only sees WNBA players get 9.3% of the league's revenue, while leagues like the NBA, NHL, and NFL all receive around 50%. Although the league historically hasn't been as financially successful, the WNBA announced a historic media rights deal last July worth $2.2 billion. Claessens Can Reap Rewards of New WNBA's New CBA It's unclear when the 21-year-old forward who averaged 5.2 points on 52.9% shooting during EuroBasket will make the leap to the WNBA, but by the time she does, there's a high probability that the WNBPA and WNBA have agreed upon a new CBA. A development that would presumably raise the average salary of players in the WNBA, which range from around $64,000 to around $252,000. The players have made it clear that if there isn't a deal that they view as fit, they would be willing to force a lockout during the 2026 season which could either delay or cancel the season entirely. Claessens' New Team The Belgian will be joining a K-State program that went 28-8 this past season, the program's second-highest win total in school history. The Wildcats also made a fairly deep run in the NCAA Tournament, making an appearance in the Sweet 16. With many people already talking about the WNBA's pay scale, a player choosing to play college ball over the pros is a prime example of the work that still needs to be done.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
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