More Going on Than Paige Bueckers As Analyst’s Bold Locker Room Demand Could Rescue Former Teammate

“Come on, Coach, I’m not good enough to do that,” former UConn star Kaitlyn Chen used to tell her high school coach Jayme Chan when asked about dreams to play in the WNBA. At the 2025 WNBA draft, she got a pleasant surprise! She was there to be a good teammate to Paige Bueckers, who was the No. 1 draft pick, but along with that, she was also picked in the expansion draft by the Golden State Valkyries in the third round as the 30th overall pick.

Chen made her debut in the league in their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks, becoming the league’s first Taiwanese player to take the court officially. In a super close game at the Chase Center, the new franchise seemed to be troubling the Sparks, but a couple of free throws for the Sparks just closed out the game. Even after a running pull-up jump shot from Laeticia Amihere kept them a point behind. Despite the loss, the Valkyries made their mark in this game, especially Chen. Her 8 minutes on the court were enough for the fans to make her the fan favorite, according to this national analyst.

Rachel De Mita said on her YouTube channel, “People were telling me that Kaitlyn Chen was the draw of the night, she was definitely the fan favorite so I’m surely hoping that she makes the final roster and gets to stay in Golden State.”

Chen has garnered a special fan base since her college days; she played an essential role in UConn winning the 2025 National Championship along with Bueckers. The UConn fans loved her; she was the experienced guard who took care of things Paige Bueckers didn’t, paving the way for the star. Joining in her senior year from Princeton, she started 40 games for the Huskies, averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 rebounds.

If she wanted, she could have continued being the star and focal point at Princeton, but she wanted more; she wanted the title. So even with a different role, she fit in like a glove. Her selection in the draft had earned one of the biggest cheers of the night, as her UConn teammates shouted and hugged her after the pick. Now she could be representing Asia at the highest level of sports in the US.

Chen definitely seems to have the support of the fans; in the only basket she scored against the Sparks, the crowd seemed to be the loudest. Valkyries’ Julie Vanloo fought for a steal while Chen ran the floor. Vanloo found Chen underneath the basket where Chen finished the transition layup, drawing loud cheers from 17,428 people who had come to watch how the new team in the WNBA plays.

Kaitlyn Chen from JVL on the break! pic.twitter.com/AtuLzZkglX

— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 7, 2025

Being owned by the same group as the Golden State Warriors certainly draws fans, but more than 17,000 of them? Doubtful, as there seems to be a keen interest in women’s basketball in the Bay Area, which made this the third most attended WNBA preseason game. Chen certainly has her share of fans, being the only Asian representative in the league. She has her admirers from UConn days who want Chen to do well in the WNBA. So, is there any chance that the fan favorite is retained by the Valkyries?

“I just think [Kaitlyn] is so loved from the basketball world in general. Kaitlyn, she just leaves everything out on the floor,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said after the game. She has some support from the coach. They had already waived second-round pick Shyanne Sellers last week before Chen. They have both their guards, Julie Vanloo and Carla Leite, leaving for the EuroBasket in the middle of the season. So they might retain Chen to be the third-string point guard. But we don’t know how this new franchise will approach their first season, so we will only know when they announce that roster.

What can we expect from the Valkyries?

The Bay Area will be enthusiastic to welcome its team, as more than 10,000 season tickets have already been sold, according to the franchise. There is no shortage of support. The owner, Joe Lacob, has the habit of winning, as his NBA franchise, the Golden State Warriors, is one of the most revered and successful franchises in the league. The day the team was announced in October of 2023, he said he wants a title in San Francisco in five years.

Five years is plenty of time to mold a title-winning squad if done right. They have roped in the Las Vegas Aces assistant coach  Natalie Nakase, who won back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and ’23. Taking advantage of the expansion draft, they have managed to put together an interesting mix of youth and experience.

They have veterans like Tiffany Hayes, Temi Fágbénlé, Kayla Thornton, and Billings playing with up-and-comers like Kate Martin, Kaitlyn Chen, and Veronica Burton. The Valkyries also have a crop of international talent, including Belgian guard Julie Vanloo, Australian veteran Stephanie Talbot, and Italian forward Cecilia Zandalasini. Their roster has no names that could potentially headline the franchise in the long run, with none of the players averaging in the double digits.

This could be the year they build a culture around the team, a signature playing style from a first-time coach. Only one of 10 WNBA expansion franchises has had a better than .500 record in its first season. With the situation with the CBA contract situation winding up next year, they could add the stars in free agency.

“I definitely see culture forming,” said forward Monique Billings, one of the players roped in the December expansion draft. “I see us holding each other accountable for that culture—executing the details, bringing high energy and making sure we keep our standards high.” They had an exciting opening game at the Chase Center, with the coach leaning on a fast-paced game and focusing on the defense. Any team facing this side at its best will have a tough time. It remains to be seen if they can keep up this type of play throughout the season.