Golden State Valkyries 2026 WNBA Draft Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

The Valkyries value shot-making, and Kneepkens would be a very nice fit in Golden State's system. Her bread and butter is 3-point shooting, but it's her mid-range work that makes her stand out. Her patience and footwork in that area will be a welcome addition at the pro level. What's more, the UCLA guard works well in a two-man game (as she has with teammate Lauren Betts this season), and the Valkyries could use that experience to exploit opposing defenses.

The Valkyries didn't have many 3-point threats last season, but they still took a WNBA-record 29.9 attempts per game. As long as Natalie Nakase remains in charge in the Bay Area (which should be for a long time), this team is going to fire away from behind the arc. Kneepkens, who transferred to UCLA this season, is one of the best shooters in this class. She's off to a so-so start this season, but shot over 42% in each of her last three seasons at Utah.

The offensive side of the ball was more challenging than the defensive end for Golden State in its inaugural season, so why not bring in the leading scorer in college basketball? Latson is one of the most relentless downhill attackers in the game; while the Valkyries attempted fewer than 20 percent of their shots in the restricted area in 2025, Latson took 30 percent of her field goals within 4½ feet of the rim. For Golden State, which led the WNBA in 3-point attempts, Latson could supercharge drive-and-kick opportunities. She is a great athlete and finisher.

Kneepkens' greatest skill is stretching defenses with her 3-point shooting. She is currently at a career-low 36.7% from behind the arc, but her history (playing previously at Utah) suggests that will go up. She is averaging 12.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 3.7 APG.