The Golden State Valkyries made a splash as the newest team in the WNBA last season, becoming the first team to reach the playoffs in their debut year. However, the team is in no mood to slow down in the offseason, as they have recently made a new addition to their executive leadership group in Denise Romero ahead of the new season.

On Monday (Jan. 13), the Valkyries announced Romero, a highly experienced operative in the basketball community, as its Vice President. Reportedly, Romero will supervise basketball administration and essentially the staff operations of the team, while detailing her activities to General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. The Valkyries’ X handle shared the announcement with a heartfelt message. “Welcome to Golden State!” the caption read.

Romero’s stint as the Valkyrie VP will be her second tenure with a WNBA team. She previously led the basketball operations of the Phoenix Mercury from 2003 to 2019. She also oversaw their game operations and their travel in different tenures. Naturally, the Valkyries wanted to tap into this experience of Romero to gain valuable insights she brings to the table.

“Denise brings over two decades of experience building systems and relationships that allow basketball operations to run seamlessly,” general manager Nyanin said in a statement. “Her expertise in logistics, team coordination, and organizational culture will strengthen our operations and support our staff as we continue building this franchise.”

However, Romero’s appointment to the Valkyries couldn’t have come at a more challenging phase of the WNBA. The league is at the crossroads, with no negotiations being reached between the WNBPA and WNBA over a new CBA. The last Collective Bargaining Agreement expiry on Jan.09 has led to the halt of free agency endeavors. As per the timeline, the teams could have sent in qualifying offers to the free agency players between Jan 11-20. The contract signings were scheduled to take place in February, if agreed upon in mutual discussions.

However, the ongoing extended negotiations have prevented teams from engaging with free agency players until a new deal is finalized. It poses a serious challenge to the teams to frame out their rosters in the postseason. Therefore, it will be a hurdle for the higher authority of the Valkyries, including Denise Romero, to retain their required free agency players and send in offers to new players whenever a solution arises.

Who Are the Free Agents That the Golden State Valkyries and Denise Romero Could Have Targeted?

The Golden State Valkyries entered the postseason with several departments to fix in their roster. With the majority of the roster uncontracted for the 2026 season, the Natalie Nakase-coached side was in for a heck of a postseason challenge. Several of the side’s top performers, including Kayla Thornton, are entering the season as free agents. Thornton logged in for 22 matches last season, averaging 14.0 points.

If Thornton leaves, the Valkyries’ front office, including Denise Romero, can explore an array of top forwards in the market. Seattle Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike, who averaged 18.3 points in the season, can be one of the targets for the Valkyries. Moreover, other options for the Valkyries include Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally.

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Besides, the Valkyries also have the challenge of keeping Veronica Burton in their roster. The Valkyries guard was the team’s leader in points, assists, steals, and blocks last season. Thereby, such a stellar season can convincingly attract new offers from the other teams in the league. However, the Valkyries will have the last say as they hold the rights to match the presented offer.

Additionally, the Valkyries can also target several other free agents, including Alanna Smith, to boost their defensive strength. However, for now, all the discussions around the free agents and transfers revolve around the question of when the negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBPA will resolve.