The Golden State Valkyries are the 2026 WNBA champions, an already remarkable achievement made more remarkable by the fact that they shot under 35 percent from the field and barely 26 percent from 3 in the seven-game WNBA Finals.
Improved shooting, it seems, will be a priority as they pursue a repeat.
And a solution might be on their bench. Or, she might not.
Justē Jocytē, the Valkyries’ first-ever draft pick who was selected No. 5 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft and delayed her WNBA debut until the 2026
season, was supposed to be that shooter.
In the summer of 2025, she suited up for her native Lithuania in EuroBasket Women and shot better than 45 percent from 3. Last winter, she played for the Spanish club Spar Girona, participating in 17 EuroLeague and 33 Lige Feminina de Baloncesto games, shooting around 35 percent from deep overall. This season, in 140 WNBA minutes across 18 games, Jocytē got up 27 3s and made 12 of them, good for over 44 percent.
Her 3-point shooting at 6-foot-0 and soon-to-be 21 years old, plus some promise as a ball handler, suggests she could emerge as a piece who helps the Valkyries sustain their success.
Jocytē doesn’t see it that way.
Speaking to Lithuanian media, Jocytē revealed that she would prefer a WNBA future outside of Golden State, detailing her overall dissatisfaction with her rookie season, despite also enjoying being a member of a championship-winning team.
Jocytē said:
We just became champions, but from the perspective of my personal growth, it’s hard to imagine going back to the same coach, who doesn’t really communicate well and doesn’t seem to like me very much. My thoughts are that I don’t really want to return to that team.
At ClutchPoints, Valkyries beat reporter Kenzo Fukuda dives deep into all the sentiments expressed by Joctyē, cross checking the translation from Lithuanian to English with multiple sources to offer an as accurate as possible accounting of what she shared.
The topline takeaway is Joctyē’s frustrations with head coach Natalie Nakase. From her perspective, the coach offered evolving excuses for her lack of playing time, in addition to little clarity about her role. Jocytē indicated she understands she needs to improve, especially defensively, but believed she needed more playing time, in along with more direction, in order to do so.
Per Fukuda’s translation, Jocytē expressed:
It seems like I’m so hopeless on defense that I don’t stand a chance and can’t play. There were countless games where we were winning by 20 points, and they still wouldn’t let me play. You can tell that something isn’t quite right with what’s being said. If they want to develop my physicality, I should still be getting some playing time. I left without really understanding why I spent practically the entire season sitting on the bench.
She also revealed that she approached general manager Ohemaa Nyanin about finding a WNBA future outside Golden State, with the GM simply responding, “Okay.”
The terse response bothered the young player, while also affirming her desire to depart the organization. She related:
And I’m thinking: wow, they had such high hopes—I was the club’s first-round pick, and there were so many expectations, they showed so much interest—but when I said I didn’t want to come back, the response was just “Okay.” It’s not exactly a blow below the belt, but it seems like they don’t really care.
All that seems to add up to a Jocytē trade, although, despite her perceptions, the organization could desire to retain her and invest in her development. As Joctyē herself said, “As for a trade, that’s a different story, and we’ll see later, but right now my preliminary thoughts are that I really wouldn’t want to go back.”
That said, it seems safe to assume that Jocytē’s second WNBA season will see her in a new uniform.
As I already discussed on The Feed, Golden State’s short draft history—which, from the outside, looks like a lot of mismanagement and missed opportunities—suggests the organization might have a different valuation system for drafted prospects, making them more willing to move on from players that they, upon closer evaluation, determine to be poor fits.
That track record indicates that Golden State will not be too precious about moving on from Jocytē.
So, what other WNBA teams should be putting in a call to San Francisco about acquiring Jocytē? While her still-theoretical skill set could benefit most teams, these three standout to me.
Indiana Fever
Indiana has yet to fully install their new leadership, thus far only hiring former WNBA player Sheri Sam, who had worked in the Portland Trail Blazers’ scouting departing since 2022, as the assistant general manager.
If the new front office opts to Iowa-ize the Fever, surrounding Caitlin Clark with more shooting and floor spacing, Jocytē could be an interesting option. Although with the Fever, like the Valkyries, focused on championship contention, the inexperienced Jocytē could find herself in a similar circumstance.
Seattle Storm
The Storm and Valkyries have already made an (in)famous together. So, let’s run it back!
In contrast to Golden State or Indiana, Jocytē would fit with Seattle’s timeline, potentially becoming a fourth core piece alongside Dominique Malonga, Flau’jae Johnson and Awa Fam. A fully-realized Joctyē—a high-volume 3-point shooter with on-the-ball skills—would almost perfectly address Seattle’s deficits.
Washington Mystics
As Beckett Harrison has emphasized on multiple occasions, the Mystics have surround their star trio of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin will a cast young players whose primary skill sets make them puzzling fits, primarily due to an absence of outside shooting.
In DC, like in Seattle, Jocytē would address that weakness. Washington could also insulate her defensive limitations, especially if she could serve as a secondary initiator in lineups where Citron assumes primary ballhandler duties.
Teams that simply could use an influx of young talents, like the Los Angles Sparks or Phoenix Mercury, could also make sense for Jocytē.
What fits intrigue you the most? Do you think your favorite team should be interested? In the comments, conjure up your best fantasy trades!
