The Golden State Valkyries waived forward Ashten Prechtel on Wednesday, per a team release. Prechtel had been signed to a hardship contract, but did not appear in a game prior to her release. The move suggests that at least one of the Valkyries injures rotation players is nearing a return. The most likely candidates nearing a return seem like Cecilia Zandalasini (who has been out with a concussion) and Tiffany Hayes (sidelined by a left pinky injury). Given the decision to waive Prechtel, it seems
like either player could be back in uniform for the Valkyries game on Wednesday night against the New York Liberty.
Prechtel spent her entire collegiate career at Stanford from 2019-2023, serving as a key bench contributor during the team’s championship run in 2021. However, her role steadily declined over the course of her tenure and never consistently cracked the starting lineup. Despite playing a career-low 7.6 minutes per game as a senior, Prechtel was still drafted in the third round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun. She was waived prior to her rookie campaign, though, and went abroad to continue her career.
Prechtel inked training camp contracts with the Washington Mystics (2025) and Phoenix Mercury (2026) over the past two seasons, but did not crack either team’s final rosters. Her hardship deal with the Valkyries was her first official WNBA service time. However, she will head to the waiver wire still looking for an opportunity to play regular season WNBA basketball.
