WNBA News: Indiana Fever's president share her thoughts on expansion draft

The WNBA is preparing for its expansion draft on December 6th, which will shape the inaugural roster for the Golden State Valkyries. Indiana Fever’s president Kelly Krauskopf shared her thoughts on the process, in which it is expected that Caitlin Clark will be protected.

“There’s not any nervousness,” Krauskopf said, according to Athlon Sports. “You’re just preparing because you know you’re gonna lose a player off your roster, so you’re looking at every aspect of what we can do if we lose somebody to shore up that spot.”

“Expansion drafts aren’t always great for those of us who are trying to acquire a deep bench,” Krauskopf said. “On the flip side, it’s an opportunity if you’re creative,” she added. Apart from Clark, Aliyah Boston is also a player that many expect to be protected from being drafted.

As the league’s newest franchise, the Valkyries will have the opportunity to select up to 12 players from the existing teams, but no more than one from each team. While they technically pick anyone, many interesting talents are entering free agency, or have already been cored twice.

Aliyah Boston is expected to be one of Indiana Fever’s protected players

Players who have already been “cored” twice, including DeWanna Bonner, Tina Charles, Brittney Griner, Natasha Howard, Brionna Jones, and Nneka Ogwumike, are essentially unavailable. Since these players cannot be cored again by their current teams or by the Valkyries, selecting them would be ineffective.

see also

WNBA News: Which players can be protected for the next expansion draft?

Protected players won’t be made public

All the teams submit a list of up to six players who will be ineligible for selection by the Valkyries, however, the list won’t be made public. This includes both active roster players and players with future rights, such as draft picks or reserved players.

When is the Expansion Draft taking place?

The event is scheduled for December 6th, with ESPN airing a 30-minute special on its main channel at 6:30 p.m. ET. Players will not be present at the event, which will be hosted by the Valkyries at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Meanwhile, the franchise will host a separate draft watch party at another location.