Valkyries to open training camp without first-round pick Justė Jocytė

OAKLAND The Golden State Valkyries will open their first training camp at the club s practice facility in Oakland on Sunday but first-round pick Just Jocyt will not be present As expected the -year-old Lithuanian guard was not named to the Valkyries training camp roster and her absence confirms she won t be with the gang to start the regular season Jocyt is expected to play for Lithuania s national club at EuroBasket in June and could join the WNBA expansion association midseason if she chooses She averaged points assists and steals per tournament and shot from the three-point line in France s top women s league this past season The Valkyries have players on their training camp roster and will need to trim that number to before the club s season opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center on May Golden State is scheduled to play its first of two preseason games just nine days after the start of training camp Rookies Shyanne Sellers drafted in the second round th overall and Kaitlyn Chen third round th overall will be competing for roster spots in a crowded guard group that includes Carla Leite Tiffany Hayes Kate Martin Veronica Burton Migna Tour and Julie Vanloo Sellers and Chen have shown the ability to be high-level -point shooters in college and could slide in as complementary pieces should they make the company Golden State Valkyries draft pick Kaitlyn Chen left General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin center and draft pick Shyanne Sellers right take part in a press conference on Wednesday April in Oakland Calif Sellers was the th selection and Chen the th selection for the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA draft Aric Crabb Bay Area News Group I already know based on the conversations that we have had that they re already mentally and physically preparing for this very competitive training camp Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin commented of Sellers and Chen last week Fresh off winning a WNBA championship with the New York Liberty last season forward Kayla Thornton is slated to be one of the gang s top scoring options The nine-year veteran started games for the Liberty in and shot a career-high from the three-point line Thornton along with Monique Billings and Stephanie Talbot headline an experienced forward unit that could be the Valkyries strongest position group going into the season Related Articles Warriors Kerr reiterates that expletive-filled chants stepping way over the line Warriors respond to Dillon Brooks calling Draymond Green a dirty player Warriors relatively optimistic Jimmy Butler will play in Tournament San Jose State hires former Oklahoma top assistant Chatterton as women s head basketball coach How to watch Warriors-Rockets Championship Among other notable training camp absentees are Iliana Rupert and Mar a Conde two of the Valkyries picks in December s expansion draft Conde s absence was expected after she suffered an Achilles injury playing in a EuroLeague challenge in January Rupert has not yet signed a contract with the Valkyries According to group leaders center Elissa Cunane and forward Janelle Sala n will arrive at camp at a later date after fulfilling international commitments