The Golden State Valkyries made headlines on WNBA draft night when they traded the eighth overall pick, LSU standout Flau'Jae Johnson, to the Seattle Storm. In exchange, they acquired the draft rights to TCU's Marta Suarez and a 2028 second-round pick. Fast forward to Saturday, and that bold move has taken an unexpected turn—the Valkyries have waived Suarez, along with several other players.

Suarez, a 6-foot-3 forward from Spain, was selected 16th overall by Seattle before being traded to Golden State. She showed flashes of potential during the Valkyries' preseason game against the Storm on April 25, posting five points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 14 minutes of action. Her college career was equally impressive, with stops at Tennessee, Cal, and TCU, where she averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a senior while shooting 37% from beyond the arc.

But the roster shakeup didn't stop there. The Valkyries also waived fellow second-round pick Ashlon Jackson (selected 23rd overall), center Mariella Fasoula, guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, forward Miela Sowah, and forward Cate Reese. The only draft pick Golden State still holds rights to is Japan's Kokoro Tanaka, a third-round selection who is not currently on the active roster.

General manager Ohemaa Nyanin acknowledged that the trade with Seattle was arranged before the draft, but she was tight-lipped about the reasoning behind moving Johnson. "I'm going to take a beat to be able to eloquently give a response. I don't have a lot of details to share," Nyanin said on draft night. "One, because I'm exhausted. Two, because I want to be very thoughtful when I'm talking about other humans and their basketball abilities and how they would or would not show up for our squad."

Despite the sudden change in direction, Nyanin had nothing but praise for Suarez at the time of the trade. "Marta is fierce. She's fearless," she said. "She has a very high basketball IQ. Her high character is off the charts. ... We felt like she would be a great fit."

This marks the second consecutive season that Golden State has waived a player acquired through a high-profile draft trade, raising questions about the team's long-term strategy as they continue to build their roster for the upcoming WNBA season.