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The WNBA Draft has come and gone, and the Valkyries have three new players. Here is what to know about the newest donning violet.

Marta Suarez, forward, TCU

Well, never mind.

After selecting Flau’jae Johnson, the Valkyries traded her to Seattle in exchange for the No. 16 overall pick, Marta Suarez, and a 2028 second-rounder.

That’s essentially two second-round picks for a first, but Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin did not clarify why the Valkyries made the move when pressed.

“We had a lot of connections in those meetings, one of them being Marta Suarez,” she said. “… So, I don't have a lot of detail to share. 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. And what I can say is, even through all of this exhaustion, I'm extremely excited about all of the athletes that we've signed or about to sign"."

When pressed, she said she “didn’t have much to share” about the trade.

"When I'm ready to kind of speak more about what the strategy is behind it, I'll speak on it.,” she said.

Suarez is coming off a breakout season at TCU, helping lead the Horned Frogs to a Sweet 16 run. She began her college career at Tennessee and also spent time locally at Cal before transferring.

In her graduate season, Suarez averaged 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. She shot 45.3% from the field and 37% from three-point range while playing alongside star point guard Olivia Miles.

At 6-foot-3, Suarez offers more size than Johnson, a 5-foot-10 wing, and appears to be a cleaner fit with the Valkyries’ roster construction. Still, Johnson likely carries the higher long-term upside.

Suarez is a fascinating prospect to project at the pro level. Her final season vaulted her into WNBA consideration after previously serving as a solid role player on lesser teams. The key question: how much of her production was driven by playing on a loaded roster alongside Miles, and how much reflects genuine individual growth?

The Valkyries are clearly betting on the latter.

Round 2, pick 23: Ashlon Jackson, guard, Duke

Jackson is probably most known by now as the player who hit the Sweet 16 buzzer-beating game-winning shot to get Duke past LSU and into the Elite Eight.

But in typical Valkyries fashion, the pick is rooted in defense. Jackson profiles as a classic 3-and-D wing, an ideal fit for the system head coach Natalie Nakase wants to run.

She shot 30.7% from three during the 2025–26 season, after hitting as high as 37.2% in her junior year.

Jackson can also handle the ball in transition and brings positional versatility on defense, using her 6-foot length to guard multiple spots.

Round 3, pick 38: Kokoro Tanaka, guard, Japan

The Valkyries added another international prospect in 20-year-old shooting guard Kokoro Tanaka, who plays for the Eneos Sunflowers in Japan’s WJBL.

Tanaka has also been part of Japan’s national team setup since 2025.

One of the more intriguing young players in Japan’s pipeline, she’s a likely draft-and-stash candidate who can continue developing overseas before making the jump.

Guards (8): Veronica Burton, Celecilia Zandalasini, Juste Jocyte, Kate Martin, Ashlon Jackson, Kaitlyn Chen, Miela Sowah, Kokoro Tanaka

Forwards (7): Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaun, Kayla Thornton, Kaila Charles, Marta Suarez, Laeticia Amihere, Cate Reese

Centers (3): Iliana Rupert, Kiah Stokes, Mariella Fasoula