Dawn Staley chides reporter over Kate Martin post after Valkyries cuts
· Yahoo Sports
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley took exception to one reporter's post about the Golden State Valkyries waiving Kate Martin.
On May 7, Martin was waived by the Valkyries as the team finalized its roster ahead of the 2026 WNBA season. The move was somewhat surprising, given Martin was a fan favorite and one of the first players Golden State chose during its 2024 expansion draft.
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However, Martin's first season with the team was inconsistent production-wise, and when preseason rolled around, she was battling a right quad strain, which likely didn't help matters. On April 25, she tallied eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes of action against the Seattle Storm.
Ultimately, the Valkyries opted to keep others previously thought to be on the bubble, like former UConn guard Kaitlin Chen and former South Carolina forward Laeticia Amihere. One reporter shared his analysis − that Chen and Amihere made the cut over Martin − when Golden State's roster was revealed. Staley took exception to the reporter's post, calling them out on X.
"Not cool to actually use other players' names, specifically Laeticia Amihere, for your personal preface. I hope (that) if you cover the Valkyries, you can unbiasedly do so moving forward," Staley wrote.
Not cool to actually use other players names specifically Laeticia Amihere for your personal preface. I hope if you cover the Valkyries you can unbiasedly do so moving forward. https://t.co/acTaffe7vA
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) May 8, 2026
Staley has notably defended her former players over the years, so taking up for Amihere was not shocking.
Still, many people on social media pointed out Golden State was in a tough position. Amihere, Chen and Martin were battling for two spots. In most scenarios, whether Amihere stayed or was waived, her name was likely to be mentioned in news cycles.
Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase helped shed some light on why the team ultimately decided to keep players like Chen and Amihere over Martin. For example, Nakase noted how Chen dove into her offseason work, playing overseas and stateside with Athletes Unlimited and even training in the Bay Area before this season began to help improve her game.
Regarding Amihere, Golden State needs more post depth with center Iliana Rupert (pregnancy) out indefinitely, which likely increased her chances of making the opening day roster.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dawn Staley scolds reporter over Kate Martin post after Valkyries cuts