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After a short waiting period, the Golden State Valkyries have officially signed restricted free agent Temi Fagbenle to a one-year deal, Noa Dalzell of SB Nation reports. The veteran center was a key rotation piece on the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever. She averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 22 games last season in Indiana.
The Valkyries selected the 6'4″ Fagbenle in their expansion draft after the Fever surprisingly elected to leave the 32-year-old unprotected back in December. It was a shock to many Indiana fans because Fagbenle was a key rotational piece in the Fever's rotation. She played a big role in anchoring Indiana's defense by defending opposing bigs in the post. Fagbenle also gave the team a lot of utility on offense. As a good screener and strong roller, she assisted Clark in the pick-and-roll game to great effect. She also was a capable passer for a center and the Fever leveraged her playmaking to get their shooters open.
The Valkyries' brain trust is more than excited to have Fagbenle in the Bay Area. Head coach Natalie Nakase told the San Francisco Chronicle about her vision for Fagbenle's role on the Valkyries.
“Temi has the ability to run the floor,” Nakase said. “I had to create a different type of defensive scheme [while coaching Vegas] because she took off so fast. She’s really tough to guard because she can shoot the 3, and she can make decisions while she’s out on the floor in space. Her quick decisions and her ability to put it down one dribble and get to the rim means we have confidence to give her a lot of freedom.”
Per Spotrac, the Valkyries signed Fagbenle to a 1-year, $90,000 contract, which puts them at $621,506 in salaries. They have around $375,000 before they reach the cap ceiling, which gives them ample room heading into the WNBA draft. Regardless, Fagbenle provides the Valkyries with much-needed energy to get this franchise up and running.
