‘She is a phenomenal athlete’: Why the Valkyries selected Justė Jocytė with their first-ever draft pick

SAN FRANCISCO — Following Monday’s draft, Golden State Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin walked into the Bill King Media Room inside Chase Center smiling from ear to ear. 

With the fifth overall pick and the franchise’s first ever draft choice, Ohemaa selected Justė Jocytė – a 19-year-old guard from Lithuania that most American basketball fans have never heard of. 

But for Ohemaa, Jocytė couldn’t be a better fit for this team. 

“She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Ohemaa said. “She was the youngest athlete to play in the Euro League at 14 and we didn’t take that lightly. To have her be available at No. 5 was super important to us.”