Valkyries bring back Chen and Bibby as Fágbénlé heads to EuroBasket

The Valkyries signed 2025 third-round draft pick Kaitlyn Chen and forward Chloe Bibby to their roster on Sunday as starting center Temi Fágbénlé left the team to participate in EuroBasket for her native Great Britain.

Fágbénlé, the Valkyries’ 6-foot-4 starting center, is the last Golden State player expected to leave for the tournament and follows fellow European teammates Janelle Salaün, Julie Vanloo and Cecilia Zandalasini as players whose contracts will be temporarily suspended while they are fulfilling national team duties.

Fágbénlé is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds for Golden State (5-5). She scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Valkyries’ 76-70 win over the Seattle Storm on Saturday.

Bibby and Chen both played for the Valkyries in the preseason. Bibby, 26, was the Polish league MVP last season but has largely played professionally in her native Australia after her college days at Mississippi State and Maryland. She averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in two preseason games for the Valkyries.

Chen, the 30th overall pick out of Connecticut, also played for the Valkyries in the preseason. She had two points, three rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes over the two games. The 23-year-old shooting guard started for the 2025 NCAA champion Huskies after three seasons at Princeton.

Losing Fágbénlé will be significant for the Valkyries as they already lack size and will be without their tallest player for the next few weeks. But Fágbénlé said she is confident the Valkyries will continue to play well in her absence.

“We know what it takes to be great teammates and we know what it takes to step up and do what we need to do for the team to succeed,” Fágbénlé said after Saturday’s win. “So whoever leaves, it’s gonna be fine. Someone’s gonna step up and we’re gonna do it together. That’s really the strength of our team.”

According to the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, any player taking a leave to play in EuroBasket has 48 hours to return after their national team has completed play.

Should Great Britain make the EuroBasket finals, Fágbénlé will miss the Valkyries’ next six games.

Backup center Monique Billings figures to start for the next few weeks. Coach Natalie Nakase said on Thursday that newly signed forward Laeticia Amihere will play spot minutes at the five.

“When she leaves, it’s going to be a big piece missing,” Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton said of Fágbénlé. “I’m sure we’re going to have to have (Monique Billings) step up… We’re going to miss her, but we’re going to have to hold it down while she’s gone and until she gets back.”