The Valkyries’ rookie guard Kaitlyn Chen made WNBA history Tuesday night, becoming the league’s first Taiwanese player to take the court officially. In Golden State’s inaugural preseason game at the Chase Center, Chen entered during the fourth quarter to a roaring standing ovation from 17,428 fans, marking a milestone moment for AAPI representation in professional basketball.
Selected 30th overall out of the legendary UConn in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Chen’s debut symbolized more than just the start of her professional career — it reflected a powerful shift in visibility and inclusion for Taiwanese and Asian Americans in sports.
Under head coach Natalie Nakase, who is of Japanese descent and the league’s first Asian American head coach, the Golden State is boldly breaking barriers from the bench to the baseline. Despite a late comeback effort, they ultimately fell 83-82 to the Los Angeles Sparks in their preseason opener.
Coming off the bench in the fourth quarter, Chase Center erupted for the third-round rookie. In her WNBA preseason debut, Chen made history as the first Taiwanese player to appear in a WNBA game and played a total of 7 minutes and 34 seconds, recording 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting, and 3 rebounds. Her first basket came off a sharp transition layup assist from guard Julie Vanloo.
Postgame, the GSV head coach, Nakase, praised Chen’s fearless play and reliability, highlighting her as a trusted presence on the Valkyries’ court. Hopefully, Golden State keeps her on the roster.
“I think it’s cause she’s so loved from the basketball world in general,” Nakase said. “Kaitlyn, she just leaves everything out on the floor. And I know what I’m going to get from Kaitlyn. She plays 94-feet pick-up. She’ll look at me and be like, ‘What do you want to run,’ and I’ll say, ‘Well what do you want to run?’ She’s someone that you could trust. But at the same time, she’s fearless.”
The Valkyries selected Chen from the crowd in the third round of the 2025 WNBA Draft; Chen was in attendance with former UConn teammate and No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers.
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“(She’s) someone that you could trust. But at the same time, like you can see she’s fearless,” Nakase said. “You saw the response from our team, right, like they just, like, jumped for joy, soon as Kate made a shot right as soon as they made their first, I think that was a big moment.”
The game took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA., and was officiated by Jeff Wooten, Randy Richardson, and Jason Alabanza. The Valkyries ultimately lost 83-82 in a nail-biting preseason opener.
The Valkyries’ starting five included Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, Temi Fagbenle, Monique Billings, and Tiffany Hayes. The 2025 season is the first for the Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion team in seventeen years. They are already dearly loved by Golden State fans and Asian Americans.
The Sparks’ starting 5 welcomed Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby, Azurá Stevens, Rae Burrell, and Kelsey Plum.
As the first Taiwanese American to play in the WNBA, Chen joins a growing list of athletes and coaches, like her head coach, Nakase, who are breaking barriers and expanding representation for Asian Americans in the sport. With final roster decisions looming, Chen will face tough competition to secure one of the Valkyries’ 12 spots ahead of their inaugural season. Still, her strong fan base and promising debut could make any decision to cut her a difficult one.
The will Valkyries close out the WNBA 2025 Preseason on Sunday, May 11, when they visit the Phoenix Mercury. The Valkyries will then open up their inaugural regular season against the retooled Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, May 16, at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
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