Caroline Ducharme Waived by Valkyries Ahead of 12-Player Cut — Nba Standings
Caroline Ducharme was waived by the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday afternoon as the expansion team works to get down to 12 players before the May 8 deadline. The move trims one body from a preseason roster battle that still includes several players fighting for the final spots, and it comes with the team preparing for its first season.
Ducharme’s brief Valkyries stint
Ducharme reached Golden State on a training camp contract after going unselected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. She then logged seven minutes off the bench in Saturday’s preseason opener against Seattle, making her only 3-point attempt while finishing with one rebound and one assist in a 78-76 win.
That outing was her only game action in a Valkyries uniform before the roster move. The cut also follows the team’s decision to keep tightening its group as the deadline approaches, with Bailey Maupin also cut this preseason.
UConn injuries shaped her path
Ducharme arrived at UConn with Azzi Fudd as part of the 2021 recruiting class and showed early scoring touch, averaging nearly 10 points per game as a freshman. During a sophomore stretch that covered 10 games, she averaged 29 minutes and shot 40% from 3-point range before a concussion in practice two days after a New Year’s Eve victory over Marquette.
She was then held out for six weeks, later suffered another head injury in the Big East Tournament after colliding with Aaliyah Edwards, and played in just 13 games over the next two years. Ducharme opted for a medical redshirt during the 2023-24 season and appeared in 25 games in her final collegiate season.
Golden State still has Kiah Stokes and Gabby Williams arriving through free agency, while Kaitlyn Chen and Tiffany Hayes are set to return for another year. For Ducharme, the immediate result is simple: she is out of the Valkyries’ camp mix, and the team’s roster squeeze is now moving toward the league limit.
Golden State roster squeeze
The waiver leaves Golden State with less room in a preseason competition that is narrowing fast. By May 8, the Valkyries must have their roster down to 12, and Ducharme’s departure shows how quickly those decisions are being made as the team sorts through its first-year group.
