The Golden State Valkyries picked Dallas Wings guard Carla Leite in Friday’s Expansion Draft. Leite, a 20-year-old, 5’9” guard from France, was selected by Dallas with the ninth pick of the 2024 draft, four spots after the team drafted guard Jacy Sheldon.
Leite is yet to sign a [WNBA](https://www.swishappeal.com) contract and has played professionally in the top women’s French league (LFB) since she was 18 in 2022. She averaged 16 points and 5.4 assists per game last year for Tarbes.
There was some speculation that Leite would come to the WNBA after being drafted in 2024, but she chose to remain overseas and is currently playing with ESB Villenueve-d’Ascq of the Ligue Feminine de Basketball. She is also a veteran of international play, having earned MVP honors in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship in 2023.
Leite is a dynamic pick-and-roll ball handler, excelling at both scoring and creating off screens. At age 20, she is one of the most dynamic players in LFB. There are question marks about her off-ball shooting and turnover tendencies, but Leite is a qualiy WNBA prospect. Many around the industry expected Dallas to protect her in the expansion draft; this comes as a bit of a shock.
The Valkyries, who also selected former Wings Veronica Burton from Connecticut and Kayla Thornton from New York, chose 11 overall players in the expansion draft. They can now explore free agency and trades as they look to complete their inaugural roster.