Friday’s WNBA expansion draft threw up a few surprises. Many eyes were fixated on Indiana Fever over which players they would protect to build on from a relatively successful season. The league’s new team Golden State Valkyries had the freedom to pick 11 players from 11 different teams and their fifth pick left the Fever fans and even a WNBA Hall of Famer surprised.

The expansion draft took place at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with Valkyries taking the first steps toward building their inaugural roster. They selected center Iliana Rupert from Atlanta, Veronica Burton of Connecticut,  Carla Leite of Dallas, and forward Maria Conde from Chicago with their first four picks on Friday. Their fifth pick was veteran Fever center Temi Fagbenle.

Fagbenle had been a reliable defender and scorer for the franchise, averaging 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and shooting 50.9% in 2024. In fact, the 32-year-old was the only player on the Fever roster that had won a WNBA championship, doing so in 2017 with the Minnesota Lynx. Although her playing for Fever last season was limited due to three separate injuries, the fact that Fever didn’t protect her was a surprise to many.

Most mock drafts projected Fagbenle to be one of the six players the Fever decided to protect in addition to Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith, and Lexie Hull. Reacting to the news on ESPN’s broadcast, WNBA Hall of Farmer Rebecca Lobo shared, “The most shocking thing to me is that Temi Fagbenle was chosen. Not because she won’t be a great fit out in Golden State, but I am just really surprised that the Indiana Fever did not choose to protect her.”

Fagbenle was poised to be a restricted free agent this year and now those terms will go to the Valkyries. Hence, Golden State will be able to match any offer she gets to retain her in free agency. Meanwhile, the Valkyries also picked Caitlin Clark’s former Iowa teammate Kate Martin. As soon as the pick was made, Clark took to her Instagram to share her enthusiasm for Martin’s move.

“Let’s go Kater!!!!!” Clark wrote on her Instagram story as she made the move from Las Vegas Aces. Interestingly, Clark celebrated Martin going to the Valkyries before posting a farewell message for Fagbenle.

Fagbenle posted an IG video with the caption, “Thank you for a great season @indianafever. To my teammates: we had a season of revelations and growth. So proud of y’all for persevering. Thank you for lifting me and each other. F the noise. Keep growing together. Thank you for the consistent energy, Indy fans. Y’all are solid. Very grateful. Very blessed.” 

Clark was one of the first ones to respond to the farewell post and shared a heartfelt message in the comment section, writing, “Love ya tem! Gonna miss you.”

On the other hand, the Fever fans were unhappy over the management letting Fagbenle go. She has a career total of 237 rebounds and 34 blocks and despite injuries limiting her to 22 games last season, her leadership was unmatched. She even started in the Fever’s must-win playoff game.

But with Golden State now holding her restricted free-agent rights, the Valkyries might’ve just landed a gem. Indiana’s loss is Golden State’s gain. But fans aren’t letting the Indiana management forget it.

Fans express disappointment as Valkyries break Caitlin Clark -Temi connection

Notably, Fagbenle worked well with Clark when they played together and was one of the first teammates that could catch Clark’s fullcourt passes. This was also pointed out by ESPN’s Andraya Carter. “We probably would’ve seen more growth from Temi Fagbenle (if she wasn’t injured), but the connection between her and Caitlin Clark was undeniable. They were so much fun to watch,” she said.

A fan also acknowledged this and wrote, “But the Temi n CC connection 😢.” But there were more reactions from the fans who were fuming with the decision.

“I need to know who the protected players are. Caitlin, Kelsey, Aliyah, and Lexie are obvious, but I refuse to believe we have 2 other players more valuable than Temi. There is no way in hell. Our bench produces nothing! How could we risk her 😭💔 I’m heartbroken. I’m not ready to say goodbye,” one fan posted. 

Other than the expected key players, the Fever reportedly protected NaLyssa Smith, who was quite front and center in their postseason campaigns despite fans’ criticism, especially for her allegedly mocking Clark’s injury in the playoff game against the Sun. Fever might have also protected Damiris Dantas for her three-point shooting versatility, but fans wanted it to be Temi for sure. 

Another fan lamented, “I can’t believe you never protected Temi. She was one of our best players that could play in the Fever’s new style of basketball 😔.” It can’t be denied that the center did fit seamlessly into their faster, more dynamic system. 

Her full-court explosiveness, smart decisions, and ability to team up with star Caitlin Clark, especially on her full-court passes, made her an invaluable piece. Even Golden State fans are baffled. “We’ll treat her well here in GS. But what in the hell were y’all thinking?” one commented. It’s fair, though. Fagbenle brought it all, including rim-running, defense, leadership, and solid support on the bench that fans think Fever lacks.

Frustrated with her departure, a fan pointed a finger at the Fever’s new GM, Amber Cox. “SO WE GAVE UP THE BEST PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE DRAFT??????? W-F IS WRONG WITH Y’ALL??????? TEMI WAS THE ONLY POWER FORWARD ON THE TEAM THAT PLAYED DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!! THE NEW GM IS OFF TO A HORRIBLE START!!”

Perhaps the decision to let Fagbenle go came down to money. As a restricted free agent in the WNBA, she will be able to get offers from other teams, and Golden State will need to match the price in order to retain her. The Fever management could’ve decided that Fagbenle’s asking price or the offers she was projected to get were going to be too much and decided to leave her unprotected. Moreover, Fagbenle’s injury record would have done little to turn the tide in her favor.

Still, this leaves Fever with a gaping hole at the No. 4 position and the fans will hope that they an adequate replacement lined up to bolster their roster for the new season.