OAKLAND, Calif. -- Ahead of their inaugural season, the Golden State Valkyries hoped their state-of-the-art practice facilities would be a selling point to free agents.
The 31,800-square-foot facility unveiled Wednesday features two full-sized courts, 17 basketball hoops, a weight room, a locker room and a recovery center.
However, the team has yet to attract any major free agents.
"We have unlimited resources to make this the best place in the world, but I think it is challenging," Valkyries owner Joe Lacob said Wednesday. "We are a startup. We have no players that we are starting with, so I think that in itself, not to mention we're the first expansion team since 2008, it is challenging."
Golden State made a push for free agents such as Kelsey Plum, Brionna Jones and Courtney Vandersloot but was unable to lure them, sources told ESPN.
Because the Valkyries are starting from ground zero, they don't have many assets to make moves for big signings, especially when it comes to trades for core-designated players. Having the fifth pick in the WNBA draft ties their hands further.
"We have put our best foot forward to talk to athletes and tell our story about where we are and where we're going," general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said. "We are building from the ground up and we want them here. But we only want them here if they want to be here."
Nyanin's approach to free agency has been "to be strategic and competitive," she said.
There doesn't seem to be an overwhelming pressure to make a big, splashy move at this point, a source told ESPN.
Golden State has turned to tapping international talent to build out its roster. On Wednesday, it announced the signings of France's Janelle Salaun, Belgium's Kyara Linskens and Australia's Chloe Bibby.
The Valkyries' goal for their first year is to be competitive, but they believe there will be far more opportunities to take big swings for players next offseason under a new CBA agreement.
The guiding principle for Golden State has been a message from Lacob that Nyanin said she repeats to herself every day, multiple times: The goal is to win a championship within five years.