Kaila Charles of the Valkyries on track to sign a contract for the rest of the season? Kaila Charles is expected to sign her third hardship contract with the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, extending her stay with the organization by seven days. Unless they opt to keep her full-time, another roster change will be necessary.
In six games, the 6-foot-1 Charles has been a consistent member of the bench rotation, even ahead of roster players like Kaitlyn Chen and Laeticia Amihere. Charles plays 14.3 minutes per game and averages 5.5 points on 52.2% shooting. Natalie Nakase, the head coach, has stated a desire for a stable roster. Charles, who was originally signed to fill the gap caused by forward Monique Billings’ injury (ankle), may be playing herself into that.
“When you have players like Kai step in, we’re not really looking for what we are missing,” Nakase told the crowd. “Because that would deny Kai an opportunity, right? We’re focusing on our current identity. We are the most connected 12 players I’ve ever had, and that includes Kai.” It is not uncommon for a hardship player, who can sign with a team with 10 or fewer available players for more than two games, to obtain a full-time position. Aari McDonald did exactly that with the Indiana Fever in June, but her season ended this month due to a foot injury.
It is not uncommon for a hardship player, who can sign with a team when there are 10 or fewer available players for more than two games, to obtain a full-time position. Aari McDonald did exactly that with the Indiana Fever in June, but her season ended this month due to a foot injury. Charles has the highest shooting % among the Valkyries throughout her six-game stay. During that time frame, her average of 3.3 rebounds outperformed bench regulars Iliana Rupert and Kate Martin, and Charles’ 98.74 pace was also the team’s fastest.
”For Kaila to come in and not have much practice time is pretty incredible,” point guard Veronica Burton said. “That she has been able to contribute after that says a lot about her.” Charles’ function is partly driven by positional needs. Charles, a powerful wing, complements the Valkyries’ “positionless basketball” style, which became especially vital after forward Kayla Thornton sustained a season-ending injury in July. Since Charles joined the Valkyries, Chen and Amihere have received multiple DNPs. Chen is shooting only 9.1% during that time, while Amihere has a 117.6 defensive rating.
This has allowed Charles to be among the first players off the bench. Her minutes have decreased in the last two games, a blowout over Connecticut and a close win in Washington, where Nakase rode her starters longer than normal. “She’s playing solid minutes for us,” Nakase added. The players “trusted her, and we’ve trusted her to finish games—her composure, her ability to pick up the game plan quickly, and her ability to pick up what we wanted from her quickly.” She is learning quickly. Again, thanks to her for instilling confidence and bringing us a lot of delight, as if she’s out there with enthusiasm.”
Charles started her WNBA career as a regular with Connecticut in 2020-21, averaging 16.9 minutes and shooting 38.7%, but she failed to sustain a steady role. She rarely played in Atlanta (2022) and Seattle (2023) until finding a niche with Dallas this season. The Wings waived the 27-year-old after returning from EuroBasket. Ohemaa Nyanin, general manager of the Valkyries, knew Charles as a hardship player in New York during the 2022 preseason. When she became available, Nyanin and Nakase considered Charles as an option.
”Knowing who she was and how she connected helped us,” Nyanin to the Chronicle. “Natalie and I are locked together, basically talking about postgame athletes who performed well on our squad and on other teams. “Athletes who were waived are now on rest-of-season contracts with other teams, prompting us to consider who else in our ecosystem could quickly pick it up.” Kaila ended up becoming one of them.
”Athletes we waived are now on rest-of-season contracts with other teams, prompting us to consider who else may be able to quickly join our ecosystem.” Kaila ended up becoming one of them. Charles is shooting 43.5% of her field-goal tries from 3-point range, up from 30.4% in her previous career at Golden State. She’s appreciated that style. “I like that this team plays tough,” Charles stated.
