OAKLAND — Ashten Prechtel is back in the Bay.
The former Stanford standout signed with the Golden State Valkyries on a hardship contract on Sunday, returning to the region where she spent four seasons helping build one of college basketball’s most celebrated programs.
Prechtel, a 6-foot-5 forward, played in the preseason with the Phoenix Mercury, but was cut earlier this month.
Prechtel provides some much-needed frontcourt depth for a Valkyries team currently without guard Tiffany Hayes (finger) and forward Cecilia Zandalasini (concussion protocol) due to injury.
The deal is expected to be short-term — hardship contracts typically run only as long as the roster need persists — but for Bay Area fans who watched her win a national championship with the Cardinal in 2021, it’s a homecoming worth noting.
Stanford forward Ashten Prechtel, left, looks to pass the ball as Colorado guard Aubrey Knight runs into teammate and forward Charlotte Whittaker in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
“I found out a couple of days ago and it’s just super exciting,” Prechtel said at the Valkyries’ practice facility in Oakland on Tuesday. “The environment here is insane and I’m happy to be here. I’m still out here in the Bay Area, but I’m glad to be back.”
She was a glue player for former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, averaging 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds across four seasons with the Cardinal. She shot 32.5% from the 3-point line for her career at Stanford, but is someone that teams had to account for with her ability to get hot for stretches.
Prechtel had her first practice with the Valkyries on Tuesday, and stayed for a few minutes after practice to learn some of Golden State’s sets. While she might just be an extra body the Valkyries can use, her skillset as an athletic stretch big could help Golden State in its matchup with the uber athletic Chicago Sky on Wednesday.
“I think she can dunk,” Nakase said. “She was slapping the backboard today and everybody was like ‘whoa!’ We love that she could shoot threes. She picked things up right away. I think we threw the whole playbook at her today, and she digested it.”
Much like the rest of the roster, Prechtel has been in multiple high-leverage moments throughout her career. When Stanford beat Arizona to win the national championship in 2021, Prechtel played 21 minutes off the bench as a sophomore, scoring seven points and grabbing eight rebounds.
Stanford Cardinal’s Ashten Prechtel (11) celebrates with Stanford Cardinal’s Cameron Brink (22) after a play against South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Stanford Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Prechtel said the lessons learned from VanDerveer are still relevant as she has navigated her pro career.
“The way that we were taught basketball at Stanford really helped prepare me for the professional level,” Prechtel said. “Now, I feel like when I go to a new team, I’m not seeing new actions, new things. It’s stuff I’ve already seen before and can now incorporate.”
Jocytė on the way?
Justė Jocytė, the Valkyries’ first-round pick from last year, is expected to be en route now that her overseas season has ended.
On Sunday, Jocytė lost in the Spanish league semifinals as her team Uni Girona was taken down by Valencia in a two-game series. The shifty 20-year-old guard has been one of the more highly-touted international players in recent years and is expected to play a big role on the Valkyries.
Jocytė looked to have suffered an ankle injury at the end of Sunday’s game, but said in a video posted to social media that she is healing well.
“Hello Bay Area, I just wanted to let you know I am doing great,” Jocytė said in the video. “My ankle is healing up quickly. I also wanted to say that now my season is over, I will be seeing you all pretty soon. I cannot wait and I am really excited.”
Nakase didn’t have an exact timeline for when Jocytė will touch down in California, but now with her international commitments complete, it’s safe to say the Lithuanian-born guard will be with the team sometime this month.
“I think soon,” Nakase said, when asked if she expects Jocytė to report to the team this week. “That’s what I was told. Obviously, I can’t wait for Justė to be here.”
Burton elevating game
In the year and a half since starting point guard Veronica Burton has been on the Valkyries, the former Northwestern standout has gone from an end-of-the-bench player to one of the most dynamic point guards in the league.
After she dished out 12 assists and recorded no turnovers in Golden State’s win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, Burton recorded her fourth career game with at least 10 assists and no turnovers — all with the Valkyries — tying her with Dawn Staley, Courtney Vandersloot and Ticha Penicheiro for second all-time in such games, trailing only Sue Bird’s seven.
“My goal is always to take care of the ball,” Burton said. “I think I’ve always kind of been a point guard that prioritizes assists and play making and getting my teammates involved. It’s also a testament to my teammates. They hit some very tough shots. I’m not in that position without them and them being in the right place at the right time. The micro movements and everything that kind of sets me up for success, too.”
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) goes up for a basket against the Phoenix Mercury in the first quarter of their WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)