The $16-minute spark

Golden State Valkyries' rooke Justė Jocytė made a name for herself in the WNBA with her impressive debut against the Indiana Fever on May 28, 2026.

Despite not playing in the first half, Jocytė came off the bench to log nearly 16 minutes and flash her poise and two-way potential.

The 20-year-old Lithuanian player checked into the game at the 6:37 mark of the third quarter and quickly got the crowd going with one shot, a 3-pointer over Fever star Caitlin Clark.

Veronica Burton's respect

Point guard Veronica Burton praised Jocytė's composure and passing ability, saying, 'Honestly, it's not easy, one, being a rookie in this league. Two, coming off the bench in this league... Three, not playing a ton in the first half, and then finding a way to immediately impact the game.'

A promising start

The Golden State Valkyries went on to win the game 90-88, with Jocytė's contributions playing a key role in the team's victory .

Her performance has sparked hopes that she can become a real rotation player for the team.

Trust and development

Jocytė expressed her gratitude for the trust placed in her, saying , 'I hope that (tonight) says that they trust me and that I'm doing something right.'

'I really appreciate that trust. They put me in pretty early in the second half, which I didn't know if I was going to get in, but I hope that I didn't disappoint them.'

Jocytė's bike has become a symbol of her readiness to enter the game, and the crowd is eagerly awaiting her next appearance.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how Jocytė continues to develop and contribute to the Golden State Valkyries.