{
  "id": 8369013,
  "title": "Why Valkyries rookie Justė Jocytė feels ‘much more confident' after FIBA break",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/why-valkyries-rookie-juste-jocyte-feels-much-more-confident-after",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-19T03:19:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-valkyries-rookie-just-jocyt-031900845.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Justė Jocytė, the rookie guard for the Golden State Valkyries, has expressed newfound confidence following a three-week break for the WNBA's women's FIBA World Cup. The 20-year-old Lithuanian native, who is the team's first-ever draft pick, has played sparingly in her WNBA debut season. Despite an impressive game that has captured the attention of veteran teammates, Jocytė has been subject to trade rumors and limited playing time due to the deep rotation on the Valkyries' roster. Upon returning from Lithuania, where she temporarily slept in her bedroom after regaining control over her cat JJ, Jocytė has stated that she is \"much more confident\" compared to before the break. With the Valkyries facing a crucial final four-game sprint prior to the postseason, Jocytė's potential to contribute more minutes could be a game-changer for the team.",
  "summary": "Justė Jocytė has rarely seen the floor in her first Golden State Valkyries season, but she told the Chronicle she feels more confident after returning home to Lithuania during the WNBA's break.",
  "key_points": [
    "Justė Jocytė, Golden State Valkyries rookie guard, feels more confident after FIBA break.",
    "20-year-old Lithuanian native rookie plays sparingly in WNBA debut season.",
    "Valkyries facing crucial final four-game sprint before postseason."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Regaining confidence after the FIBA break could enable rookie Justė Jocytė to contribute more minutes and potentially change the team's dynamics in their final four-game sprint before the postseason.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Short-handed Valkyries return from break, rout expansion Portland",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/short-handed-valkyries-return-from-break-rout-expansion-portland",
        "published": "2026-09-19T05:11:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}