By Morris Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO–“We’re working on everything,” Laeticia Amihere admitted when asked what’s next for her and her newly-heralded teammates.
In fact, the wildly popular expansion Valkyries and the newly ambitious WNBA have already put in the work resulting in the league’s first expansion since 2008 and a raucous crowd that was thrilled to see their new heroines for the first time in an exhibition game.
Coach Natalie Nakase was touched by the numbers of fans, and even admitted the noise may have contributed to her team’s uneven start.
“Everyone had first-game jitters because of the crowd,” Nakase said. “For all these fans that showed up for a pre-season game.”
The home team coughed up five turnovers and managed just two assists in a first quarter that ended with the visiting Sparks leading by three. But a 14-point halftime deficit was erased in the third when the Valkyries began to run the floor, share the ball and attack the basket. The crowd grew more responsive as the Sparks lead disappeared.
An offensive possession with 30 seconds remaining and Golden State trailing by three was the night’s biggest prize eventhough the Valkyries couldn’t convert and resorted to a foul to extend the game.
Amihere’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer drew more cheers even if it left her team a point short from overtime. The buzz in the crowd was significant enough that nearly everyone was forced to check the scoreboard for an undisclosed, additional point.
“It almost felt like we won for a minute,” Nakase said.
From the standpoint of impact, the Valkyries did win by entertaining their fans that had anticipated the evening for months, even years. The team remains a work in progress, replete with veteran performers but short on top-shelf offensive talent, but for now, that’s nearly the last thing anyone will notice.
GM Ohemaa Nyanin strategy of populating her first roster with league veteran role players without feeling stressed to immediately include a superior talent felt smart as the game unfolded. The team settled in and competed after initially seeming unsettled. Amihere and fellow reserve Julie Vanloo organized the team after Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes couldn’t covert early on.
Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum paced the Sparks starters with a combined 24 points, and Aari McDonald and Odyssey Sims turned defense into offense off the bench. But the crowd and the Valkyries still managed their way back into it.
The Valkyries have a couple of days of needed practice before traveling to Phoenix to face the Mercury on Sunday afternoon for their final tune -up.
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