Tag: Valkyries

Playoffs? The Valkyries Say Yes With A Fifth Straight Win, 84-80 Over The Wings

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Golden State Valkyrie center Kaitlyn Chen ( (with the ball) looking for some daylight as Chen is surrounded by Dallas Wings players at Chase Center on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Coach Natalie Nakase said year one of the WNBA Valkyries would be about the process over wins and losses.

But the process kicked in, and the wins soon came more frequently than the losses. And Nakase’s team accomplished this despite the frequent personnel changes and a couple of disheartening, fourth quarter collapses.

A lot of other things were in play as well. The coaching staff developed a reputation for preparedness and getting their team to buy in. Veronica Burton became a star with versatility and availability for every game. The home crowd filled the Chase Center with noise and enthusiasm every game.

And Nakase was resolute that her team constructed with veterans as opposed to more recognizable college players could and would win now, not a year or two down the road.

“I told the girls, we intentionally picked you guys for this reason: to do things for the first (time),” Nakase said.

The result? The Valkyries became the first expansion team to qualify for the WNBA playoffs with an 84-80, comeback win over the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.

Janelle Salaun led a group of five players scoring in double figures with 19 points and the Valkyries overcame a 13-point, third quarter deficit to win their fifth straight game, and eliminate the Sparks from playoff contention.

The Wings lost for the ninth consecutive game but gave their best effort in weeks by starting fast offensively and limiting mistakes. But the Valkyries stuck to the now familiar process of winning down the stretch with defense and making big shots.

“We were mostly locked in on the defensive end but the Valkyries hit some tough shots and made some plays down the stretch but we felt like we were in the game the entire time,” said Paige Bueckers, who led all scorers with 27 points.

Wings coach Chris Koclanes had obviously seen the Valkyries’ too many times on tape and three, previous meetings, and explained how things got away from his team in the fourth quarter.

“That’s their identity. Right?” Koclanes said. “They’re going to guard and they’re going to get up a ton of threes. So I know they only shoot 40 percent (overall) but they shoot so many threes so effectively when they have good nights it’s a little bit higher than that. But they’re gritty and they’re tough, they’re never out of the game. They just have that fight and when you have this fan base behind you, you get that extra energy.”

Burton came up with the critical basket with 22 seconds remaining on a drive that drew a foul and increased the Valkyries’ two-point lead to 79-74. Five free throws followed with only one miss and the celebration began… briefly.

“I really don’t allow them to celebrate,” Nakase said. “They can enjoy this, but I also keep them humble. I’m a party pooper. Yes, I am.”

PLAYOFFS IN SAN JOSE: The Valkyries announced that their September 17th playoff home game will be played at the SAP Center in San Jose. The team has a scheduling conflict at the Chase Center on that date necessitating the change.

Playoff Intensity: Valkyries Outlast The Fever 75-63 In A Defensive Struggle

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Remember when the Valkyries seemed like they were biting off more than they could chew shooting 3-pointers? Well, if you do, then you probably remember when the Valkyries resembled a first-year expansion team as well.

It’s been a while.

These days, the violet-and-black look like a well-oiled machine in regards to how they play, and win games. Simply, their defense is that good: it allows a squad that’s suffered numerous personnel changes, and misses more shots than they make to be a consistent threat to their more established opponents. The Fever, on Sunday night again without Caitlin Clark, know better than anyone.

The Valkyries started hot, making nine of their first 10 threes, and building a lead that briefly hit 20 points in the second quarter. From there, Indy’s defense and competitiveness showed, but not enough to keep the hosts from holding on for a 75-63 win at Chase Center.

The win gave the Valkyries a 3-0 sweep of the Fever, and more importantly, a half-game lead in the playoff hierarchy that has Golden State currently in seventh place.

Afterwards, coach Stephanie White was left to explain the hosts hot start that came after a 10-minute break three minutes into the game due to several equipment malfunctions inside the arena. The hosts caught fire after the unexpected pause in a stretch that essentially decided the game.

“They’re really good at spacing the floor,” White said. “Their passes are on time and on target, so you can’t make a lot of defensive mistakes. And I felt like we overhelped. We were trying to not allow catch-and-shoot threes. We didn’t want to overhelp on drivers. We overhelped. We over-rotated. The timing on the rotation wasn’t very good, and we gave them wide-open catch-and-shoot threes, and they are a really good team when they can get that.”

White’s description mirrored the league stats that show that the Valkyries lead the WNBA with just under 10 made threes a game. But they don’t shoot a high percentage from three, and they’re dead last in overall shooting percentage.

But… Iliana Rupert is the WNBA’s most consistent 3-point shooter at better than 46 percent. Cecilia Zandalasini, who was again unavailable due to injury, is fourth at better than 44 percent. Leaving those two open is a mistake, and an open door for the Valkyries to go on an extended scoring run.

Against the Fever, Rupert started 4 for 4 and finished 5 for 8 from distance. After Rupert’s third make, the Valkyries led 22-9. Meanwhile, the visitors, again without Clark, were in a stretch of 15 missed threes in 18 attempts that proved how shrewd Golden State’s strategy of packing the paint was.

The Fever got within six points in far more competitive second half, but couldn’t get any closer. Kate Martin came up with a critical three after the Valkyries went scoreless for almost all of the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. A flagrant foul on Aerial Powers for not allowing Martin landing space gave Martin a free throw as well and the lead grew to 59-50.

Rupert led Golden State with 21 points. Janelle Salaun and Martin both added 10. Powers led Indiana with 17 points off the bench, but was 1 for 5 from distance.

The Valkyries final home stand continues on Tuesday against the New York Liberty.

Demystified: Valkyries Complete Season Sweep Of The Mystics With 99-62 Blowout

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–An extended break from game action was just what the Valkyries needed. Coach Natalie Nakase felt her team’s defense had slipped a notch, and she used the additional practice time to address that issue.

The message was delivered so acutely, the team produced its best defensive first half of the season on the path to a 99-62 blowout of the visiting Mystics at Chase Center on Saturday night.

Could the expansion Valkyries have come up with a better start to their week-long push at home that will undoubtedly decide their playoff fate? Probably not.

The season-low 22 points allowed to Washington in the first half fueled a 29-point lead at the break, and ultimately kept all 10 healthy players comfortably under 30 minutes of playing time for the game. With five games in eight days to conclude their home schedule, wear and tear matters greatly. Especially with Cecilia Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes currently unavailable due to injury.

Without those two, Nakase had her available group pack the paint defensively and rush the passing lanes. That plan was followed succinctly as the Mystics were limited to 35 percent shooting  for the game while the hosts racked up nine steals, four by Leticia Amihere in the first half alone.

That allowed the Valkyries to coast, leading by 35 after three quarters along with a slew of 37 point leads in the fourth.

“Maybe we can improve our reading (of the defense) but tonight was a perfect execution of our gameplan,” Janelle Salaun said of the team’s 40-minute defensive effort.

Balanced scoring seems preordained at this point for the selfless Valkyries, and they did it again on Saturday with Salaun leading with 20 points Carla Leite adding 19, Kaila Charles with 16 and Veronica Burton 15. The team’s assist total of 21 lead to 23 made field goals.

The Valkyries remained in the eighth and final slot for the playoffs with the win, but increased their lead over the ninth place Sparks to 2 1/2 games. They completed the four-game season sweep of the Mystics with the win as well.

The Valkyries have an opportunity to sweep the Fever on Sunday and leap ahead of Indiana in the standings. Home games against the Liberty, Wings and Lynx follow Sunday’s showdown before the Valkyries finish the regular season with two road games.

It Was Just A Dream: Valkyries’ Solid First Quarter Devolves Into Streak Ending 79-63 Loss To Atlanta

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Like fog making a dramatic entrance from the Pacific Ocean, defense descended on the Chase Center Sunday night and almost didn’t leave.

The Atlanta Dream starting five got the first taste of the weather in the first quarter in which they were limited to one made basket from Brionna Jones.

The Valkyries found out how sparse made baskets would be in a 10-point second quarter that saw the Dream’s defense take hold.

Throughout the gritty defense included scary collisions that saw the hosts lose Iliana Rupert to concussion protocol for the remainder of the game and Veronica Burton for a critical stretch at the end of the third quarter.

From the Valkyries’ perspective, what was beautiful turned ugly quickly and decisively in a 79-63 loss that ended their four-game win streak.

The Dream simply started slow and finished fast by eventually finding the gaps in the Valkyries’ defense on their way to 38 points in the paint.

“In the first half our spacing wasn’t very good,” said Naz Hillmon, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds. “We know that the Valkyries are a team that really wants to make sure they pack the paint and help each other rotate. I think in the second half we made the right plays. First by spacing out, getting good hits on our ball screens and going from there.”

The game was a defensive struggle at the break with the scored tied at 25. But Burton’s absence signaled the breaking point as a 30-8 run spanning the third and fourth quarters swung the game to the visitors.

“They beat us in all the hustle categories and that just can’t happen,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “You can’t win a game if you’re getting out hustled.”

“Credit to Atlanta. They just did a hell of a job on both ends of the floor.”

The Valkyries fell to 18-16 with ten regular season games remaining. Their cushion over ninth place Los Angeles is two games, but this was the beginning of a closing stretch that will see Golden State play a number of teams with winning records. They’ll need some wins against those teams to maintain a playoff spot.

Valkyries Mythological Performance: Golden State Buries Vegas, 95-68

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–For the Valkyries, this game started in an encouraging manner, and then, nothing went wrong. Pause.

Nothing went wrong.

Coming off a three-game losing streak, concluding with an 18-1 closing run that turned victory into defeat in Phoenix, the Valkyries hit the heights by blowing out the Aces, 95-68 at Chase Center on Saturday afternoon. The win in front of ABC’s national audience displayed that the expansion Valkyries have heft now, months, if not years, before anyone expected.

The Aces, just two seasons removed from their 2023 championship, and well-equipped with their core players, played sluggishly from the beginning. In concluding, their sloppy ball handling and lack of attention defensively, suggested a talented team, currently 4-3, that could ultimately go either way.

“It was a good old-fashioned ass-kicking, and there’s no other way to put it,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “This is one of the worst games I’ve ever seen the Aces play.”

The fourth consecutive sellout crowd, some who came to see A’ja Wilson for the first time, instead were treated to the Valkyries’ Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton, who led a balanced output with 22 points. Burton was flawless, finishing with a career-best 12 assists and a plus/minus of +40 in 32 minutes on the floor.

“V found KT early. I thought KT started us off amazing. She was just super confident,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “She just walked right into her threes. She’s aggressive, attacking players.”

The Valkyries spent a section of the first quarter suffering from the same malaise that struck the Aces, but they took off in the second quarter with a 34-15 advantage on the scoreboard that was capped by Kate Martin’s successful long-distance heave before the buzzer.

The second half started the same way with consecutive baskets from Thornton and Monique Billings in transition that boosted the lead to 60-31. That was the biggest margin of 29, but the Valkyries won by 27 displaying the staying power of their effort.

“When we’re locked in, we’re connected offensively and defensively, this is what we’re capable of,” Nakase said.

Undefeated Lynx Survive Valkyries’ Big First Half, Win 86-75 At Chase Center

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Believe me when I tale you. It was a tale of two halves.

The expansion Valkyries, in their biggest test to date, delivered an exemplary first half to lead the undefeated Lynx, 52-51. But the second half disintegrated into a massive tutorial as the visitors in a full display of their championship aspirations took control.

“We don’t mind pain,” coach Natalie Nakase said pointedly. “I told you we’re killers. If you’re not feeling pain then that’s a problem.”

The 86-75 result kept the visitors as the only undefeated team (7-0) in the WNBA. But it also kept the Valkyries (2-4) engaged, and striving to reach their potential as opposed to being frustrated by an 0-3 stretch against last season’s two finalists.

The next move for Nakase and her team? An already typical, laborious stretch at their Oakland practice facility in preparation for Thursday’s game in Phoenix against the Mercury.

“Just stay together,” Veronica Burton said when similarly asked about frustration. “That’s this league, that’s this season. The W is hard. There’s a reason we’re all here, and I think each player has experienced a certain level of pain or hardship. That’s allowed us to bounce back and just use it as motivation as well. Stay connected off the court. Teams that stay together succeed typically in this league.”

The Valkyries’ 52 points in the first 20 minutes was all hustle and resolve as their 45 percent shooting didn’t headline the effort as much as did their 35 shot attempts and 14 of 16 shooting from the foul line. To be the fair, the experienced Lynx didn’t renounce the fast pace, but they didn’t settle in immediately either.

The highlight of the half was the 12-2 run thay gave the Valkyries a brief 36-34 lead. Kate Martin took over during that stretch, scoring 11 of her career-best 14 points in her first five minutes floor.

But while the Valkyries individually platued and dipped, the steady Napheesa Collier ran the evening, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists that almost appeared understated. Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride efficiently supported Collier with a combined 36 points, including five made threes. Collier appeared completely healthy after missing the previous game with right knee soreness.

The first 13 minutes of the second half saw the Valkyries score just eight points and trail 75-60 with 6:58 remaining. Martin failed to score, with all of her 14 coming in the first half. But Burton came up with much of her team-best 21 points in a furious, late rally that sliced a 22-point Lynx lead to 11 with 1:56 left.

Janelle Salaun and Carla Leite, the Valkyries’ promising pair of rookies from France, both struggled with just five combined points in 31 minutes on the floor.

First Ever Win For The Valkyries: Gritty Effort Rewarded in 76-74 Win Over The Mystics

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–When the stated goal is the process over results, the first 17 missed 3-point attempts could simply be termed artistic flaws.

Flaws? Why not. When those consecutive misses without even one make don’t leave a team dead and buried for the night, being loose with defining  major deficiencies is okay.

And years from now, the Valkyries first-ever win will be best known as a masterpiece.

Veronica Burton came up with a career-best 22 points, including a buzzer-beater before halftime and another 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining to give the home team the lead for good and the Valkyries won 76-74 in only their second ever game in front of a sellout crowd at Chase Center.

Coach Natalie Nakase, the author of “process over results” was just as impressed by her staff’s attention to detail in anticipation of a close game, and Burton’s early arrival, as she was by the win itself.

So with that myopic approach, it wasn’t surprising  that Nakase wasn’t thrilled by being ambushed by her team’s celebratory tactics that she every intention of side-stepping.

“I hate cold water, but they had me cornered,” Nakase conceded.

The visiting Mystics could have easily had the Valkyries cornered with an 18-0 run that gave them an early nine-point lead. Instead, Janelle Salaun finally made one from distance and the Valkyries trailed by only one, 25-24, early in the second quarter.

That was the first of many examples throughout the game that clearly stated the home team, supported by their forgiving crowd, wasn’t going to be deterred by a few anxious moments. The Mystics were put on notice as the Valkyries fast pace and physical approach bothered Washington, threatening their own feel good story and 2-0 start to the season. At halftime, the visitors found themselves trailing by a point despite holding Golden State to 30 percent shooting.

When Tiffany Hayes was floored by Shakira Austin in the second quarter and left bleeding on the floor, the Valkyries were without their most experienced offensive player for the remainder of the game. But that’s when Burton, normally cast as a shutdown defender, went to work offensively.

Kayla Thornton (18 points) and Salaun (10) also contributed as did Carla Leite, who did so while dealing with a bloody nose.

Brittney Sykes led Washington with 30 points, and rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron added 10 points each.

The Valkyries hit the road for their first time in Los Angeles against the Sparks on Friday night.

Very Valkyries: Spirited Comeback Thrills Big Crowd Despite Narrow 83-82 Loss

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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.