Kenzo Fukuda Articles - Page 4

SAN JOSE– The Golden State Valkyries were one shot away from saving their historic season. One shot away from forcing a WNBA playoffs  Game 3 winner-takes-all against the juggernaut Minnesota Lynx. One shot away from defying the odds one more time, as they’ve done in their inaugural run in the WNBA. But the Valkyries’ expansion […]

After leading the Golden State Valkyries’ historic inaugural season, Natalie Nakase has earned the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year award, the league announced today. In just her first season as a head coach, Nakase led the Valkyries to a 23-21 record, the most in WNBA history by an expansion team, as well as the eighth […]

SAN JOSE– After winning the 2025 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year award, the highest achievement of her career to date, Golden State Valkyries’ guard Veronica Burton made sure to express how much her teammates’ support means to her. At the Valkyries’ open practice ahead of Game 2 versus the Minnesota Lynx, Burton recounted […]

SAN JOSE– After Natalie Nakase blasted the officiating in Game 1 of the Golden State Valkyries’ first-round WNBA playoffs series against the Minnesota Lynx, Natalie Nakase stood by her words at the team’s open practice at the SAP Center in San Jose. When a reporter asked Nakase if she felt the Game 1 loss was […]

Golden State Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton has been named the 2025 WNBA’s Most Improved Player after a career season in the expansion team’s first season, the league announced today. Burton started all 44 games for Golden State this season, averaging career highs across the board with 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per […]

MINNEAPOLIS – There was a moment after the first quarter where it looked like the Golden State Valkyries were on the precipice of doing the unexpected. The ball was flowing, the shots were falling, and the team had a sizable lead on the juggernaut Minnesota Lynx. That moment dissipated not long after in the second […]

MINNEAPOLIS– Ahead of Game 1 of the Golden State Valkyries’ first-round playoff matchup with the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx, the team is on the same page regarding the task ahead of them. It’s no secret the Valkyries are heavy underdogs against a playoff-proven team that boasts talent like MVP-candidate Napheesa Collier, DPOY frontrunner Alanna Smith, […]

There’s no questioning that the Golden State Valkyries are the underdogs in their very first WNBA playoff series– they’ve drawn the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round. And while the Valkyries’ feel-good season has been nothing less than magical, it’s hard to see them upsetting MVP-candidate Napheesa Collier and company, a team that […]

The Golden State Valkyries had ample opportunity to secure the No. 6 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Three cracks at it in fact. And while each crack at it was against playoff-bound teams, all the Valkyries had to do was win one of them. But in their final opportunity, the regular season finale, the Valkyries […]

While the Golden State Valkyries have already secured their trip to the postseason, it doesn’t soften the blow of another loss decided by a single possession. The Valkyries came up short against the Seattle Storm, falling 76-73 on the road in a game that would have locked up the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs. […]

SAN FRANCISCO – Spiritually, the Golden State Valkyries’ regular-season home finale was actually the previous game, when the Valkyries clinched a historic playoff birth in a come-from-behind win. In their actual final home game of the season, the Valkyries’ five-game winning streak came to a grinding halt in their 78-72 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. […]

The Golden State Valkyries are the feel-good story of the 2025 WNBA season. From becoming the first expansion team to clinch a playoff spot to selling out every home game this season at Chase Center, the Valkyries can call their first year in the W an all-around success. But if you ask the players or […]

SAN FRANCISCO – It wasn’t easy, but like the story of the Golden State Valkyries this season, they found a way. All season long, the Valkyries have defied all the expectations of a first-year expansion franchise. They’ve broken the record for most wins by an expansion franchise. They’ve sold out every home game at Chase […]

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s been quite the season for first-year head coach Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries. They’ve won the most games ever for a WNBA expansion franchise. They’ve surpassed every preseason expectation. And with Nakase and her team on the precipice of the playoffs, she took the time to reflect on herself […]

SAN FRANCISCO– It took four tries, but the Golden State Valkyries took down the New York Liberty, in a hard-fought 66-58 win at home for their fourth win in a row. In a game where offense was hard to come by in the second half, the Valkyries held onto the steady play of Temi Fagbenle […]

SAN FRANCISCO–  It’s no surprise Natalie Nakase has the Golden State Valkyries close to clinching a playoff birth. She comes from one of the most impressive coaching trees in professional basketball, with championship-winning coaches Tyrone Lue, Doc Rivers, and Becky Hammon as her mentors. But of all her talented mentors, the one Nakase has thought […]

SAN FRANCISCO– The Golden State Valkyries completed their season series sweep of the Indiana Fever in a comfortable 75-63 win on the back-end of a back-to-back. With the win, the Valkyries leapfrogged the Fever and the Seattle Storm to the sixth seed in the conference. And in a game that dragged on due to multiple […]

SAN FRANCISCO– It’s no secret the WNBA is suffering from a league-wide injury problem this season. According to The IX Basketball’s WNBA injury tracker, over 117 players have missed 901 games this season, surpassing the numbers from 2024. And the Golden State Valkyries in particular are no strangers to that issue. The Valkyries have had […]

SAN FRANCISCO — To describe Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase as a “true student of the game,” as many of her colleagues have described her as, doesn’t fully express the sheer depths of her singular, unparalleled obsession with basketball. Need an example? At the team’s open practice this week, in the middle of […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries played like a team that had five days off in their 99-62 blowout win over the Washington Mystics. Down multiple players to injury, including Tiffany Hayes, who was ruled out with an illness before the game, the Valkyries blitzed the Mystics on both ends of the court. Golden […]

If the Golden State Valkyries needed any more validation for their historic success in their inaugural season in the WNBA, look no further than one of the next expansion franchise’s latest front-office moves. The Portland Fire officially named the Valkyries’ Vice President of Basketball Operations, Vanja Černivec, as its general manager. “I am honored to […]

While the Dallas Wings are still in rebuild mode as the second-worst team in the WNBA, they have Paige Bueckers, one of the most prolific rookies in WNBA history. And after her historic 44-point game against the Los Angeles Sparks, it’s obvious that Bueckers can singlehandedly win the Wings a game if opponents don’t take […]

Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton knows what it’s like to be on the fringes of the WNBA. The Dallas Wings waived her at the start of the 2024 WNBA season, leaving her without a team just two years after the team selected her seventh overall in the 2022 WNBA draft. Burton eventually worked her way […]

Nightmare is one word that could easily describe the Golden State Valkyries’ 81-72 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, and it’s not because Alyssa Thomas steamrolled the Valkyries with a historic 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. Golden State’s veteran guard Tiffany Hayes exited the game midway through the third quarter after colliding with Kahleah […]

Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton has exceeded all expectations this season, including those of Natalie Nakase, as the Golden State Valkyries head coach told reporters ahead of their matchup with the Phoenix Mercury. That’s no easy feat, considering the talent Nakase has been around includes players like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, as well as […]

There’s no denying the Golden State Valkyries fought hard in their 98-91 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. With only eight players available due to Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini’s late injury scratches, the remaining Valkyries stepped up and tested the Mercury through the majority of the game. Veronica Burton continued her Most Improved Player campaign […]

It’s been a career week for Veronica Burton. After the Golden State Valkyries guard became the third player in WNBA history to notch at least 30 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists on 75% shooting in her game against the Washington Mystics, the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award continued her hot streak versus […]

Just days after Natalie Nakase made her case for Veronica Burton for the Most Improved Player Award, the Golden State Valkyries guard showed exactly why she’s a frontrunner to win it. Burton collected a career high 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, along with seven rebounds and seven assists, in the Valkyries’ 88-83 win over the […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries secured a comfortable 74-57 win over the Connecticut Sun to advance to 16-15 on the season. After a subpar first half of 3-point shooting, the Valkyries nailed 10 threes in the second half to take care of business in their final game before another short road trip. Tiffany […]

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s been no Golden State Valkyrie more consistent than Veronica Burton. The Valkyries’ point guard has started all 31 games this season, providing the expansion team with steady play on both ends of the floor. And after a statement game in which she held Los Angeles Sparks’ Kelsey Plum to only four […]

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s no secret the Golden State Valkyries miss Kayla Thornton. After losing Thornton, the first All-Star in Valkyries history, to a season-ending knee injury, the team missed everything she brought to the organization. From her two-way excellence as the team’s connector, to her personality off the court and the joy she brought […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries secured an important head-to-head tiebreaker over the Los Angeles Sparks in their 72-59 win at home. Veronica Burton, who has started all 30 games of the Valkyries’ season so far, played a huge role in the team getting back in the win column after two disappointing losses to […]

SAN FRANCISCO –  Julie Vanloo is still trying to process her emotions more than a month after being waived by the Golden State Valkyries. Ahead of Vanloo’s first game against the Valkyries, and her first game back in Ballhala, the Los Angeles Sparks guard spoke to reporters honestly and openly about processing all the emotions […]

If you’ve been around the Golden State Valkyries, you’ll notice the team uses the words “connection” and “chemistry” quite frequently. Words like “together,” “communication,” and “culture,” are also staples in the team’s vocabulary. These words show up whenever Natalie Nakase is making a point to highlight the importance of every single one of the 12 […]

While the Golden State Valkyries stood pat at the WNBA trade deadline, it appears they are still expecting a new member to join the franchise in the coming days. On Thursday morning, Chase Center officials found a large, purple-colored egg with gold speckles in the heart of the Thrive City atrium. Violet egg outside of […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The greats always stress that to achieve something worthwhile, it all begins with sacrifice. For Natalie Nakase, the sacrifice is at the heart of the Golden State Valkyries’ success this season. Ahead of the Valkyries’ match with the Las Vegas Aces, Nakase expressed her pride in the fact that her players have […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries’ loss to the Las Vegas Aces did not feel as close as the 78-72 final score indicated. The Valkyries’ offense faltered once again, shooting 39.7% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc, their third-worst 3-point shooting performance of the season. Here are three takeaways from a […]

SAN FRANCISCO – Survival has been the key word for Temi Fagbenle and the Golden State Valkyries this season. The Valkyries have had to survive injury, absences, and arduous road trips; this past week, they experienced all three at the same time. Golden State returns to the Bay Area following an up-and-down five-game road trip […]

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase only half remembers her experience playing in one of the oldest statewide Asian-American high school tournaments in California, the North South Tournament. “It was like 30 years ago,” Nakase laughed when asked if she recalls any fond memories from when she was invited to play in an All-Star-style […]