Kenzo Fukuda Articles - Page 4

It was not a surprise for Becky Hammon when the Golden State Valkyries hired Natalie Nakase to lead the expansion franchise as their first-ever head coach. Ahead of the Las Vegas Aces and Valkyries’ first-ever matchup on primetime television, Hammon revealed that her former assistant coach was highly sought after around the WNBA before she […]

Every team needs an identity if it wants to win games, especially a brand-new expansion franchise looking to establish itself in the WNBA. For Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries, that identity has been defense. While the shooting has been streaky and the turnovers have been a problem, their hard-nosed, hustling defensive identity is […]

The 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tournament quickly approaching means question marks for the Golden State Valkyries, the newest addition to the WNBA. Starters Janelle Salaün (France) and Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain) headline the international players likely headed for EuroBasket, as well as key role players Julie Vanloo (Belgium) and Cecilia Zandalasini (Italy). While only Salaün and […]

While the Golden State Valkyries lost their third game in a row after falling 86-75 to the Minnesota Lynx, they still made history. The Sunday night game marked the first time in WNBA history that a franchise sold out its first three home games with 18,000+ fans in the arena. It’s been less than a […]

As the NBA approaches what’s shaping up to be a crazy free agency, the Golden State Warriors are once again at the center of a hurricane of blockbuster trade rumors. With the Dubs looking to retool around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler following an unceremonious second-round playoff exit, they enter the offseason with a lot […]

The purest emotion of an expansion team going through its first season in the WNBA is optimism, and the Golden State Valkyries are no different. From the historic support of the Bay Area fanbase to the established culture of commitment in all facets of the organization, there are plenty of green flags pointing to a […]

Kate Martin’s playing time has been all over the place early in the Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural season. Sometimes she’ll play upwards of 20 minutes. Other times, she’ll only see limited stretches on the court. Martin even caught a DNP in the Valkyries’ second game versus the New York Liberty. That’s just the reality of […]

The Golden State Valkyries were one or two plays away from upsetting the New York Liberty. Trailing 78-77 with 42.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the two teams’ second meeting this week, head coach Natalie Nakase called a timeout to set up a set baseline out-of-bounds play. It was a smart timeout considering […]

While the Golden State Valkyries came up short against the defending champion New York Liberty, Janelle Salaün played one of the best games in her young WNBA career so far. The rookie from France collected her first WNBA double-double, leading the Valkyries with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds through […]

Rocco, the beloved dog of former Golden State Warriors star and Bay Area legend Klay Thompson, has passed away after 13 years of life. Mychal Thompson announced the passing of one of Thompson’s closest companions on the ESPN-LA’s Mason & Ireland show. “As Mase and Ireland always say, when someone dear has departed, ‘Hail fellow, […]

While the Golden State Valkyries clawed and chipped at the defending WNBA champs, they never made the New York Liberty nervous, falling 95-67 at Barclays Center. New York blitzed the Valkyries right from the jump, opening the first quarter with a 22-3 run. While Golden State got the lead down to 11 midway through the […]

While there weren’t many positives for the Golden State Valkyries in their 95-67 loss to the New York Liberty, there was one feel-good moment: Kayla Thornton’s return to the Barclays Center. Thornton’s reception back in New York was fit for a WNBA champion. Right before tip-off, Thornton’s former Liberty teammates welcomed her at halfcourt and bestowed […]

The Golden State Valkyries’ upset 82-73 win over the Los Angeles Sparks was impressive for many reasons. For starters, they entered the game as 11.0-point underdogs and won by nine. It was also the Valkyries’ very first road game, a small milestone for the newest WNBA franchise. More dramatically, the victory was a bounce-back game […]

Despite the 76-74 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, rookie Kiki Iriafen has already given the Washington Mystics a boost of talent three games into the season. Averaging an early double-double with 13.7 points and 10.0 rebounds, she and fellow rookie Sonia Citron have given the 2-1 Mystics a lot to be optimistic about so […]

Before the season began, the Golden State Valkyries fans weren’t happy about how the team handled their 2025 WNBA draft. It began with confusion around the Valkyries waiving Shyanne Sellers in training camp. That confusion then escalated into anger when No. 5 overall pick Justė Jocytė chose to prioritize her national team duties for EuroBasket […]

Minutes after securing her first career win as a head coach, Golden State Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase strolled into the press conference decked out in a fuzzy black robe. The Valkyries beat the Washington Mystics 76-74. Natalie Nakase’s retelling of the locker room celebration after the franchise’s first win: https://t.co/9Tj2FDUEPI pic.twitter.com/WFf9VGRz3d — Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) May […]

Jonathan Kuminga is the Golden State Warriors’ biggest question mark this offseason. With Kuminga officially a restricted free agent, the Warriors will have to decide whether or not he fits in with their veteran core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. But based on Kuminga’s inconsistent playing time throughout the Dubs’ playoff run, […]

Even for seasoned veterans like  Julie Vanloo and Tiffany Hayes, who have a combined 29 years of professional basketball experience, the Golden State Valkyries’ historic WNBA debut was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. While the Valkyries could not pull off the inaugural debut victory in front of the 18,604 Chase Center fans, Hayes and Vanloo both took in […]

For six minutes in the third quarter of the Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural WNBA game, Julie Vanloo had the superpowers of Stephen Curry coursing through her veins. With the Los Angeles Sparks taking control of the game, Vanloo drained three straight 3-pointers on consecutive possessions. It was a moment that electrified the sold-out Chase Center […]

While the Golden State Valkyries‘ 84-67 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks dampened the vibe of the team’s historic WNBA debut, head coach Natalie Nakase believes it wasn’t as negative as the 17-point margin of defeat indicates. The Valkyries were neck and neck with the Sparks for most of the night. Tiffany Hayes muscled her […]

The highly anticipated debut of the WNBA’s newest franchise is finally here. After finalizing their 12-player roster, the Golden State Valkyries kick off their inaugural WNBA season versus the Los Angeles Sparks. While several name recognizable players like Kaitlyn Chen and Laeticia Amihere did not make the final roster, Valkyries fans have plenty of players […]

The Golden State Warriors’ whirlwind 2024-25 season is officially over. After falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Warriors finished a season full of highs, lows, and optimism for the near future. It was a season that began with Golden State and the rest of […]

It’s easy to say Jimmy Butler needs to hunt his shot more when looking at the Golden State Warriors’ dreadful offensive woes without Stephen Curry versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sure, only nine shot attempts from Butler in a must-win Game 4 situation to avoid falling behind 3-1 is not ideal. And maybe there were opportunities […]

In a game where the Golden State Warriors desperately needed Jonathan Kuminga, he delivered everything Steve Kerr, his teammates, the organization, and the fan base wanted from him. He was decisive on offense, engaged on defense, ran the floor well, and provided the Warriors a lifeline with his scoring. With 30 points and six rebounds […]

It’s no secret that there has been frustration from all sides involving Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors and their ongoing saga. And while those frustrations flared up from Kuminga midway through the Houston Rockets series, due to a lack of playing time on the part of Steve Kerr and the coaching staff, it’s […]

With everyone wondering who will be the Golden State Valkyries’ standout player in their inaugural season in the WNBA, Laeticia Amihere made a strong case for herself in the team’s preseason debut versus Kelsey Plum and the Los Angeles Sparks. Coming off the bench, Amihere powered her way to 20 points in 19 minutes. She […]

While the Chase Center crowd was loud all night long for the Golden State Valkyries’ WNBA debut, the fans somehow got even louder when UConn’s national champion Kaitlyn Chen checked into the game, even though the team ultimately lost 83-82. It was an unbelievable sight for Paige Bueckers’ former teammate. Especially for a third-round draft […]

With how difficult it was for Stephen Curry in the Houston Rockets series, he couldn’t have looked happier to be playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Curry was comfortable. He was destroying the Wolves’ pick-and-roll drop coverage. That was until disaster struck. Thirteen minutes in, with 13 points to his name, Curry asked out of the […]

The long-awaited Golden State Valkyries debut has finally arrived. The WNBA’s newest franchise is opening the doors to Chase Center with a preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks, and the buzz around the team is electrifying. Ahead of the Valkyries’ introduction to the Bay Area, Belgian National team player Julie Vanloo and reigning WNBA […]

After getting through one of the most physical and grueling series Stephen Curry’s ever seen, the Golden State Warriors are back in the second round of the playoffs and hungry for more. But with Anthony Edwards and the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 22-9 since the All-Star break, standing in their way, the Warriors are […]

After an emotional letdown in the previous game, there was a mental element that Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors had to overcome to take Game 7. “I pouted way too much last game. I spent the last two days embarrassed at what I gave to the game– what I gave to the world.” […]

There wasn’t much to be positive about three-quarters of the way through Game 5 from the Golden State Warriors’ perspective. Down 31 points with 10:59 left in the third quarter and Steve Kerr ready to pull the plug, the Dubs were more than ready to lick their wounds and gear up for a dangerous close-out […]

Whatever Brandin Podziemski ate before Game 4 needs to become his before-game meal every game moving forward. Bouncing back after suffering from food poisoning earlier in the series, Podziemski was instrumental in the Golden State Warriors’ critical 109-106 Game 4 victory over the Houston Rockets. In a career game for a player early in their […]

The Golden State Warriors needed someone to step up for Game 3 against the Houston Rockets with Jimmy Butler sidelined with a deep glute contusion. And while Stephen Curry, who finished with 36 points, can always be penciled in for a high-scoring performance, the Dubs needed someone else to kick in on offense. The Warriors […]

It’s no secret that Warriors fans believe Stephen Curry doesn’t get the typical star treatment when it comes to getting foul calls, especially compared to fellow two-time MVP James Harden. But that’s not a theory Steve Kerr wants to confirm. Ahead of Game 3 between the Warriors and the Houston Rockets, Kerr made a Harden […]

In the wake of Jimmy Butler’s unfortunate deep glute contusion, animosity between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets is at an all-time high.  From Warriors fans calling Amen Thompson “dirty” for undercutting Butler to Houston fans chanting “F**k you Draymond Green”, the tension between these two teams and their fanbases has never been […]

“Stay ready.” That’s been the message the Golden State Warriors have sent to Jonathan Kuminga since his benching.  However, it seems like that message has been lost on the 22-year-old despite Steve Kerr telling reporters that Kuminga’s attitude and energy since his benching has been “fantastic.” After the Warriors’ 109-94 Game 2 loss to the […]

There’s no denying Game 2 took a huge turn when Jimmy Butler took a scary fall onto the hardwood. And while Butler suffered a pelvic contusion after being undercut by a falling Amen Thompson, which puts his availability for Game 3 in question, it shouldn’t completely overshadow the Golden State Warriors’ major issues in their 109-94 […]

After playing zero minutes in the Golden State Warriors’ 95-85 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1, it’s pretty clear that Jonathan Kuminga is out of Steve Kerr’s playoff rotation until further notice. With rumors about the Brooklyn Nets eying Kuminga in his restricted free agency and the Dub Nation split in half about […]