Golden State Valkyries Articles - Page 2

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 […]

In just their first season in the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries have emerged as one of the most compelling storylines in professional women’s basketball. The expansion franchise sits at 18-16 in seventh place in playoff seeding, with a realistic chance of securing that postseason berth. That’s a remarkable position to be in for an […]

The Golden State Valkyries’ big win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night set yet another record. Already one of the most successful expansion teams in WNBA history, the Valkyries refuse to give in to expectations. Golden State improved to 18-15 with the win, becoming the first expansion team in league history to win 18 […]

The Washington Mystics’ All-Star rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, nicknamed “Kitron,” has deservedly dominated the team’s headlines this season. However, Shakira Austin’s bounce-back is another vital development. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick is averaging a career-high 12.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting with 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 […]

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 […]

As the 2025 WNBA trade deadline passed on August 7, several high-stakes deals shook the league, but many teams chose to stay put. Some teams around the league either avoided or were unable to make trades, leaving fans to wonder about the “what‑ifs.” Let’s take a look at the imagined or widely speculated moves each team […]

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 […]

The Golden State Valkyries, in their debut season in the WNBA, have had plenty of positives to take away already. Head coach Natalie Nakase is firmly in conversation for the WNBA Coach of the Year with the Valkyries currently boasting of a 14-14 record. However, there has been plenty of bizarre incidents occuring as well. […]

Nobody expected the Golden State Valkyries to be 13-13 through 26 games and in a position to potentially position themselves as buyers ahead of the 2025 WNBA trade deadline. Yet, that is exactly where the league’s newest organization finds itself roughly one month ahead of the playoffs. The Valkyries’ journey, three-quarters of the way through […]

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 […]

The Golden State Valkyries have signed veteran guard-forward Kaila Charles to a seven-day hardship contract, according to Sara Jane Gamelli of Ballislife.com. Charles will be available for Friday night’s game against the Chicago Sky (7–19) at 7:30 p.m. ET, which will air nationally on ION. The signing comes as the Valkyries deal with a major […]

Somehow, someway, in their fourth game in seven days, Golden State Valkyries found a way to win on the road for the second game in a row. The Valkyries won an ugly 68-67 game against the Washington Mystics to get back to a .500 record on the season. And more importantly, they moved back into […]

The Golden State Valkyries have surprised many this WNBA season as they’ve been an incredibly competitive team and are firmly in the mix for a playoff spot in what many felt like was going to be a struggling year. Instead, the Valkyries are in eighth place after having defeated the Washington Mystics, 68-67 on Thursday. […]

The WNBA witnessed another nail-biting moment after Cecilia Zandalasini hit the game-winning basket to lead the Golden State Valkyries past the Atlanta Dream, 77-75, on Tuesday. Zandalasini scored on an 11-foot jumpshot with 3.2 seconds left to give the Valkyries the upset victory. The Dream still had the chance to steal the win or send […]

SAN FRANCISCO — Heading into their first game back from the All-Star break, the Golden State Valkyries had one thing on their minds: “Win for KT.” And just hours after the team announced All-Star Kayla Thornton would miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury, the Valkyries took down the Dallas Wings […]

SAN FRANCISCO– “Devastating” was the word the Golden State Valkyries all brought up in the wake of all-star Kayla Thornton’s season-ending knee injury. Ahead of the Valkyries’ rematch with the Dallas Wings, head coach Natalie Nakase made an official statement on losing Thornton to a right knee injury. Valkyries Natalie Nakase’s official statement on Kayla […]

SAN FRANCISCO– The Golden State Valkyries were handed devastating injury news ahead of their rematch with the Dallas Wings. The team announced hours before the game that all-star Kayla Thornton will be out for the remainder of the season. Thornton suffered an injury to her right knee earlier this week in practice and underwent successful […]

The Golden State Valkyries announced Thursday that veteran forward Kayla Thornton will miss Friday night’s matchup against the Dallas Wings due to a lower leg injury. The team issued the update on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming that Thornton is undergoing evaluation and has been ruled out for the contest. “Golden State Valkyries forward […]