Golden State Valkyries Articles - Page 4

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s fitting for Natalie Nakase that the Golden State Valkyries’ best performance of their inaugural season came against the Las Vegas Aces and Becky Hammon. The former Aces assistant coach, who helped Hammon and the team to back-to-back WNBA titles, secured a signature 95-68 upset win in front of a raucous Chase […]

Amid a four-game losing streak and all the Natalie Nakase and Becky Hammon reunion storylines, the Golden State Valkyries came away with a stunning 95-68 blowout win over the Las Vegas Aces on primetime television. The unexpected upset was a brilliant all-around team-wide effort. And thanks to Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, and Monique Billings, the […]

The Golden State Valkyries have been a formidable team during their inaugural season in the WNBA even if their overall record of 3-5 might not completely reflect that. The Valkyries notched their best win of the season so far with their 95-68 demolition of the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. Aside from the final score, […]

When the WNBA hosted the Golden State Valkyries’ expansion draft in the 2024-2025 offseason, Kate Martin was one of the team’s first targeted players. While she did not make much of an impact in her lone season with the Las Vegas Aces, Martin made Becky Hammon wish she were back on her roster on Saturday […]

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 […]

The Golden State Valkyries have been a competitive team during their inaugural season in the WNBA, even if their record doesn’t quite show it. In addition to their competitiveness, the Valkyries have had strong home fan support with three straight home sellouts amid their 2-4 overall record. As the team looks to get back in […]

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 […]

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 drew a little bit of criticism from fans when they did not keep any of their 2025 WNBA Draft picks on the final roster for the regular season. It should be mentioned though that only their second and third round picks were in training camp as No. 5 overall pick Justė […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Golden State Valkyries finally have their first win, and it came in dramatic fashion. In front of a roaring home crowd at Chase Center, the expansion franchise pulled off a thrilling 76 to 74 victory over the Washington Mystics. It was the kind of night that felt like more than just a tally in […]

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 […]

Kelsey Plum dominated in the season opener between the Los Angeles Sparks and Golden State Valkyries on Thursday night. This prompted praise from Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase. In 40 minutes of action, Plum finished with a stat line of 37 points, six assists, five steals, and two rebounds. She shot 11-of-19 from the field, […]

While the Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural game was ruined by an 84-67 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, it was still a monumental night for the new team. With improvements to be made for the Valkyries, there’s no denying the support that showed up for the contest, as even Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers […]

It began a new era in the WNBA on the West Coast. The Golden State Valkyries started their inaugural season on Friday, leaving an impression that left head coach Natalie Nakase feeling confident.  Their first game against the Los Angeles Sparks brought out a sold out crowd, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Significantly, the Valkyries […]

Although Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was encouraged on Friday, the team still lost 84-67 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Following the game, it was a historic one for the franchise. This was its first game, not to mention the first game in front of their fanbase. Nakase explained via Kenzo Fukuda of […]

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 Golden State Valkyries made history in multiple ways during their inaugural game and home opener against the Los Angeles Sparks. The expansion franchise did everything possible to commemorate a night full of firsts and was rewarded with thunderous cheers from the electric San Francisco crowd, but nothing got the fans more hyped up than […]

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 WNBA added a team this offseason with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors own the expansion team. They are primed for a massive inaugural season in the Bay Area. The Warriors have dominated the NBA over the last 10 years, so bringing a new WNBA team to the […]

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest squad, has had to make the same difficult roster decisions ahead of its inaugural season as the other teams in the league. People are usually heartbroken every year over who gets left out of the lineups, but the Valkyries’ decisions have left an especially bad taste in fans’ […]

The Golden State Valkyries will play their first WNBA regular season game on Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks. Golden State joined the WNBA as an expansion team this offseason and has already assembled a frisky roster. One of their young stars is ready for the 2025 season to finally begin. Valkyries guard Kate Martin […]

Layshia Clarendon is set to make a powerful return to the WNBA, not on the court, but as a key member of the Golden State Valkyries’ broadcast team. The Valkyries announced Clarendon as a studio analyst for their highly anticipated inaugural 2025 season. This move marks a new chapter for the former All-Star guard, who […]

The Golden State Valkyries took the court for the first time this week during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Although the Valkyries will not officially begin the WNBA season until next week, this was the first opportunity for fans to see them play. And they etched their name in the WNBA history […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Golden State Valkyries made a shocking decision involving one of the players they selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft, that being guard Shyanne Sellers. Golden State made an announcement on Saturday that they waived Sellers, effectively cutting her from the team. They selected her with the 17th pick in the second round of this […]

The Golden State Valkyries opened their first-ever training camp Sunday, and it did not take long for the team to set a tone for the franchise’s identity. Guard Kate Martin, selected from the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA expansion draft, summed it up simply. “We’re killers,” Martin said, as reported by Kendra Andrews of […]