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 Center this season. They are even in contention for some major awards, with Natalie Nakase chasing Coach of the Year and Veronica Burton hunting the Most Improved Player honor.
And in a hard-fought comeback 82-78 win over the Dallas Wings, the Valkyries have officially clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs, becoming the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to do so. Golden State becomes the sixth team this season to secure its ticket to the postseason.
After the game, Burton reflected on the impressive accomplishment.
“This is awesome, honestly,” the MIP frontrunner said. Burton hit the game-sealing and-one to send the Valkyries to the postseason.
“It's a testament to all the work we put in, it's a testament to the belief our coaching staff had in us. Ohemaa [Nyanin], the front office, all of them. To do it with the group that we have, just enjoying it and taking it all in. Obviously, we have a long road ahead of us, but being able to sit in it and enjoy it and to do it in front of this crowd, it was really special. A moment I will always remember for sure.”
For Nakase, the moment was special, but something she expected.
“I don't know, I'm bittersweet in terms of we're supposed to do this,” Nakase said, saying that's how she's wired. “I told the girls, ‘We intentionally picked you guys for this reason.'”
How the Valkyries made expansion franchise history
It's been a rollercoaster ride for the Valkyries up to this point; they've dealt with pretty much everything that can happen in a given season. From injuries and roster changes, losing streaks and grueling road trips, the Valkyries' path to the playoffs has not been without some trials and tribulations.
But throughout everything, Golden State leaned into its biggest strengths: depth, IQ, and connectivity, with the last item on that list being the team's biggest emphasis this entire season. After the big win over the New York Liberty this week, Kate Martin and Temi Fagbenle talked about the significance of the Valkyries' chemistry in the locker room.
“I would say in the locker room, our support for each other and staying together has been huge as we're trying to make that playoff push,” Martin said. She cited Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen's consistent energy on the bench as examples of the roster-wide connectivity.
“We're coming down the home stretch, so just staying together and supporting one another goes a long way.
“It's really great to be on this team because anyone can go off,” Fagbenle said. “We are so supportive of each other of whoever goes off. It's not like ‘Ughh, I didn't go off today,' [it's] ‘We won, this is like the best thing ever!' It doesn't matter who steps up; we won the game. We all give each other that support, that energy, that happiness, that positivity.”
That connectivity translates perfectly into the kind of basketball Golden State plays – highly schemed, team-oriented defensive plans, a strength-in-numbers approach to scoring, and their willingness to take a plug-and-play approach to the rotation.
Playoff preview
The Valkyries clinched a playoff berth with four games left to play, but that doesn't mean they have nothing to play for. Golden State could secure the sixth seed in the playoffs by winning two out of its final four games, which could help it avoid a juggernaut like the Minnesota Lynx or Las Vegas Aces.
And while the idea of resting players and coasting the final week of the season is intriguing, it's not something the players or Nakase plan to do.
“It's a learning tool right now because we accomplished something we set out to do. We said we want to make the playoffs and boom, now we have that ‘X,'” Nakase said. “It's a combination now of being healthy and preparing our rhythm going into the playoffs. I have to figure out a healthy balance of what I'm going to do.”
The Valkyries play this Saturday, but they'll also be playing at least two more games in September with a chance to shock the world.
