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Less than 48 hours removed from a disappointing 80-71 loss to the Dallas Wings, the Golden State Valkyries are looking to up the intensity ahead of their most anticipated matchup of the season. With Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the Bay Area for the first time, the Valkyries will aim to rectify the lack of effort and energy they acknowledged they displayed in the Dallas letdown.
In a post-shootaround press conference, Kate Martin discussed how the Valkyries will match the Fever's fast-paced, high-volume shooting style.
“Just next play, do our job. We got to do our job, we got to do what our gameplan is, and we have to work really hard. Nat [Nakase] said out there, if you’re not ready to work hard, then stay home,” Martin said. “That’s kind of our mindset, we have to trust each other and trust that we’re going to come out there and give our all and do exactly what we need to do. Do our job and have each other's backs. If that's getting back on defense, that's getting back on defense. If that's rebounding, that's rebounding. But yeah, we'll be ready for that.”
Martin's no stranger to how the Clark-led Fever play. The two were close teammates at Iowa, where the duo helped lead the Hawkeyes to multiple NCAA tournament appearances, including back-to-back championship appearances. However, the rebounding will be a big thing to watch in this game.
Golden State's one of the better rebounding teams in the league, averaging 36.2 per game, which ranks fifth in the WNBA. But down four players due to EuroBasket, the Wings destroyed the Valkyries on the boards 51-to-40. The Wings' 13 offensive rebounds were the glaring issue, as they translated it into a staggering 20 second-chance points.
Mo Billings on managing burnout midway through the season
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The lack of energy in the Dallas loss was out of character for the Valkyries, but it was also somewhat explainable. Along with the usual ups and downs of a packed WNBA season, on top of the burden that comes with the inaugural season of an expansion team, Golden State's been through a whirlwind the last couple of months.
In the same press conference, Monique Billings was asked about managing the highs and lows of a WNBA season, especially when it comes to personal mental health.
“It's nothing new. I've been in this league for a while, and every season, there are a lot of games in a short amount of time. It’s all about being mindful of what works for you and that’s different for everybody,” Billings said. “Just making sure you're fueling right. I appreciate the Valkyries because they make sure we have massages and everything that we need recovery-wise. All we need to do is focus on being the best versions of ourselves.”
Billings has been the best version of herself as of late. She's averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds over the last four games. With Janelle Salaün and Temi Fagbenle overseas, Natalie Nakase slotted her into the starting lineup, and they'll need her A-game versus the Fever.
With how dominant the All-Star forward Aliyah Boston has been in the paint this season, a lot rests on Monique Billings and the rest of the frontcourt rotation to handle this bigger Fever team. The Valkyries ran a lot of zone versus the Wings, which worked in every aspect aside from the rebounding. We'll see if Golden State makes the adjustments needed to get back into the win column.
