MINNEAPOLIS– Ahead of Game 1 of the Golden State Valkyries' first-round playoff matchup with the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx, the team is on the same page regarding the task ahead of them.
It's no secret the Valkyries are heavy underdogs against a playoff-proven team that boasts talent like MVP-candidate Napheesa Collier, DPOY frontrunner Alanna Smith, and the StudBudz. All while led by one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, in Cheryl Reeve. It's a tall order for this Golden State team working on trying to extend its storybook season, but they understand the task at hand.
At practice on the eve of Game 1 on Sunday, Cecilia Zandalasini expressed the Valkyries' mindset heading into a series with the best team in the WNBA.
“For sure, they are a tough team to beat. They are the top team in the league. But we don't have to be afraid about that,” Valkyries' Zandalasini said to reporters when asked about the advice going around the locker room.
“They're experienced… We just need to take care of the ball. Don't make too many mistakes, because once you make mistakes, [with] their experience, they'll make you pay. That would be for us the most important thing. And it's pretty obvious– we got to lock in for 40 minutes. We can not let go for even two or three seconds. So that's going to be a challenge for us, but I think we'll be ready.”
The Valkyries' mix of veterans and youth
While it may be Golden State's first and only trip to the postseason, as it's their first-ever season in the WNBA, that doesn't mean the Valkyries don't have playoff experience. Among Golden State's roster, they still have a total of 129 combined playoff games under their belts.
And while this will be a first-time occasion for players like Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, the veterans have been communicative about what it'll take to compete in the postseason. At practice, the Valkyries' center, Monique Billings, talked about the team's mix of veterans and youth.
“I would say it's half and half. We have babies on our team who've never been on the team, so I think we have a mix of both,” Billings said.
“It's helpful having veterans like myself, Tip [Hayes], Temi [Fagbenle], like we know what it takes. I talked about details, it's those little minor things that matter. It comes down to the vets helping the young kids out, helping the young players out. Just getting them right, knowing you have to come in with a different mentality, that it's not in season. This is a whole new season.”
Still, the Valkyries will be leaning on players who weren't exactly the engine drivers on their past teams that made it to the postseason.
Other than Hayes, most of the Valkyries' X-factors haven't had the opportunity to play the primary minutes in the brightest of spotlights. They haven't had to do things like manage a critical fourth-quarter offensive possession or be the primary defender on the opposing team's star. This playoff series will be Golden State's first exposure to the reality of the playoffs.
How the “must-win mentality” keeps Golden State focused
Despite a mixed bag of postseason experience, in a lot of ways, Golden State has already been playing playoff basketball. In the lead-up to clinching a playoff spot, the Valkyries and Natalie Nakase described their mentality to each and every game as a must-win. In her media availability, Nakase emphasized how the intensity of those must-win games helps them going into this series.
“They feel it. It's like that edge, that type of urgency. It's there and it's so good that it's been carrying over every single day,” Nakase said. “Now we just gotta finish. We gotta close. We gotta play a full 40 [minutes]. But most importantly, our defense, our physicality, our attention to detail, our communication, our execution of the game plan, that has to be on point.
Billings also echoed Nakase's sentiments.
“It gives us a sense of urgency,” Billings said concerning the Valkyries' must-win mentality in the lead-up to clinching a playoff birth. “Having to be on point. Just knowing that every rep matters, every recovery item matters. Everything we're doing on and off the court matters.”
Staying poised in a raucous postseason atmosphere
For all the preparation they've done, it's still a big spot to be in for Golden State. There will be moments where they may get overwhelmed by the crowd, the opponent, maybe even the moment, which is natural for any team in their first postseason trip together. But the Valkyries understand the stage they're stepping on, and they seem ready to face the spotlight.
“I would definitely say so, I mean it's basketball at the end of the day. It's hoop,” Billings said when asked about the mindset of calming down in big moments like the playoffs.
“We've all been hooping for a majority of our lives. Not getting too high, not getting too low, capturing the moment, being present, and just leaving it all and maxing out.”
For Nakase, she's leaning on the advice of her coaching mentors, many of whom she has spoken to in the buildup to Game 1.
“I can't tell you the advice, but of course I have,” Nakase said, sharing that they've helped validate her coaching heading into this series. “To be honest, they all kind of said, trust your gut. ‘Trust your gut Nat.' They were like, ‘You know your team better than me.'… So that's what I'm doing. I'm trusting my gut. I believe in my players wholeheartedly. I know what they're capable of.”
The Valkyries head into Game 1 with trust and belief in each other and themselves to take on the Lynx.
