SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Golden State Valkyries‘ 83-78 win over the Chicago Sky was a slog, to put it lightly. While the Valkyries overcame a slow start to the game, thanks to the efforts of Kayla Thornton and her career-high 29 points, their fatigue seemed to hover over their heads from start to finish.

Simply put, Golden State just looked half-step slow. Routine jump shots came up short on the rim. Even the defense they've prided themselves on didn't have the same juice as it usually does. But as they power through a grueling stretch of four games in seven days, the Valkyries aren't using exhaustion as an excuse, especially Kate Martin.

After her 11-point game off the bench, Martin spoke about her and the team battling through fatigue.

“That's kind of how this league is, you know? It's a lot of games in a short amount of time, and we have like four games this week. And so rest and recovery is important,” Martin said. She also cited the importance of watching extra film to offset the non-physical recovery element of resting. “Everybody has their routines, and so we have another one on Sunday, so you can't really act tired and be tired. Nobody feels sorry for us that we have four games this week, so we just got to come prepared.”

Martin was a huge part of the Valkyries' 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter. When it mattered the most, she, alongside Thornton, Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings, and Kaitlyn Chen adapted to Chicago's up-tempo pace to come away with a gritty win.

Natalie Nakase's role in managing the Valkyries' mileage

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Managing the mileage on the Valkyries' players is something head coach Natalie Nakase knows is very important. Earlier this season, Nakase emphasized that she needs to be aware of how hard the team practices, especially in these condensed stretches. And earlier this week, she checked in with each player individually to make sure everyone had an ideal recovery plan for their specific needs.

The fatigue factor of the WNBA is at the forefront of the Valkyries' preparation. And after a night like this, against a Sky team that was physical and up-tempo, it remains important. In her press conference, Nakase couldn't put all of the Valkyries' sluggish play on just the fatigue.

“I don't know. I'm gonna actually ask them. We went over the recovery routine after [the game] again, just to make sure. I know [the] New York [game] was pretty much a track meet. And I thought, oh my gosh, give credit to Chicago. They played hard. Talk about four quarters, 80 possessions. They played hard,” Nakase said honestly.

“They made us run. Obviously, without [Kamilla] Cardoso, they are playing faster and with pace and space. And so that was a little bit different from the film that we were watching. So again, credit to Chicago. Tyler [Marsh] has that team playing and trusting each other and having fun.”

There's no rest for the weary. The Valkyries have one last home game on Sunday versus the Seattle Storm before they get an extended break. In the meantime, they'll focus on recovery. For Nakase, that involves drinking her pressed juice turmeric shot.

“I brought my pressed juice because I lost my voice,” Nakase said when she walked into media availability.