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Few people expected the Golden State Valkyries to be competitive in their first season in the WNBA. But at 7-6, with five wins in their last six games, the Valkyries have caught the attention of basketball legend Lisa Leslie. On her podcast, Between the Lines, Leslie called Golden State her “dark horse” team in the WNBA this season. It was high praise from one of the greatest to ever play, but for first-year head coach Natalie Nakase, she doesn't want the label to get too ahead of itself.
Asked Natalie Nakase about Lisa Leslie praising the Valkyries as a “Dark horse.”
“Respect to Lisa Leslie, she’s a hall of famer and the GOAT. We try not to listen to outside noise. We try to control what we can control.“
Emphasized they aren’t the #1 defense in the league yet. pic.twitter.com/iktetPBifn
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 22, 2025
“Respect to Lisa Leslie, she is a Hall of Famer and the GOAT. We try not to listen to outside noise. We try to control what we can control, day-to-day,” Nakase said before the Valkyries' home game with the Connecticut Sun.
At the start of the season, the outside noise was mostly negative. Many analysts predicted the Valkyries would finish at the bottom of the W. ESPN Bet even set the Valkyries' win total at a measly 7.5 games before the season began. But that outside noise has taken a complete 180, and Leslie's praise reflects that. And according to her, on that same podcast, she had a feeling something like this was coming.
“I saw the Valkyries, just preseason, and I was like, ‘Hmm. You give them a little bit of time…' They really have some good pieces. And yes, they have more of a foreign group, but they're playing a great style of basketball. You already know, as a champion, the scariest teams to me are the most unselfish teams,” Leslie told guest Kelsey Plum. “The teams that are fluid with that ball movement and get on one accord defensively. It's just been really great watching them play. I've kinda been saying they're my dark horse because every time I see them, they are consistently getting better and better.”
The Valkyries aren't resting on their laurels
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Unsurprisingly, the three-time MVP and two-time champion's observations are spot on. While they don't have a de facto go-to scorer, the Valkyries' offense is slowly coming together. They score through a committee; any player on any given night can be the one to carry the offensive burden. And defensively, the Valkyries boast a top-five 97.6 defensive rating. They've stifled the stars like Caitlin Clark in the brightest lights.
Nakase believes her team's on the right track, but she and the Valkyries are not satisfied. In the same press conference, Nakase continued her thoughts on Leslie's comments.
“We appreciate people's opinions and their support, I mean obviously we're doing something right, Nakase said. “But I told our team today, we're looking to be number one on defense. Right now we're number five. We're not where we're supposed to be. The teams in front of us are great defensive teams, but why aren't we number one? So I'm challenging them every day to be competitive. And to be mindful of: where is our goal, we're not there yet, and how do we get there.”
