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Every team needs an identity if it wants to win games, especially a brand-new expansion franchise looking to establish itself in the WNBA. For Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries, that identity has been defense. While the shooting has been streaky and the turnovers have been a problem, their hard-nosed, hustling defensive identity is something they've always been able to lean on in the early portion of this season.
But that wasn't the case in the Valkyries' 86-77 loss to the new-look Phoenix Mercury. For as good as the offense was to open the game, it was clear right from the get-go that something was off about their defense. In her post-game press conference, Nakase admitted that the Valkyries didn't have the same punch on defense that they usually play with.
“I asked them, ‘Where's our energy,' from the jump. It was the first time [I asked that], to be super transparent. I've never seen that.” Nakase said when asked about their aggression on defense. “We didn't throw any punches, we were reacting. We were waiting. The first time I've seen it. So I got to figure out what I can do to make sure their buttons are ready to go from the jump. It's on me, I've got to figure that out.”
Nakase wasn't alone in her dismay at the Valkyries' defensive effort. Veronica Burton, who led Golden State with 16 points on 9-of-11 from the free throw line, also expressed her disappointment with the passivity on defense.
“We need to be the aggressors on defense. I think we're passive sometimes, and we're not as aggressive, and the communication is a factor,” Burton stated when asked what was off about the Valkyries in their fourth straight loss. “It's nothing from a preparation standpoint. It's really just us, and you know, when someone hits two of three 3's, we need to know where they're at on the floor.”
Mercury's Satou Sabally and Lexi Held 1-2 combo
Even though the Valkyries admitted their defense was subpar, they still forced the Mercury into committing 19 turnovers. But like many of their games this season, it came down to execution in the clutch. Up eight Golden State with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries could not stop the Mercury's one-two combo of Satou Sabally and Lexi Held.
From that point on, Phoenix's dynamic duo scored 14 of their team's final 20 points. Held in particular ran circles around the Valkyries' perimeter defense. She buried a 27-foot lead-taking 3-pointer on the wing with 1:11 left in the game. It capped off a 20-3 run by the Sun. From there, Sabally muscled her way to an And-1 putback to put the Valkyries on the back foot. Burton had a chance to cut the 3-point lead to one but messed up her footwork on an open layup.
In the same post-game press conference, Nakase cited the team's composure in those high-leverage moments.
“Yeah, just be composed, we kind of lost our composure,” Nakase said. She stated the Burton open layup came off of a set play the team decided on together in the huddle. “Just didn't make it. But that's okay, we'll still take that part in terms of we want her to shoot those shots. But yeah, we've got to be able to close, and we've got to be composed.”
Center Temi Fagbenle echoed Nakase's evaluation when asked how close losses can help the team in the long run.
“It's all about consistency for us in our journey,” Fagbenle said. “Just so people can build on the good things that we did in this game and finish a game.”
