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It takes an incredible combination of coaching, scheme, and personnel to slow Caitlin Clark down. And even then, she still might burn an opposing defense despite every variable going right. But Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase had a game plan for Clark, and she stated it in the clearest terms before the game: pick her up high, force her left as much as possible, and be aware of her at all times both individually and as a team.
Natalie Nakase talked about how the Valks will matchup with Caitlin Clark.
“You gotta pick her up higher. She shoots from a logo you can't pick her up at a logo just because, that's a super comfortable shot. It's almost like a layup to her. Need to get her going to her left.” pic.twitter.com/TNfZuJF4OX
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 20, 2025
And the Valkyries followed that game plan to a tee. Clark finished with only 11 points on 3-of-14 FGs and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. It was the second time in Clark's career that she finished with zero made threes as the Valkyries took down the Indiana Fever 88-77. The Valkyries schemed as good of a game as a team can when it comes to slowing Clark down.
After the game, Nakase explained what the Valkyries did to bother Clark and how the team executed the defensive game plan.
“Like I said in the press conference before, we were being disruptive, we know she doesn’t like physicality. And we know she wants to get back to that left stepback. I watched her at Iowa; she loves that left step-back. It's almost like a layup for her,” Nakase said. “So again, just making sure that she wasn't getting into a rhythm and making sure she was seeing multiple bodies.”
The Valkyries blitzed Clark on every pick and roll, forcing the ball out of her hands. To Clark's credit, she made the right passes out of those double-teams. She finished with nine assists and seven rebounds. But limiting the damage Clark could do on the ball was key to the Valkyries' game plan. It got Golden State back on track as they've won four of their last five games.
Tiffany Hayes: The Caitlin Clark stopper?
For as airtight as Nakase's scheme was, the Valkyries were only able to execute the game plan thanks to Tiffany Hayes. Golden State switched up their primary assignment on Clark throughout the game, but Hayes was integral in keeping Clark in check during the tightly contested fourth quarter. In the same post-game press conference, Nakase went in-depth about what she liked about Hayes' matchup versus Clark.
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“I saw that matchup last year. We knew it was something we could go to,” Nakase said, referring to her and Hayes' experience on the Aces when they played the Fever last year.
Whatever tape Nakase specifically referenced, Hayes indeed bothered Clark's on-ball offense last season. In 4 games against the Aces last year, Caitlin Clark averaged only 13.8 points on 31.7% shooting and 20% from three.
“She has a lot of reps with the one-on-one matchup. Tip is quick; she's one of the quickest players I've been around. So we kind of understand too, not just the physicality we can put on Caitlin, but just the quickness. Because, sometimes quicker guards bother people's handles. So again, high IQ from Tip, and then Tip is just fearless. She wanted the moment, she wanted the ball at the end, and she closed it for us.”
While Nakase credited Hayes for her speed to keep up with Clark, Hayes herself gave credit to Nakase's game plan and her teammates.
“We just followed the game plan. Coach gave us a great game plan, we knew we had to stay up on her. We knew she's a three-level scorer, and I think it was a great team defensive game today. Everybody was locked in, making sure she didn't get any easy looks. So, I think it was a great team defensive win.”
Despite the preseason concerns, the Valkyries have been one of the best defensive teams in the league. Their outing against Clark and the Fever was proof of that and it's another example of this team's ability to scheme up the best players in the WNBA.
