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When the Indiana Fever cut the Golden State Valkyries' 15-point lead down to 55-50 in the third quarter, it just felt like deja vu all over again. Another game in which the Valkyries' offense would run cold in another inopportune moment.
But on the road in Indiana, while trying to avoid a third loss in a row, Veronica Burton buried a crucial three to push the lead back up to eight. And at the end of the quarter, Burton buried another three to nullify the Fever's 13-3 run, silencing a crowd full of Camp Day Fever fans. The Valkyries would go on to stampede past Indiana in the fourth, snapping a two-game skid in an 80-61 win over the Fever.
Burton finished with a game-high 21 points, a career best for the 24-year-old guard. She finished 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, another career-high, alongside eight rebounds and six assists. After the game, Burton talked to KPIX's Matt Lively about her big day.
“Just a big-time team win,” Burton said. “Obviously, we've been on the road; this is our third road game coming off of a couple of losses, but I think that's a really gritty win. They're an incredible team, so I'm really proud of our effort.”
In Kayla Thornton's post-game presser, the all-star credited Burton for her confidence in her 3-point shot.
“She's a shooter. We just tell her to let it fly and give her the confidence,” Thornton said. “She's been in the gym. Her work is paying off, and that's the product of what she's putting in. We believe in her, and we know she's going to knock down that shot every time. Even if she doesn't, just keep shooting.
“Taking the open shots. My teammates did a good job of finding me, and there were some open ones. I'm glad I was able to knock them down.”
It was a career game for a player who'd been typecast as a defensive specialist before being drafted by the Valkyries. But that defensive identity remained present versus the Fever, especially in helping slow down Caitlin Clark. On top of the offensive milestones, Burton also notched her 100th career steal, which she was very proud of.
“Yeah, I think defense wins a lot of games, so it's something I take pride in,” Burton said when she learned she collected her 100th career steal. “We did a good job on the defensive end tonight.”
How Veronica Burton and the Valkyries made it rain
It's no secret the Valkyries shoot a lot of 3s. They lead the league in 3-point attempts per game (30.2) and in percentage of field goal attempts being 3-pointers (44.9%), all while second-to-last in 3-point percentage (30.1%). However, as of late, Golden State has quietly improved its 3-point shooting. In the last five games, the Valkyries are third in the W in 3-point shooting percentage (36.0%).
It's not the biggest sample size, but it's an indication they've become more comfortable with that shot, even if it's because they're improving through sheer volume. Head coach Natalie Nakase emphasized that a big reason for the recent 3-pointer improvement is the work Burton and the players have put in. But she also pointed to the return of Carla Leite to the lineup, the Valkyries' dynamic combo guard who was out the previous couple of games with a back injury.
“Offensively, we stayed spaced– we held space today,” Nakase said after the game. “Overall, we played team basketball on both sides of the floor. That was something we were missing. Credit to Vee [Burton], she's working hard on her 3s. And also too with Carla playing, you got another ball-handler out there. It allows Vee to play a little bit off the ball sometimes. I think Vee is probably really happy Carla's back.”
Nakase's preference to play Leite and Burton together was what led to Burton's back-to-back 3s in the third quarter. But underlying that decision has been Nakase's recent willingness to play more three-guard lineups. It's something the first-year head coach had zero reluctance to go to close past games – the win over the Chicago Sky is a noteworthy example.
However, versus the Fever, Nakase outright started Burton alongside Tiffany Hayes and Kate Martin. In Indiana, Nakase demonstrated a downright trust in all of her guards, including Leite and Kaitlyn Chen. Rarely were the Valkyries without at least two guards on the floor. Whether it was a matchup-dependent rotation remains to be seen; you never know with Nakase.
But Nakase tripling down on on-ball playmaking, IQ, and speed with these three guard lineups has to be monitored moving forward. It's a huge reason why Burton was able to flourish from deep. Burton could lean into her shooting guard tendencies with another point guard on the floor. Not to mention Hayes and Martin's dribble penetration, getting the Fever defense out of position, and setting up open 3s.
The Valkyries look to keep up their improved 3-point shooting Saturday versus the Las Vegas Aces.
