Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22
Winners of four straight and eight of their last 10, the Golden State Valkyries (29-11) have the second-best record in the WNBA and might be the only team in the league that wishes the FIBA break ended before it even began.
Golden State didn’t just win their last four games; they completely dominated. They won by an average of 19 points. Two wins in that span came against current playoff teams, the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Golden State also dismantled Connecticut by 25 points and Portland by 17.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was just named WNBA coach of the month in August after a 10-2 campaign, and has her team ready to compete for a championship in just its second season as a franchise.
On August 24, Golden State went to Minnesota to take on the number one seed Lynx and completely dominated them. The Valkyries won 80-66 and held the best offense in the league to 36% shooting and forced 18 turnovers.
Three days later, Golden State went to New York and made quick work of the Liberty, 79-60. The Liberty shot a putrid 30%, and the Valkyries led for 89% of the game, a true non-contest.
When looking at the record against the other top-four teams in the league (Minnesota, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Indiana), the Valkyries are 9-7 overall, despite starting 2-6. A large factor in Golden State’s impressive record against the league’s best is its stellar defense.
Golden State leads the WNBA in defensive rating at 99.8. This stat adjusts for how many points a team gives up per-100 possessions. The next closest team is Minnesota with a 103.5 rating, a 3.7-point difference. The difference between Golden State and Minnesota is the same as the difference between the second and seventh best teams in the league.
Another reason for the Valkyries’ dominance is their ability to take care of the basketball. Golden State is tied with Dallas for the league-lead in turnover percentage at just 15%.
Part of the reason Golden State ranks among the top of the league is its league-slowest pace of play. Like the Memphis Grizzlies of the early 2010s, the Valkyries take time off the shot clock and work to get a great look while hounding the opponent on the other end.
The ability to lock down on defense and take care of the basketball on offense should create a recipe for success come playoff time. Despite the Valkyries’ league-average marks offensively, their style of play is conducive to winning tight games in the playoffs.
When play resumes on September 18, Golden State’s four remaining games come against teams currently out of the playoff picture (Portland twice, Seattle, and Los Angeles). Minnesota, on the other hand, plays three teams currently in the playoffs (Indiana twice and New York) to end the season.
If Minnesota were to fall in all three of the games and Golden State were to win out, the Valkyries would end the year as the league’s number one overall seed, an extremely impressive feat considering this is only the franchise’s second season.
Nakase may not have the star power on her roster that many of the other top teams in the league boast, but she does possess the blueprint for a team that will be a nightmare to face in the playoffs.
Photography Credits: Golden State Valkyries/WNBA
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