The Golden State Valkyries are clearly having a second season in the WNBA that no one would have seen coming—well, only if you didn't pay any attention at all last year. The Valkyries are playing so well that it's becoming impossible for other teams to ignore. The Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham even admitted the truth about the team after they lost 88-75 last night.
Before we get into what they said, let's look back at the game. The Valkyries made it clear from the beginning that they were going to do their best to keep the Fever from scoring, and they exceeded expectations in that realm. The Fever has the top offense in the WNBA, and Golden State managed to hold the team to only 30 points in the first half. The Fever managed just over 40% shooting throughout the entire game.
Earlier this season Nakase was asked if the Valkyries and Fever were the new must-see rivalry in the WNBA. Nakase offered a very Valkyries-coded answer ("Everyone is a rival in my eyes") and kept things pretty diplomatic, but it was clear during last night's game that the two teams were definitely gunning for one another. Six Valkyries hit double-digits, and the game gave Golden State the team's eighth straight win.
The Valkyries know exactly how to push the Fever's buttons
The Valkyries also won because they've thoroughly figured out exactly how to unravel the Fever: play relentlessly physical basketball. When asked how Golden State pulled off the win, Clark told reporters, "They’re in my grill. They’re probably the best defensive team in the league. They’re really good at that." Clark also noted the team is difficult to score against, something that was evident in her performance (she tallied 13 points, three rebounds, and six assists last night).
Cunningham also said, "They have an offense, and they stick with their offense, and they have fast guards. They have great spacing. They are really a very fundamental team on both sides of the ball, and that’s a tough matchup for anybody, but honestly, at the end of the day, we have to stick to our schemes."
Besides slowing down Clark, the Valkryies also found a way to let Kaitlyn Chen do exactly what she needed to do to be a true contributor on the floor. Chen has been consistently performing well for the team all season, further cementing the fact that drafting her was one of the best decisions the team's very talented front office has made.
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