The Indiana Fever extended their winning streak to three games after Friday, but the Golden State Valkyries didn't make it easy.
Indiana's trio of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell paced Indiana to a 90-82 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The victory was sparked by a strong third quarter that overcame a seven-point first-half deficit, and Clark was tested with five personal fouls and one technical.
Clark finished the game with 22 points and nine assists, but it was an impressive effort from the Valkyries on the second night of a back-to-back.
"Natalie’s done a great job coaching them. She gets them to compete no matter what," Clark told reporters, per team video. "They played a tough game and won last night in New York, and they come in here and you wouldn’t have known by the way she gets those girls to play. You got to give them credit, as well."
Golden State's defense continues to wreak havoc on the best offenses
Golden State came off an 87-70 win over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center thanks to its stifling defense that held Breanna Stewart to 18 points and forced 18 turnovers.
Nakase's side again forced 18 Fever turnovers Friday night, including Clark's six that helped keep the Valkyries within striking distance. They also won the offensive-rebounding battle10-8, to make it tougher for Indiana's bigs like Boston.
"When you think about Golden State, they never go away," Boston told reporters, per team video. "That's what makes them so difficult, is that no matter how big your lead is, it's never safe because, one, they shoot the three-ball really well. They get up a lot of threes, they hustle on the interior and get rebounds. They play super hard, and when it comes to teams playing super hard, they're never gonna give up and they're never gonna call it until that last buzzer sounds. For us, it's making sure we keep that lead and keep extending."
Boston finished the game with 20 points and 16 rebounds, coming up with multiple clutch plays for the Fever down the stretch.
The Valkyries continue to get unlikely contributions
Kiah Stokes' raw numbers don't always tell the story, but she's been one of Golden State's most valuable offseason additions thanks to her defense. Her responsibilities grew due to the Valkyries' absences and injuries, as well as questionable personnel decisions, but, like Clark and Boston, it's hard not to admire the recent expansion franchise.
That was seen Friday night when Veronica Burton also was in foul trouble; she finished with five fouls. Kaitlyn Chen was called off the bench and scored 18 points in 19 minutes. The second-year guard kept up Golden State's defensive intensity and did her part to get Clark in foul trouble.
It's the contributions from players who mainstream WNBA fans might not know and their defensive intensity that make the Valkyries a fun team to watch and one that neutral fans can't help but root for, and it's also clear that players also share that same respect for them.
Golden State is third in defensive rating and second in overall net rating after Friday night. Juste Jocyte's impending debut and Cecilia Zandalasini's return from injury should alleviate the team's depth concerns, but it will be something to monitor regarding the Valkyries' championship ceiling.
However, they remain atop the rankings of "team you don't want to play against" night in and night out. If Nakase can lead her side to another postseason berth, they'll also be one of the toughest outs in the playoffs.
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