The Golden State Valkyries are not going to sit back and enjoy their victory.
That is, they won't enjoy it for too long. Valkyries owner Joe Lacob has made it clear in multiple interviews that he wants to always be improving as a team, and he has already met with the Valkyries' front office, looking ahead to the offseason and next year in order to defend Golden State's title.
One of the biggest fish the team could land in free agency would be Kelsey Mitchell, who finished Top 5 in MVP voting this past season on the Indiana Fever. Would the benefits of adding Mitchell outweigh the drawbacks?
Kelsey Mitchell would solve a problem for the Valkyries
Few players in the WNBA can score as well as Mitchell can, and few guards in the history of the league can reach her heights. She just averaged 24.7 points per game, including hitting 3.1 triples per game on 45 percent shooting. Her 135 3-pointers this season were the most in WNBA history.
While the Valkyries fought their way to a championship this season, and two-way star Gabby Williams stepped up in a legendary way in Game 7, they were far from perfect. It is obvious to everyone inside and outside the organization that the team's weakness is on-ball shot creation. They proved they can win without it, but improving that area could make them even more dangerous.
Mitchell absolutely fits the bill. She can break down opponents on the perimeter, she can shoulder her way to her spots in the midrange, she has great touch around the rim. If defenses give her any space on the perimeter, she can launch from any part of the arc. In essence, as a scorer, Mitchell is divine.
That would be a welcome addition to the Valkyries on offense, upgrading on what Tiffany Hayes or Veronica Burton could provide. The question, however, is whether the defensive loss would make up for the offensive gain.
Kelsey Mitchell would create a problem for the Valkyries
One of the reasons that Golden State won the WNBA Finals was that they had no weak links on defense. They leaned into their defensive identity throughout the entire playoffs, to the point that Sixth Woman of the Year Janelle Salaun barely saw the court.
Mitchell, for all of her offensive brilliance, has never been an impact defender. Adding her to the lineup would give opponents a weak spot to attack. In the playoffs, and especially in a five- or seven-game series, opponents game plan specifically to attack a team's weaknesses. Where Mitchell can survive in the regular season, she might fail in the playoffs.
If any team was equipped to make up for a defensive weak spot, it's the Valkyries, who are stacked with elite defenders. Yet what made them truly special was their lack of any weak spots, and Mitchell would undeniably be one of those.
Is Golden State confident enough in their defensive infrastructure to think they can get Mitchell to competence on that end? Do they view the offensive boost as enough to change their entire identity as a team on defense? Or will they look for a free agent who can bring less offensive impact but still keep their defense intact?
The Valkyries are in the catbird seat, and they know their roster is already good enough to win it all. How they try to improve, however, will be fascinating to watch.
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