Golden State Valkyries Eye Special Finish After FIBA Women’s World Cup

Golden State Catches Fire Heading Into FIBA Break

Following an unexpected loss to the Chicago Sky on Aug. 21, the Valkyries have held opponents below 40% shooting across their last four outings while forcing roughly 13 turnovers per contest, punctuated by 17 forced miscues during an 80-66 triumph against the division-topping Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 24.

“When you work hard, you’ve got to play hard a little bit,” guard Tiffany Hayes told KPIX+ after an 86-69 road win over the Portland Fire. Hayes noted that everyone is thrilled to either visit family back home or take some personal time to head to the beach, clear their heads slightly, and return refreshed for the work ahead.

Roster Production and Accolades Spark Stretch Run

At just three weeks away from turning 37, Hayes is currently enjoying her most productive stretch of basketball this year. After putting up slightly more than seven points and 1.2 rebounds per outing between May and July, she bumped those numbers to 12.8 points — hitting nearly 48% of her field goal attempts — alongside 3.8 rebounds as the team went 10-2 throughout August.

During the four-game win streak, guard Veronica Burton averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 assists and committed just two turnovers. Monday, she was named the Associated Press’ player of the week.

Comparing the Final Stretch: Valkyries vs. Lynx

Occupying the second spot at 29-11, the Valkyries trail the Lynx (31-9) by only a pair of games following Minnesota’s consecutive defeats, which included a surprising 89-81 setback against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.

All four of the Valkyries’ remaining games are against teams already eliminated from playoff contention. Two are against ninth-place Portland, including Golden State’s first game back on Sept. 18 in San Francisco, and one is against the last-place Seattle Storm on Sept. 19 at home. The regular season concludes for Golden State on Sept. 24 in Los Angeles against the struggling Sparks, marking the final career appearance for former Stanford icon Nneka Ogwumike, who made her retirement public on Aug. 19.

In contrast, three out of Minnesota’s final four matchups pit them against postseason-bound opponents, featuring a clash with the New York Liberty as well as a home-and-home set against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever to wrap up the regular schedule. The Lynx also play at Connecticut on Sept. 20.

Coaching Staff and International Commitments

Even while tending to her duties with the national squad, Nakase plans to review game footage for the Valkyries and hold virtual check-ins with her coaching personnel. “Whatever (Lawson) needs, I have to do,” Nakase said. “Obviously, Kara has already talked about our roles, and we already talked about our scouts. So, Kara already has that down. But just for here, same thing. “Our coaches are going to be collectively working together. We already kind of planned the preparation in terms of practices, but more importantly, staying in sync. We’re going to be zooming, FaceTiming. We’re going to do it all.”

Representing France are the Valkyries’ Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün, alongside Italy’s Cecilia Zandalasini and Australia’s Miela Sowah participating in the World Cup. Kokoro Tanaka, selected 38th overall by Golden State in this season’s draft, will play for Japan, while Nakase joins the Team USA bench as an assistant coach under Duke’s Kara Lawson.

Frequently Asked Questions