Are the Golden State Valkyries for real? Inside success of second-year WNBA team
· Yahoo Sports
The Golden State Valkyries have quietly become one of the best teams in the WNBA, putting the league on notice with a franchise-best, seven-game winning streak.
It's Year 2. The cat's out of the bag. This isn't just a new expansion team excited to take the court in front of thousands of fans. The Valkyries are a force to reckon with. A potential contender for the WNBA title.
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In USA TODAY Sports' latest WNBA power rankings, the Valkyries lead the list, claiming the No. 1 spot, moving up from their previous second-place rank a week ago. While teams like the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces dominate the mainstream news cycle in the W, Golden State is tiptoeing around the conversation over who's the league's best.
"I think we're growing in terms of playing all four quarters. Number one, I think we're executing the game plan on both ends," Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase told reporters just before their game against the Indiana Fever on July 15. "So, attention to detail has been better. I wouldn't say it's at, like, a high level yet, and then our communication is solid, but it does drop sometimes. And so V (Veronica Burton) and Gabby (Williams), I would say even Kaitlyn (Chen) and (Tiffany Hayes), they're doing a great job."
The Valkyries improved their overall record to 17-7 after a 79-64 win against the Connecticut Sun on July 10. Golden State is 1.5 games back of the Minnesota Lynx for best record in the league (19-6). The Valkyries are tied at second with the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces.
They've been able to put together a nucleus that plays for each other, on both ends of the floor. The Valkyries make, and take, the most 3-point shots in the league, averaging 10.6 makes on 30.6 attempts. They rank fifth in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.6%, tied with the Portland Fire.
Defensively, they have the second-best defensive rating behind the Lynx (100.4). Golden State has the second-best plus/minus rating in the league with a +5.8 average margin. Golden State forced a season-best 20 turnovers in an 83-75 win over the Toronto Tempo on July 8. The Valkyries then bested that mark against the Connecticut Sun by forcing 22 turnovers in a 79-64 win on July 10.
"No, I think we do have an identity of toughness, grittiness, connectivity. I mean, those words kind of come to mind. I would say ultra-competitive, too," Nakase said to reporters after a June 9 win against the Phoenix Mercury.
Golden State is led by Gabby Williams, who leads the team averaging 15 points and 1.6 steals per game. Second-year forward Janelle Salaun is second on the team in points per game, averaging 13 per outing. She also ranks third in the W in most 3-point shots made with 62 total.
Veronica Burton averages 13.2 per game and leads the Valkyries in assists with 5.3 per game.
Kayla Thornton is the team's leading rebounder with 5 per game. Kiah Stokes is second in the WNBA with 1.8 blocks per game, behind Aces' All-Star center A'ja Wilson.
"I think, you know, we win these games because we have a strong depth," Thornton told reporters after their July 8 win against the Tempo. "Our bench players, I don't like calling them bench players, but you know, our other group, they do a tremendous job. ... It just flows. So I think they do a great job of coming in and doing what they have to do."
The Valkyries are a collective group of talent. There isn't one star player who's ahead of the rest. The Valkyries are made up of individuals who are selfless, and determine succuss based on the team's outcome. Depth is their superpower.
"We just got to continue to build. We still have a lot of growth that we need to learn from," Thornton said. "I think we're learning how to play through adversity. I think we're learning how to find our own energy. I think we're learning that it's gonna take each and every one of us each night to bring something."
The Valkyries will look to extend their winning streak to eight but to do so they have to take down the Indiana Fever. The Fever have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 14-9, led by Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. Mitchell averages a team-high 22.7 points, while Clark puts up nightly numbers of 20.1 points and 7.8 assists.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Are the Golden State Valkyries for real? Inside success of second-year WNBA team