How sharp-shooting Iliana Rupert has had an instant impact on Valkyries' offense
The 6-foot-4 Rupert was advertised as a 3-point scorer, and through her first few games, she's been the Valkyries' go-to shooter. She's shooting a team-best 57.1% from 3-point range while trailing just Janelle Salaün and Kate Martin in attempts per game.
Rupert hit three fourth-quarter 3-pointers in Golden State's 73-66 win at Chicago on Friday night. She went 4-for-5 from distance overall, a night after shooting 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
'It's pretty much why we chose her,' in the expansion draft, head coach Natalie Nakase said. 'Because she could space the floor and she doesn't hesitate as a big. The nice thing about (Rupert) is she wants those moments. She just knocked them down again and again.'
Rupert's 47 total points in her five games trail just Salaün and Veronica Burton, both of whom have played significantly more minutes. While Rupert has been reliable, Golden State has shot 21.7% from 3-point range in the fourth quarter over the past five games.
The fourth quarter has been the Valkyries' weakest from a scoring standpoint, with 17.3 points per game. They've won games — especially over the course of this road trip — by closing out defensively.
'It's never easy to win on the road,' Rupert said. 'We've been really together and stayed confident with each other. … This team has given me a lot of confidence in being who I am as a player, so I've been trying to do that since I've been here.'
But having someone who can pull out a consistent 3-point shot late is something the Valkyries just haven't had.
The first Rupert 3-pointer of the fourth frame broke a 56-56 tie with 6:55 to go, taking a pass from Chen and her defender gave her space to fire from deep.
Just under two minutes later, Rupert put the Valkyries ahead by eight — their largest lead of the game — while Kamila Cardoso once again didn't jump to defend the arc, then she gave the Valkyries more separation to go ahead 67-62 with 3:13 to go off a pick-and-roll.
'Credit to her finding pick-and-rolls,' Nakase said. '(Rupert) did a great job. … They should watch film, that's who she's been since she was in Vegas.'
With 44 seconds to go, she snagged a steal off a Kia Nurse pass that essentially sealed the game for the Valkyries with free throws ensuing.
The Valkyries have the second-worst 3-point percentage in the WNBA at 31.5% despite their 30.1 attempts per game leading the league. Since Rupert has joined the Valkyries, the team's 3-point percentage has jumped to 35.2, the fourth-best in the league in that time.
Golden State has desperately needed a reliable perimeter threat. Cecilia Zandalasini has provided that to a degree, shooting 41.3%, but hasn't played more than four games in a row all season between injuries and EuroBasket. Tiffany Hayes is also shooting a career-best 44.2% from distance, but has been banged up throughout the season.
In the Valkyries' 67-66 win at Washington, Rupert scored nine of her 11 points as a part of a 30-point first frame that Nakase said was key to 'punch them in the mouth.'
Rupert's output was nearly the opposite in Chicago. Nine of her career-high 14 points came in the fourth frame when the Valkyries needed to keep the Sky at bay.
'She can shoot the ball and I think that's our identity,' Salaün said of Rupert. 'She can also impact inside the paint and I think we need that stuff.'
Rupert has a long way to go on the defensive end, with a 105.4 rating according to WNBA Stats, despite getting late minutes in close games, and eight turnovers in five games are too many for a player not tasked with handling the ball often.
With Kayla Thornton out for the season and injuries piling up, Rupert's scoring might be the most important development in Golden State's push for playoff positioning.
'I think it says a lot about each other and the ability to step up when people go down,' Burton said. 'But at the end of the day, we really rely on each other, trust in each other.'
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