Latest news with #Valkyries'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Valkyries can't continue first-half success, fall to unbeaten Minnesota
For the second time in as many games, the Golden State Valkyries faltered in the second half to fall short of an improbable upset. This time, though, instead of late mistakes, the Golden State offense went cold Sunday night while the Minnesota Lynx shredded a porous Valkyries' perimeter defense in an 86-75 loss at Chase Center. Four days after nearly defeating the defending-champion New York Liberty, the Valkyries held their own against the Lynx for the first half before a dismal eight-point third quarter. Against the Liberty, turnovers and late errors stopped the upset bid. Against the Lynx, it was 26.6% second-half shooting that did in the Valkyries (2-4). A career-high 14-point performance from Kate Martin — all of it coming in the second quarter — buoyed the Valkyries to a one-point halftime lead against last year's WNBA runners-up., But the Lynx lit up the scoreboard with a 42.3% percentage from distance (11 of 26), the second consecutive game in which the Valkyries allowed at least 40% 3-point shooting. Golden State shot 26.5% (9 of 34) from deep. Veronica Burton led the Valkyries with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Napheesa Collier, who was a game-time decision with a knee injury, led the Lynx (7-0) with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Minnesota jumped out to an eight-point lead less than two minutes into the second quarter with a 16-3 run that began at the end of the first frame against the Valkyries' second unit. After a pair of Tiffany Hayes free throws, Martin scored all of her points as a part of a 16-5 run, including a four-point play, to put Golden State up 42-37 with 4:33 to play in the second. By the third quarter, though, the Valkyries' offense disappeared. The Lynx went on an 8-0 run over 91 seconds to take a nine-point lead late in the third quarter. The Valkyries then went scoreless from the 1:28 mark of the third quarter to 6:58 in the fourth, when Burton made a free throw. Golden State inched back to an 11-point deficit with 1:28 to go, but never got closer. Briefly: The Valkyries' injury report was clean entering Sunday's game for the first time this season. … Hayes (nine points) was back after a nose injury that cost her three contests, but she took a hit to the face early in the fourth quarter and exited the game. … Sunday's was the Valkyries' first in the Commissioner's Cup, a six-game in-season tournament against Western Conference foes for the chance to face the Eastern Conference winner in a title game for a $500,000 pool. … Golden State will travel to Phoenix on Thursday for their first regular-season matchup with the Mercury (5-2).
San Francisco Chronicle
25-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Are the expansion Valkyries too good too soon? Let the overreaction begin
Oh no! Are the Golden State Valkyries winning too much? OK, that's probably an overreaction to the infant Valkyries' two-game win streak. But overreaction is what we do in sports, or haven't you heard that the San Francisco Giants will never win at hitter-unfriendly Oracle Park, that the Warriors ' Jimmy Butler trade was a bust because he didn't take them to the Western Conference finals and that the 49ers should have signed Sam Darnold rather than overpay Brock Purdy? Overreaction is the sports world's lifeblood and the Valkyries are now a part of bigtime sports. There's actually a small kernel of truth in the overreaction to the Valkyries' surprising 2-1 start. Expansion teams are supposed to be lousy. The WNBA's last expansion team, the Atlanta Dream who entered the league in 2008, started 0-17 on their way to a 4-30 record. The Valkyries got halfway there just a week into their first season. More For You Valkyries hold off Sparks to improve to 2-1 led by French rookies Leite, Salaün Ostler: Valkyries and their fans not willing to accept expansion team expectations In the minds of many observers, expansion teams should be lousy. The best way to build a team is with high draft picks. The WNBA didn't do the Valkyries any favors in how it set up the draft this year, giving the expansion team the No. 5 pick, while Dallas — with the first pick — landed Paige Bueckers, who is expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come. Future drafts will be key. A top draft choice will be coveted. Next spring, the top prospects are expected to be UCLA's Lauren Betts and UConn's Azzi Fudd. The biggest prize could be USC's Juju Watkins, though that could only happen if two things occur: league rules change that would allow her to become draft eligible and if she then decides to come out of school just a year after tearing her ACL. Winning too much in their first season would likely take the Valkyries out of the equation for any of those potentially franchise-changing rookies. The early assumption has been that the Valkyries would lose a lot and vie with the likes of the Connecticut Sun for the top 2026 draft choice. 'I don't think you should ever assume in sports,' coach Natalie Nakase said before the season began. 'Someone's going to lose, someone's going to win. That's the beauty of sports. So go ahead and doubt us.' Nakase clearly wants to win every time her team steps on the floor. She isn't going into games thinking about the tantalizing prospect of Watkins potentially becoming draft eligible. Under current WNBA rules, Watkins isn't eligible until 2027. In addition, because her ACL injury came during the NCAA Tournament, meaning that Watkins will miss almost the entirety of next season rehabbing, many believe she would return to USC for the 2026-27 season even if draft rules change under the forthcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement. Nakase wants to build a winning culture now, not at some vague point in the future. And, because of the historic turning point the WNBA will find itself in next offseason, Nakase's instincts are correct. Because of the new CBA, currently being negotiated and set to begin next season, almost every WNBA player will become a free agent in the offseason. That means the Valkyries will have the opportunity to land a franchise-defining player even without the top pick in the draft. The Valkyries will have the financial resources, team facilities and game-day environment to attract a big name. If they also have built what looks to be a winning culture with a coach who can get the best out of her players, that will make the Valkyries an even more attractive landing spot for established stars. All of this overreaction to the infant Valkyries' first successful baby steps may become a moot point in the coming week. The Valkyries fly east to play two games in New York, taking on the defending-champion and undefeated New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Then the Valkyries return to Chase Center to play the team the Liberty defeated in the last fall's finals, the Minnesota Lynx, who are also off to an undefeated start to the season. After starting the season with three games against soft opponents (the Sparks and the Mystics were among the league's worst last season), the Valkyries' schedule is about to get a lot harder. But the excitement over what the Valkyries have accomplished in these early days is real. Coming together with less than a month of practice, just starting to get to know each other on and off the court, the Valkyries came from behind for their first ever win beating the Mystics at home, then dominated a Sparks team that had beaten them in the season opener, for their first road win. In that game in Los Angeles, the Valkyries found a French connection with Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, who combined for 37 points. The Valkyries excitement is real. And that is not an overreaction.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Steph Curry, Warriors getting past the sadness, cast an optimistic eye toward next season
Just sad. That's how Stephen Curry felt, sitting by helplessly while watching his Warriors be eliminated without him. 'Disappointed, for sure,' Curry said Thursday as the team exited Chase Center for the offseason. 'And, frankly, just sad I wasn't out there able to play.' He's not the only one. The networks are sad to be going forward without arguably the league's most popular player. NBA fans are sad not to be able to witness a little more of No. 30 magic. But that's the NBA. The Warriors have won championships in part thanks to opponents' injuries and have lost championships — or the chance to compete for one — due to their own injuries. Fans expect trophies. Players know how delicate the journey is. 'You know how fragile winning really is,' Curry said. Now Curry will take some time off after playing intensive basketball almost nonstop for a year, from the preparation and competition of the Paris Olympics and through a grueling roller-coaster of a season. But basketball will still be in his life: He plans to be in the stands at Chase for the Valkyries' season opener and franchise debut on Friday. The morning after the gut-punch loss, the mood of the Warriors was fragile and sad. But also optimistic and excited. Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler all spoke of looking forward to having a full season together, starting in training camp. Butler said that this summer he wants to bond more with his teammates and plans to 'vaca together, get our kids together, train together, build even more chemistry and then take this thing into training camp, into next year, and do what we set out to do.' However far the Warriors could have gone will remain a mystery, because they could never make it to a Game 6 with the possibility of Curry returning. Curry called it the 'great what if.' Clearly signs were pointing that way: 'Everything was kind of aligned for Game 6,' he said. 'I was pretty optimistic.' But the Warriors couldn't find a way to win without him, in part because the team is configured to play one way: a Curry-centric, Curry-focused way. And partly because they ran out of steam after a three-month playoff push that started on Feb. 8 with Butler's arrival. 'Having to play three months of playoff (ball), I think ultimately took its toll over the course of the last few weeks,' Green said. Though the Warriors lost their playoff dreams with the Western Conference semifinal elimination by Minnesota, they also found something this season. They turned the page on recent seasons that were not particularly fun. They found a new chemistry, first with the arrival of fun-loving Buddy Hield and then with the unique presence of Butler. They seem closer and more connected. The more they've talked about what changed this season, the more the Warriors have exposed the reality that the last few weren't particularly fun or brimming with good chemistry. Hield 'brought a joy back to the locker room that was kind of missing a little bit in years past,' Kevon Looney said. 'It was a real stressful locker room. Things were changing. We didn't make the playoffs. We were trying to get back to where we wanted to be. 'I think he elevated our team, our team spirit, our team morale. He gave us a boost.' Curry said of the team that finished the season, 'I love the vibe, the energy, the chemistry, the camaraderie.' The Warriors found the second star they had been searching for with the deadline trade for Butler. Though Warriors fans seem upset that Playoff Jimmy didn't materialize with Curry missing from the lineup, they should remember two things. First, in the Timberwolves series Butler was suffering from both a lingering tailbone contusion and an illness, while being swarmed by the defense. And, second, remember where the Warriors were before Butler arrived: as low as the 11th seed in the West, with a clearly frustrated Curry and little hope. 'I think the biggest change that needed to be made was that we needed someone like Jimmy Butler, and we made that change,' Green said. 'I think the hardest part is done.' The Warriors will be making more changes. Though both Curry and Green hinted that the organization would inquire into Giannis Antetokounmpo ('there are guys in this league if, for whatever reason become available, every team is going to call,' Curry said), but the odds are that the Warriors will make less earth-shaking tweaks. Like getting bigger after a series loss where they were crushed at the rim. Jonathan Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and his future path remains to be seen. Stalwart Looney is a free agent. But the core of Curry, Green and Butler will almost certainly be back. A year older, but now with important shared experience that they can build on. 'It'll give us optimism coming into next year,' Curry said. 'Whatever our record was down the stretch, that meant something. That was real. 'Now you have to build off of that with a full season hopefully in front of us. I'm excited about that.' Curry will turn 38 in March, as he is quite aware. That's three years older than LeBron James was when he last won a championship in the pandemic bubble. 'It's a reminder of your basketball mortality and appreciating every moment that you have,' Curry said. 'That's why the way this ended was as emotional as it was, not being able to play in those big games. Because you don't know how many more opportunities you have. '(I want to) appreciate this chapter of my life as much as possible. Hopefully the next chapter is as great. But this one, I'm trying to get every bit of fun and experience. And squeeze as much juice out of this as possible.' There's still juice left. The squeeze will begin next fall.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Valkyries announce their final roster. Here's who made the cut, and who didn't
The Golden State Valkyries have a final roster. The expansion club named their 12 players on Wednesday before their regular-season opener on Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks. The cuts included forward Laeticia Amihere and third-round pick Kaitlyn Chen. Kyara Linskens, a Belgian center, earned the last roster spot after working in the second unit during two preseason games. French forward Janelle Salaün was also named to the roster despite not coming to the first two weeks of training camp while winning a championship with her Italian team. Amihere scored 20 points in the Valkyries' first preseason game against the Sparks and the final roster spot likely came down to her or Linskens. The 6-foot-5 Linskens nabbed eight rebounds in that game and showed chemistry with the second unit off the bench, especially rookie point guard Carla Leite. Below is the final roster: Carla Leite, point guard Kayla Thornton, forward Stephanie Talbot, forward Janelle Salaün, forward Temi Fagbenle, center Tiffany Hayes, shooting guard Kate Martin, shooting guard Veronica Burton, point guard Cecilia Zandalasini, forward Monique Billings, forward Kyara Linskens, center Julie Vanloo, point guard
San Francisco Chronicle
12-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Valkyries earn first win in final preseason tuneup, but front five struggle
PHOENIX — The Golden State Valkyries will head into their first regular season opener on Friday having at least experienced their first win, but with question marks about their offensive production, especially from their starting five after the expansion club topped the Phoenix Mercury 84-79 in their second and final preseason game on Sunday. Golden State started slow, much as in its preseason opener last week against the Los Angeles Sparks, when the team missed its first 14 3-point attempts. The Valkyries again sputtered early from deep on Sunday as well, opening 0-for-8 from beyond the arc and falling into a 15-point deficit before the bench sparked a rally. 'I just have to figure out how to get them a little bit more warm, I think, at the beginning of games,' head coach Natalie Nakase said. 'But again, I want them to continue to let it fly. If there are quality shots, I want them to keep shooting.' The team won't be able to rely on second-half comebacks against reserve units once the regular season begins. The Valkyries' starting five — point guard Veronica Burton, shooting guard Tiffany Hayes, forward Kayla Thornton, power forward Monique Billings and center Temi Fagbenle — have yet to find a rhythm and again struggled to generate consistent offense. That group shot just 9-for-39 from the field against the Mercury, including a combined 2-for-19 effort from Burton and Hayes, who were both scoreless in the first half. While Billings led the team with seven rebounds, she went just 1-for-6 from the floor, and the starting frontcourt generated just six of the team's 22 points in the paint. Fagbenle didn't attempt a single shot at the rim and was a game-low minus-9 in plus/minus. Hayes, whose 9.5 points per game with the Aces last season are the most of any player on the Valkyries' roster, finished 1-for-11. Against the Sparks, she was the Valkyries' main hoop driver. Nakase thought the Mercury's defensive switches made it tougher to get consistent shots on Sunday, an even tougher challenge for a team that's still learning to play together, as Golden State is. 'We're playing against an experienced group on the other side,' Hayes said. 'So of course we're going to be a little slow, but at the end of the day, we can come together and fix that in practice… Our first group, we're going to get it together like (how the second unit) went on a run. We go on a run, we're always sticking together, we're staying positive. By the end of (the first unit's time on the floor) we were still right there in the game.' Though the Valkyries shot just 34.7% from the field overall and were outrebounded 46–33, their bench delivered a much-needed lift again. French guards Migna Touré (19 points on 7-for-13 shooting) and Carla Leite (11 points, 4-for-7) led the scoring charge. Veteran point guard Julie Vanloo, who did not start either preseason game despite being the most experienced starter on the roster from last season, was a +11 in 18 minutes with 6 points and 6 assists. 'We have good spacing and good flow, it's just our chemistry and we're working on that,' Billings said. 'We had a lot of tips (on rebounds), a lot of just kind of hot potato type situations. I think we just need to be capitalizing on those rebounds grabbing the ball, getting second chances.' The Valkyries turned the ball over eight times on Sunday, cutting in half the 16 turnovers committed against the Sparks last week. Nakase took that as a positive sign as she encourages her team to keep launching shots. Outshooting the Mercury 72-64 was another bright spot for her. 'That's why taking care of the ball is crucial, and that's why when we have great spacing, we are taking care of the ball, the lanes become way more open,' Nakase said. 'But if we're crowding into the paint, we're probably creating our own turnovers, like we're defending (against) ourselves… We just need more shots and more will go in.' Golden State was without three key rotation players on Sunday: forwards Steph Talbot (quad) and Cecilia Zandalasini (right foot) and shooting guard Kate Martin (right hand), all of whom participated in warmups and are expected to be bench pieces, especially as long-range threats. French forward Janelle Salaün is also set to join the team this week after her Italian league season ended on Sunday. With five roster cuts to make ahead of the May 16 season opener at Chase Center against the Sparks, the Valkyries are still a work in progress, as any expansion team would be after just two preseason contests. Their defense has shown potential, and the bench showed it can swing momentum. Now the challenge is starting games stronger and building consistency across all four quarters. 'We're getting healthy,' Nakase said. 'We're done with double (practice sessions). We'll give it more time.'
