“Ballhalla” and beyond has been Helheim for Golden State Valkyries opponents this season.
BROOKLYN—Down by the Bay, chanting “scoreboard” isn’t so much trash talk as it is a polite suggestion to the Golden State Valkyries’ opponents.
It would appear this ride of the Valkyries has flown over the dreaded sophomore slump: the purveyors of purple, fresh off their memorable expansion showcase, are closing in on the WNBA playoff bracket’s second seed thanks in strong part to fudging the finesse that the modern game has become known for.
Golden State has hit teams with a strict diet of defense and fundamentals in a showcase of relatively lost art across the professional circuits. It has played to their benefit with a 28-11 record that trails only mighty Minnesota entering this weekend, the last before the league embarks on a two-week break to watch and engage in FIBA Basketball World Cup play. Golden State took an 80-66 decision from Minnesota on Monday, tipping off a victorious, if not compacted, three-game tally that featured wins over Connecticut and New York on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Purple People Beaters
Establishing a defense-first identity in any modern basketball setting is a bold endeavor. Golden State’s 2026 offensive averages hint at struggling, maybe even desperation:
Entering this landmark weekend, the Valkyries place second-to-last in points, free throw attempts, and successful field goals per game. There’s no one behind them in field goal percentage.
But a perimeter-busting, gap-clogging defensive mindset that veteran Tiffany Hayes dubbed “Valkatraz” in reference in the infamous Alcatraz Island landmark that sits about a half-hour’s drive from the Valkyries’ home of Chase Center has created a purple paradise … or, poetically enough, prison, depending on your position.
Averages are far more sympathetic in the opponents’ categories: Golden State is letting up the fewest points, field goals, and assists in the league going into FIBA.
”You guys understand how hard it is to play defense the way we do?” head coach Natalie Nakase rhetorically asked. “We’re undersized, so we have to hit and punch and be super physical in order to get the rebounds. Diving on the floor takes a lot of effort, and getting up and you know going the other way … They did a lot. I would say these three games in four days, in terms of taking care of their bodies, they did a lot. They were disciplined. They sacrificed.”
The Chase for Chase
The smashmouth brand of basketball is no doubt led by first-year Californian Gabby Williams, who has brought her harrowing, pestering work stateside after putting a scare in the last American Olympic gold effort. Golden State also continues to benefit from the contributions of championship co-stars that departed from their title-winning homes in pursuit of purpler pastures.
Kayla Thornton, wearer of a 2024 New York Liberty ring, continues to ride the wave of All-Star momentum after being the first in Valkyries history. Kiah Stokes came into this year averaging less than two points a game over her last five tours. That didn’t stop her from donning three championship adornments (two earned under Nakase’s watch with the Las Vegas Aces) and sitting in the starting five to play a rude host in the paint.
“I’m looking at the statsheet now I’m surprised she only had one block because I feel like just her presence in the key, it saves everything for us,” Williams said of Stokes. “We kind of laugh when we see people still trying to get shots up against her. It allows us to be more aggressive as guards because we know that we have a really good backline, so it allows us to actually pick up ball pressure, which leads to more deflections and leads to more transition. A lot of things don’t show up on the stat sheet, but she is definitely the anchor of our defense.”
Perhaps most rhythmical in the Valkyries’ rush is their ability to dish it out as well as they can take it: the Thursday win in Brooklyn capped off a string of three victories in four nights and three cities, laying siege to Minneapolis and Uncasville before arriving on Atlantic Avenue. Valkyrie opponents were outscored by 58 points in that span.
Thursday figured to be a night off for Veronica Burton, as the league’s most recent Most Improved Player was forced to the locker room by an elbow injury after a collision with Pauline Astier. Though in visible pain, Burton came back to the floor and contributed to another shutdown defensive outing while adding another landmark to her sterling two-year tear with her fifth game featuring at least 10 assists and no turnovers. Burton ended the night with 13 in a scoring effort headlined by another Cecilia Zandalasini scoring breakout.
With a 20-point outing on Thursday in New York, Zandalasini is one of nine women to lead the team in points at least one this year. The visit to New York, however, was headlined by the toughness of Burton, who was perhaps playfully perplexed by the fact that she had to leave her native New England to get to Brooklyn.
“We’re not as respected, I think, as other teams, and that includes like what kind of whistles we get,” Williams professed. “We’ve had to play through that all season, especially she’s had to play through some tough ones. So it actually ended up working in our favor [on Thursday] because she wasn’t phased by the physicality tonight.
Only Sue Bird has amassed more box scores and it took her 17 tours to do that. Burton has done it, again, in just under two.
“Veronica Burton is resilient. She’s relentless,” Nakase lauded. “I did get very nervous at one point for her health, just because I saw my assistants go crazy, and they usually don’t show too much emotion … Then again, 13 assists, zero turnovers, it’s just her composure.”
“She’s gaining this sense of when I need to punch the paint, but she’s also seeing that next level,” Nakase continued. “She’s seen the defense beforehand. That’s what’s really cool about B, is that she’s constantly learning angles, learning where certain players want the ball, and then continuing to find the hot hand. She’s growing into, I think, one of the best point guards in the league, for sure.”
Veronica Burton has 35 family members and friends in Connecticut tonight including her dad Steve who is a longtime sportscaster for @wbz.
It only made sense for him to take over our pregame interview. @SteveBurtonWBZ pic.twitter.com/YCRpkFA2Dw
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) August 26, 2026
No Wait-y For 80
Thursday’s win over the Liberty is the 10th Golden State triumph where the victorious column has a number smaller than 80 this year. The average margin on those occasions is just over 11.
To put that number in a league (and basketball world in general) that has expressed further devotion to the offense in an attempt to find its fortune in perspective, no other team has more than four such wins this season. In the last decade, only the modern Valkyries and the 2021 Connecticut Sun have put up at least 10.
It’s a stat that makes the court-focused players blush but brings a smile of Nakase, who believes it exemplifies the resilient sense of accomplishment her squad has put up this season. Nakase believes it’s a demonstration of “totality of our strength in numbers.”
“It’s all 14 players,” Nakase said using the recent road trip as an example. “Having a back to back and then traveling, getting in late, I said, ‘look, stay ready, regroup.’ [After Thursday I said], this was you. This was you guys tonight. You guys played a full quarter. Some of you guys played a quarter and a half to rest our starters. Our starters, I think, didn’t even play more than 20 minutes [on Wednesday.”
“It’s a collective effort of strength in numbers. All 14 players doing their job, being ready to go, winning in multiple ways. I think that’s really our key: is that strength in numbers. We got 14 players that could play.”
Golden State’s last flight before the World Cup is Sunday when it returns west to face the Portland Fire (4 p.m. PT, KMAX/KPIX+). Williams and Janelle Salaun will rep France in Berlin afterward.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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