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SAN JOSÉ — The Valkyries know they were never supposed to be here.
Expansion teams don’t win many games, let alone make the playoffs. Overlooked veterans rarely get second chances, let alone the opportunity to start meaningful games. And after losing by 29 points on Sunday in Minnesota, the Valkyries are well aware that everyone counted them out.
No one outside the Golden State locker room really believed the Valkyries could shock the Lynx and send a best-of-three series back to Minnesota.
It’s what made Wednesday’s 75-74 season-ending, last-second loss to the Lynx all the more heartbreaking for Natalie Nakase and her team.
For three quarters, the Valkyries thoroughly outplayed the WNBA’s top seed. The opponent that defeated Golden State in all five of its previous matchups, including a 29-point blowout on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three playoff series, looked completely lost at SAP Center, where 18,543 fans brought the “Ballhalla” atmosphere down from the familiar confines of Chase Center in San Francisco.
When Valkyries forward Monique Billings converted a layup with 1.5 seconds left in the third quarter and added a free throw to extend Golden State’s lead to 14 points, it seemed one more historic first was in the works.
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Then reality set in.
The Lynx opened the fourth quarter on a 11-0 run, and despite a jumper from Cecilia Zandalasini and a 3-point laser from the corner from Kaila Charles, Minnesota refused to let Golden State regain control.
Golden State committed multiple fourth-quarter shot clock violations, allowing Minnesota’s defense to feed a surging offense. When Kayla McBride drove down the lane, practically unguarded, inside of three minutes to give Minnesota its first lead since the first quarter, the Valkyries were out of steam.
Monique Billings answered on the other end, but MVP candidate Napheesa Collier wouldn’t be denied as she drilled another 18-footer at the buzzer to take control.
Zandalasini had a shot. Off the iron. Then Burton took a layup. Off the iron. When Courtney Williams sank a 21-footer from the top of the key with 30 seconds to go, Minnesota’s lead stood at three points.
Zandalasini converted a layup on the other end and instead of choosing to foul and send Minnesota to the free throw line, coach Natalie Nakase let her defense wait out a shot clock violation so the Valkyries could regain possession with 4.0 seconds left on the clock.
The season came down to one play. One shot. Zandalasini took it, and it clanked off the rim.
The Valkyries led by 14 points entering the fourth quarter, but scored just 11 as they struggled to manage good looks down the stretch.
It was a heartbreaking finish to an otherwise remarkable year.
A year ago, the Valkyries were just a vision. A concept sketched out in plans and press releases. But when the fully-formed product – roster, coach, and all – stepped onto the WNBA scene in May, they (internally) refused to let the label of an “expansion team” dictate what was possible. That meant no excuses, and no lowered expectations. Comparisons based on the last league newcomer, the 2008 Atlanta Dream 17 years ago — unwelcome.
To Nakase, her group was simply a new team. That was the mindset Golden State fully embraced. And in doing so, it rewrote the script on what’s within reach for new franchises entering the WNBA.
The Valkyries’ inaugural season was historic across the board. They posted the best-ever record for a first-year WNBA team, shattered attendance counts in both total and average home game turnout, and became the first expansion team in league history to punch a ticket to the playoffs in its debut year.
And it was a dogfight to get there. More lineup and roster changes than any other team this year, a season-ending injury to their All Star, and multiple hardship contracts offered just to keep enough bodies on the bench.
Through it all, Golden State learned to thrive in the margins, and built the resiliency to gut out close games — 13 of its wins were decided by 10 points or fewer. Nakase set the tone from day one, opening training camp with defense-only practices. The result? Complete buy-in on her disruption-first philosophy for a team that finished third in the league in defensive rating.
And leading the line, Burton’s runaway breakout season enabled her to pocket the WNBA Most Improved Player honor after more than tripling her averages in both points and assists per game from last year.
But she wasn’t the only one to level up. Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Valkyries’ first season isn’t just what they built — a playoff team, a loyal fan base, a selfless on-court identity — but how they built it. Nearly every player on the roster took their calling to Golden State and made a significant leap from the season before.
“That’s the embodiment of Golden State — we all did more. We all got out of our comfort zone, and it wasn’t just one person, we all did it collectively,” Nakase said after the team’s first practice at SAP Center on Tuesday. And I think that’s why we always continued to stay together in tough times and good times. We’re all pushing each other to be really great.”
Before her season-ending knee injury, Kayla Thornton was a staple in the starting lineup, the team’s leading scorer, and a first-time All-Star — despite never solidifying a starting role through her two years with the Liberty. Temi Fagbenle, who had started just two games for Indiana last season and only four in her entire WNBA career, found herself thriving in Nakase’s system and starting 38 games. She missed Game 2 with a lower body injury.
Iliana Rupert, who joined midseason from France, embraced an expanded role in the Valkyries’ high-volume perimeter shooting gameplan and hit 44.2% from 3-point range — the second-best mark in the league. Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite emerged as confident, clutch-time playmakers in their rookie seasons. Charles delivered a comeback campaign, bouncing back after being waived by Dallas earlier this season and navigating a career previously built on short-term and hardship contracts.
Nakase, who’s seen plenty of stars in her days with the WNBA’s Aces and NBA’s Clippers, didn’t inherit stars here — she helped make them. And that matters in a league that’s now growing faster than ever, with more eyes, more revenue, and more movement to come on the horizon.