The Golden State Valkyries are here to be contenders this season.
The team waged a furious comeback to beat the Los Angeles Sparks 82-73 at the Chase Center Friday night, surprising detractors who have long estimated the Valkyries will offer a poor performance this season — and thrilling fans who already know one thing the rest of the league is about to find out. In addition to their combined skill on the court, the Valkyries have something that can't be taught or manufacured: genuine chemistry and a strong identity, two elements Coach Nakase and members of the team emphasized throughout the preseason.
Carla Leite is at the heart of the Valkyries
At the heart of the Golden State Valkyries is 20-year-old French star Carla Leite, who is killing on the floor and also charming fans during pre and postgame interviews, especially when she calls on her teammates to help her with translations and to navigate questions from reporters. This was on display last night, when Janelle Salaun emphasized how happy Leite was with the team's performance and her own.
(In a second video shared on Reddit, Kayla Thornton explained she took Leite out to eat a burger as the latter mimed the size of the burger in question.)
Leite was a major part of the Valkyries' win over the Sparks and contributed 19 points, two rebounds, and three assists for Golden State. She shot 7-of-10 from the field and set the stage for a game that showed the Valkyries and Sparks are evenly matched — despite the fact that Golden State is a brand new team.
With their first back-to-back wins, the Valkyries have put the rest of the WNBA on notice and made it clear that underestimating the team is a mistake. As Sparks Coach Lynne Roberts told reporters following the game, the team is tough — and they're working together. "They were more connected. They played harder. They played with more intensity," Roberts said.
That connection was evident by the way the Valkyries zeroed in on Sparks star Kelsey Plum, thwarting her at nearly every turn and making it impossible for the vet to get anywhere near the 37 points she hit during their first match. The strategy was effective and limited Plum to 16 points and 6-of-18 shooting for the night.
Natalie Nakase wants to build a culture
Coach Nakase was clear about her desire to build a close-knit culture of athletes and fans at Golden State all preseason, and the team's first few games have definitely illustrated exactly what she meant. Though Golden State has struggled at times to warm up quickly or to communicate, they've made huge strides in limited outings and have over 35 games left in the season. That's plenty of time to continue to grow and harmonize, and to establish the kind of court dominance that will surprise their opponents.