The Golden State Valkyries pulled off a massive 95-68 victory against the Las Vegas Aces at home at the Chase Center Saturday afternoon, an effort largely aided by standout performances from Kayla Thornton, Kate Martin, Veronica Burton, and Monique Billings — and the team's ability to put intense pressure on Aces star A'ja Wilson.
Coach Natalie Nakase spoke to Wilson's prowess with reporters after the game. The Valkyries' objective was to stop Wilson, who is capable of putting up huge numbers against any team in the league, from scoring. Wilson is "the best player in the world" Nakase said, so the team's goal was to simply "to show her multiple bodies as much as we could."
That wasn't always possible, of course, because Aces coach Becky Hammon made a point to put shooters around Wilson as much she could, but it's clear the Valkyries definitely had the Aces' number Saturday.
Natalie Nakase faced off against Becky Hammon
The win was pulled off in front of yet another sold-out home crowd, an impressive feat for a team only a handful of games into their first season, and in front of Hammon — Nakase's former boss. Nakase also said she made a point to thank Hammon ahead of the team.
"I literally said, 'I learned everything from you,'" Nakase, who was an assistant coach for the Aces for three seasons before making the jump to Golden State. "She's the reason why I'm here." Nakase added that she was hesitant to leave the organization, and Hammon "had to push me to interview."
"I would not be sitting here, and being as confident as I am as head coach, if it wasn't for Becky," she concluded.
The Valkyries thrilled the home crowd
Valkyries fans have clamored for a win to break the team's four-game losing streak, and the 18,000+ strong crowd was ecstatic following Saturday's performance. The game saw double-doubles from three players — Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, and Monique Billings — as well as an electrifying buzzer-beater from Kate Martin ahead of the half.
The game was also the first in which the Valkyries never lost the lead at any point, a strong showing for a team that has so far struggled to hang on to leads for an entire match. Golden State hit a season-high 95 points, which is high by anyone in the league's standards, and has now set a new bar for the team to aim for going forward.
The Valkyries will next face off against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Crypto.com Arena on June 9. The team has a 1-1 record against the team, though it's entirely plausible this win will propel the Valkyries to the kind of greatness Bay Area fans have been expecting.