The Golden State Valkyries took down the Los Angeles Sparks for the team's second-straight win last night at the Crypto.com Arena, and they have Coach Natalie Nakase to thank for the win in more ways than one. After the Valkyries ended the first half with only five rebounds to their credit, Nakase lit a fire under the team — and they ended the match with 42.
Nakase touched on the team's mid-game improvement while speaking to reporters following the match. She explained that it was clear the team would have to get more possessions if they wanted to end, and she was disappointed in the lack of rebounding happening on the floor.
"First time, I feel like I really had to dig deep and go off on them, but they responded," Nakase said. "We knew five wasn’t enough — that’s not enough to beat this team. ... A lot of extra possessions, just credit to them for that hunger."
Rebounds helped the Valkyries win the game
Rebounding is a crucial skill, and that was on display during last night's game. The Sparks only managed 34 compared to Golden State's 42, and the Los Angeles team is averaging 32.2 per game this season.
The Valkyries also brought a very physical game to Los Angeles and focused a lot of energy on the team's star, veteran guard Kelsey Plum. In fact, the game was so physical that Plum later accused refs of not calling fouls that should have been called, to the detriment of her and her team.
"I got scratches on my face, I got scratches on my body, and these guards on the other team get these ticky-tack fouls, and I'm sick of it. I get fouled like that on every possession," Plum explained. Her comments have raised questions about the physicality of the WNBA, and whether or not players are fouling more frequently now than they have in the past.
The Valkyries have a dynamic set of games ahead of them
Now that they've played the Sparks several times, the Valkyries will soon go up against the Storm, the Wings, and the Fever — three teams they haven't played before, and three teams who each bring different challenges to the floor.
Golden State will host the Storm at home on Saturday, June 14, which should help give the team the momentum they will need if they hope to take down Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike. Their June 17 game against the Wings will be hosted in Dallas, but Golden State's odds against the struggling Texas team aren't bad.
The team's June 19 match against the Fever will also see them return to San Francisco, but that game could feature Caitlin Clark, who has been missing in action since injuring her left quadricps in late May. Only time will tell how that particular game will play out for Golden State.