The Valkyries are the newest team in the WNBA, and Coach Nakase and GM Ohemaa Nyanin put together the team largely by drafting players who have never played together and beginning the arduous — and masterful — work of putting the puzzle pieces together. The team's rotations have barely been the same each game, but that's by design.
As Nakase told reporters following the team's 86-75 loss to the Lynx on June 1, she's been focusing on finding the right "rhythm" with her rotations. Nakase added that she feels that responsibility falls on her and on the team's point guards, who feel empowered to tell her what calls work and what don't. The result is a starting lineup that's shaping up to be just as good as nearly any other in the league.
Asked Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase about how she chooses which players to close with, pertaining to the close New York Liberty game:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 1, 2025
“Rhythm. You want to go with the players who have a rhythm and chemistry… 5 games in, we’re still trying to find our closing units.” pic.twitter.com/PSRWN53OaV
The process of getting there hasn't been easy, and it's taken grit and the willingness to get it wrong. When it comes to talent on the team, the truth of the matter is that the difference between Golden State's best players and the team's third rotation isn't that vast — something that might need to be adjusted down the road, but that provides the team with the ability to truly see who fits best in each dynamic they encounter.
While there are pitfalls to being an expansion team — namely that everyone expects you to lose, and putting together a team by way of expansion draft isn't necessarily the most desireable proposition — one of the silver linings is that because expectations are low, the front office has been afforded the space to play around a bit. Nakase can put in entirely new rotations as frequently as works for her and the team and won't be questioned the same way a veteran coach might be; for Nakase and the Valkyries it looks like what it is: they are finding their way.
Kate Martin as an impact player works for the Valkyries
That way includes putting players like Kate Martin into the game when the Valkyries need a big impact quickly; on Sunday, the sophomore star did just that against the Lynx. Martin entered the second quarter and hit a career-high 14 points all in that 10-minute span, electrifying the crowd and reminding everyone why the team was so intent on drafting her in the first place.
Nakase praised Martin's work ethic while speaking to reporters after the game. "She’s super consistent. She practices like it’s the last possession, every possession. So, credit to Kate and obviously her teammates for finding her at the right time," she said. Martin entered the game weaving through the Lynx defense to hit two layups, and as the team began to press in on her, she swapped out to hitting 3s — the kind of basketball fans are used to seeing from her, and that she hadn't yet demonstrated for the Valkyries so far this season.
The Valkyries will continue to finetune the team's rotations, but things will likely start to gel soon. In fact, the team's Thursday night match against the Phoenix Mercury — who are on a tear and currently one of the best teams in the Western Conference — is an opportunity to capitalize on what's been working so far.