Valkyries set impressive WNBA expansion record with win vs. Sky

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The Golden State Valkyries’ big win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night set yet another record. Already one of the most successful expansion teams in WNBA history, the Valkyries refuse to give in to expectations.

Golden State improved to 18-15 with the win, becoming the first expansion team in league history to win 18 games. The win also bumped them up to sixth in the WNBA standings, putting them on track to make the playoffs in their first season.

The Valkyries used a team effort to blow out the Sky, as they have done all year. Sharpshooter Cecilia Zandalasini led the way with 20 points, while four others reached double figures. Golden State recorded 19 assists on its 27 made field goals, while limiting Chicago to making just 35.4 percent of its shots.

The win was the Valkyries’ fourth consecutive, while improving them to 7-2 in their last nine outings. Three of the four wins on their current win streak have been by double digits.

Valkyries’ case for greatest WNBA expansion team of all time Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While the Valkyries have remained steady all year, many expected them to eventually fade down the stretch, as most starting organizations tend to do. Those assumptions heightened when leading scorer Kayla Thornton suffered a season-ending knee injury, and the team confirmed that veteran forward Monique Billings would miss multiple weeks with an ankle ailment.

Instead of fading, the Valkyries have only gotten stronger late in the year. Without Thornton, fourth-year guard Veronica Burton has exploded in August. Burton has taken over as the team’s go-to offensive weapon, averaging 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists through the team’s first seven outings in August. That includes a career-high 30-point outburst against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.

More than anything else, the Valkyries continue to lean on first-year head coach Natalie Nakase, who has made a compelling case for the 2025 Coach of the Year award. After spending the last three seasons on Becky Hammon’s staff with the Las Vegas Aces, Nakase has arguably been the best coach in the WNBA in 2025.

If the Valkyries hold onto their playoff spot by the end of the year, it would be the perfect cherry on top of a phenomenal inaugural season. Regardless of how their season ends, they have one of the brightest outlooks of any team in the WNBA.

Valkyries set impressive WNBA expansion record with win vs. Sky

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