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Head coach Natalie Nakase and the Valkyries, celebrating a play in their season-ending playoff loss to the Minnesota Lynx in September, aim to run it back in the franchise\u2019s second season.<\/p>\n
Scott Strazzante\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen, shadowed by Seattle Storm guard\u00a0Taina Mair during their preseason game at Chase Center on April 25, averaged 10 minutes per game in 24 appearances last\u00a0season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yalonda M. James\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Valkyries guard Veronica Burton scored while being fouled and was celebrated by\u00a0center Iliana Rupert during a game in August against the Washington Mystics at Chase Center.<\/p>\n
Santiago Mejia\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
Valkyries forward Kayla\u00a0Thornton and guard Veronica Burton celebrate a 76-74 win over Washington Mystics\u00a0at Chase Center on May 21.<\/p>\n
Scott Strazzante\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n
The Golden State Valkyries<\/a> shocked the basketball world on draft night when they traded away No. 8 pick Flau\u2019jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm for their second-round pick Marta Suarez and a future second-rounder.<\/p>\n That decision grew all the more confusing when the Valkyries waived Suarez on Saturday and, two weeks after draft night, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin<\/a> justified\u00a0the swap<\/a> as a means of preserving $300,000 salary cap flexibility.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The draft night trade isn\u2019t so surprising in the context of what this Valkyries team is about, especially looking forward to the franchise\u2019s second season.<\/p>\n Johnson is a flashy player with superstar potential. It\u2019s evident that the Valkyries are building a contender around head coach Natalie Nakase<\/a>\u2019s system, not one driven by individual star power. If Year 1 was about establishing that structure, Year 2 will be about leaning harder into it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe definitely built a foundation, a culture of who we want to be on the court and we can carry that with us,\u201d Veronica Burton<\/a> said.<\/p>\n San Francisco Chronicle Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Can Nakase\u2019s system be a star in itself? In 2025, it appeared so. The Valkyries became the first expansion team to crack the playoffs in their inaugural season, but without key players\u00a0Kayla Thornton<\/a> and Tiffany Hayes<\/a> they were swept in the first round.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Valkyries\u2019 offseason wasn\u2019t about finding or drafting that one MVP-caliber player to build around or find a bucket-getter that\u2019s essential to most playoff-caliber teams, but bringing back the core to run it back, their way, in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, we didn\u2019t win it. That was a disappointment for myself as a coach,\u201d Nakase told reporters on Tuesday. \u201cOnce we get that feeling of being a playoff team, our expectation is to win it.<\/p>\n \u201cExit meetings and offseason conversations, now we\u2019re hungry because we got a taste of it in the playoffs and we knew\u00a0\u2014 it\u2019s always nice to dream and wish if we were all healthy, what would it look like. That\u2019s another reason why we wanted to bring back our core, because we were in a good spot last year. Now I would say our whole locker room is hungry. I would say even more.\u201d<\/p>\n The system is all about connectivity and chemistry. Those are buzzwords you\u2019d hear around Golden State\u2019s facilities that essentially mean the team functions on defensive versatility and ball movement to seek the best possible shot on offense.<\/p>\n To do that right takes familiarity and high IQ, a brand of basketball familiar to anyone who has watched the Warriors for the past decade.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Valkyries\u2019 strength heading into 2026 is that they appear better poised to play to the system, and defense can be their biggest floor raiser. Not just because the core of Thornton, Burton, Hayes and Janelle Sala\u00fcn<\/a> are back, but because they\u2019ve added one of the best two-way players in Gabby Williams to the fold.<\/p>\n Valkyries forward Janelle Sala\u00fcn and center Iliana Rupert celebrate a shot by\u00a0Sala\u00fcn against\u00a0the Las Vegas Aces at Chase Center on Aug. 6.<\/p>\n Carlos Avila Gonzalez\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n The team\u2019s 102.1 defensive rating was good for fourth best in the WNBA, per Basketball-Reference.com<\/a>. That could improve with Williams and Thornton anchoring the defense for a full season. Burton is already a proven disruptor, while Williams and Thornton can guard multiple positions at a high level.<\/p>\n Williams\u2019 100.0 defensive rating in 2025 with Seattle was one of the league\u2019s best. The Valkyries may not have an MVP hopeful on the roster, but signing Williams in free agency makes Golden State\u2019s best trait that much greater.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Joe (Lacob) called me, and my conversation with him versus any other team owner was completely different,\u201d Williams said at Media Day on Tuesday. \u201cThat\u2019s what got me over the edge to sign. He was speaking about his goals and objectives, how badly he wants to win, how he\u2019s going to do it, that I would be stupid to go anywhere else because I haven\u2019t seen anyone doing it better than us. \u2026 I want to be a part of something like that. I want to be on a team that you always see in the playoffs, in the finals, and I truly believe that this can be that team.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin listens to forward Gabby Williams at the French player\u2019s introductory news conference at Chase Center on April 25.<\/p>\n Yalonda M. James\/S.F. Chronicle<\/p>\n The system, for now, sacrifices a key to most any championship team: the high-volume scorer. The New York Liberty have Sabrina\u00a0Ionescu (18.2 ppg in 2025), Breanna Stewart (18.3 ppg) and now Satou Sabally (16.3 ppg). The Las Vegas Aces have MVP A\u2019ja Wilson (23.4 ppg) and Jackie Young (16.5 ppg). The Dallas Wings have Paige Bueckers (19.2 ppg) and the Minnesota Lynx have Napheese Collier (22.9 ppg).<\/p>\n In contrast, the Valkyries\u2019 highest average scorer in 2025 was Burton at 11.9 points per game. Williams would be next up with 11.6 ppg in Seattle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Golden State makes up for the lack of a high-volume scorer with a series of shooters taking relatively high-volume 3s in a spaced floor. The Valkyries led the league in three-point attempts with 29.9 per game last season. Thornton averaged 6.5 treys per game last year, though she shot 28.2% before her All-Star nod and ensuing season-ending injury. Cecilia Zandalasini<\/a> and Sala\u00fcn averaged 4.8 three-pointers per game, making them at 40.7% and 36.6%, respectively.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Guard Just\u0117 Jocyt\u0117, last season\u2019s first-round pick,\u00a0celebrates the Valkyries\u2019 drumbeat during pregame ceremonies at Chase Center on\u00a0Aug. 17.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Golden State Valkyries<\/p>\n<\/a>
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