OAKLAND — The Golden State Valkyries won’t have the luxury of getting many tune ups leading up to their season opener on May 8.
While most WNBA teams will have multiple preseason games to sort through rotations and experiment with lineups, the Valkyries scheduled just one — Saturday’s home matchup against the Seattle Storm — to simulate real-game conditions before the regular season begins.
That makes the margin for evaluation razor thin.
For players on the roster bubble, it’s the only live audition that counts, a single night to translate training camp flashes into something tangible against an opponent.
“It’s just a scheduling situation for us,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “I’m big on not traveling too far, so it’s just being mindful, and then just making the best of it. Sometimes you can’t pick everything, especially our schedule. We’re gonna have long road trips. We’re gonna have short ones. It’s about how you can prepare your team for an environment that’s set for you. And that, to me, is more important than worrying about one preseason game or two preseason games.”
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase chats with players during the team’s first day of training camp at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Saturday also has multiple layers of intrigue.
The Valkyries’ matchup with the Storm will mark the first meeting against guard Flau’jae Johnson, the eighth overall pick Golden State dealt away in a stunning draft-night move. Valkyries’ free agent signee Gabby Williams is expected to touch down in the Bay and will have her introductory press conference prior to Saturday’s game.
Nakase said she doesn’t have a timeline for when Williams will play, but is happy to have her on the bench for the preseason opener.
“I’ll do a check in with her when she gets here, where her mindset is, where her physical body feels,” Nakase said. “She does know the Bay. She’s been here before. So I’m just really excited just to see her reaction.”
Valkyries All-Star Kayla Thornton has a chance to make her return to the court after missing half of last season with a knee injury. Following Friday’s practice at the team’s training facility in Oakland, Nakase alluded to the 33-year-old’s status as a game-time decision. Participating in preseason action could go a long way for Thornton to play in the team’s regular-season opener at Seattle on May 8.
“It’s going to be day-by-day,” Nakase said of Thornton’s return. “I’m giving KT the space to let me know how her body feels every single day.”
When asked if she plans on playing, Thornton said, “We’ll see how they want me to go. Just kind of taking it day by day.”
The Valkyries are the only team in the league to have just one preseason game. Teams such as the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx are holding three exhibition contests before their season opener.
But Golden State isn’t sweating the lack of live competition. Instead, the Valkyries are honing in on making training camp practices more competitive in the leadup to the season opener.
“I think (practices) are very important,” Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes. “I think we need to get better every day and we come here to do so.”
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase claps while watching her players practice during the team’s first day of training camp at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
With most of the Valkyries’ roster spots locked up, there undoubtedly will be pressure for players on the fringes of the roster to perform. Key position battles at backup point guard and center will be watched closely. Rookies Marta Suarez and Ashlon Jackson will play in their first game, giving them their first real chance to make an impression as they push to earn a spot on the roster.
Knowing the stakes, Nakase said she just wants each player to be themselves.
“I don’t look at just one game … I’ve been looking at the five practices, you know, and how they behave,” Nakase said. “For me, it is totality. It’s not just one game. I don’t know exactly the minutes for everyone. … So I’m evaluating a lot more than just one game, and I think that will give them a little bit of go out there and have fun.”
Saturday’s game will be a good test run for Golden State as the Valkyries will see Seattle approximately two weeks later on the road to begin the season.
Seattle arrives with length, youth and a roster built to pressure the paint with their young frontcourt trio of Ezi Magbegor, Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam. Golden State leans into pace, spacing and a willingness to live beyond the arc. The Storm can overwhelm with size and second chances while the Valkyries counter by stretching the floor and turning possessions into a barrage of 3-point looks.
Nakase said the Valkyries will prioritize health going into Saturday’s game as the last few practices have been the most intense so far.
But make no mistake, Nakase and the team know exactly what they are prioritizing in their first and last preseason contest.
“We’re going to go for the (win),” Nakase said.