At that point, it was more of a vision than a reality. It was an attitude more than a way of being.
Now, with 11 games left in their inaugural season, the Valkyries have an 18-15 record (the most wins for an expansion team in WNBA history), a four-game winning streak and a realistic shot at a playoff spot. That initial identity as “killers” just isn’t that simple.
The Valkyries’ success, ability to shape-shift and adapt, ability to buy into the philosophy and psyche of their first-time head coach, and ability to come together as entrepreneurs in a startup are attributable to something deeper: Resilience.
It’s not nearly as glamorous. But man, has it been effective.
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With 19 players on the roster since the start of the season and 15 different starting lineups, resilience has been at a premium for the Valkyries. Key players have been in and out of the lineup. Key players have been cut. Key players have been injured. The team keeps bouncing back.
Losing forward Kayla Thornton to a season-ending knee injury the day after she returned from being the team’s first WNBA All-Star? Tough.
Watching locker room favorite Julie Vanloo get cut after leading Belguim to a EuroBasket title and immediately making the 18-hour journey back to the Bay? Rough.
Seeing a heart-and-soul player like forward Monique Billings sit on the bench for three weeks with an ankle sprain during the stretch run of the season? Painful.
Integrating new players into the roster, flexing with new lineups while maintaining a consistent level of play, and picking themselves up after a rough stretch to put more wins together? Impressive.
“It has to do with high character,” Nakase said. “High character and being open and accepting. Kaila Charles is here [on seven-day contracts] and she’s playing solid minutes, and people have been very accepting of her. And I think they are really quick to trust. They trust her and we trust her.
“I’ve learned from the [players], how they are willing to give up their minutes or sacrifice a couple of shots that they would normally get because we are doing something new. What’s impressive has been the sacrifices they’ve made to give each other opportunities.”
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On July 27, the Valkyries lost on the road to the Connecticut Sun, the team with the worst record in the league, 95-64. Two days later, they beat the second-place Atlanta Dream on the road, 77-75. Then there was a 101-77 blowout loss against the Las Vegas Aces and a 78-72 loss to the Aces before the Valkyries went on a four-game winning streak.
Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes said she has built her own personal reservoir of resilience over time. This season, she’s tapped into it more than she ever has in her career.
“I realize that there are a lot more things around me going on, other than basketball,” Hayes said. “It’s important to keep your head where it needs to be, to give your team the thing it needs.”
That includes mentoring the young players on how to adapt, how to roll with the punches.
“You have to show them that it’s possible to move on,” Hayes said.
Cases in point:
Cecilia Zandalasini’s ability to replace Thornton in the lineup and fill the offensive gap with her heady play and steady shooting, scoring 71 points over her last four games
Kate Martin’s knack for perpetual readiness, coming off a game where she played just six minutes against Atlanta on July 29 to have 14 points, five rebounds and two assists two days later in a critical game against the Washington Mystics
Veronica Burton’s 30-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist game against the Mystics on Wednesday, following a game against Connecticut in which she scored just 3 points
“Look at the group of players we have,” Burton said. “We all have our own stories, and I feel like we are all the kind of players that sort of keep going no matter what. It’s just what’s in us. But I also think it’s the environment that you’re in. When you are surrounded by people who are the same as you are, it pushes you.”
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It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Valkyries chose to stand pat at the trade deadline. What they have going for them is an exercise in team chemistry, which is tough to achieve even on some of the most star-laden rosters.
General manager Ohemaa Nyanin told The Next that she did a lot of research on the players she pulled together for this first roster. But how do you scout for resilience?
“You talk to people,” Nyanin said. “People who know them, people who play with them.”
Nakase said she was always looking for players who were willing to push through the bad moments, which was a distinct possibility before the season began. Golden State was expected to finish at the bottom of the standings based on its expansion status and lack of a marquee player.
“I have those players,” Nakase said. “If I don’t, they are not going to do well with me because I’m going to keep going at them until I get some type of improvement or some type of fight back. You have to have that culture, and then you pick the players that fit that culture.”
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Burton said this team’s resilience is harder than it looks some days, particularly when someone’s locker gets emptied out, no matter the reason.
“This is our family, right? When you see it, it’s hard,” Burton said. “But at the same time, I feel like we all know our roles and it’s a ‘next man up’ mentality and we know that we all have each other’s backs.
“It starts with our vets, our leaders like Tip [Hayes] and Mo [Billings]. They are so quick to pull us all together if things aren’t going in our favor and remind us that we are going to do everything we can and that we all need to bring a little more.”
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