{"id":666198,"date":"2026-05-26T15:03:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/666198\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T15:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:03:12","slug":"valkyries-are-stronger-than-ever-and-just-in-time-for-caitlin-clark-fever-rematch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/666198\/","title":{"rendered":"Valkyries Are Stronger Than Ever\u2014 and Just in Time for Caitlin Clark, Fever Rematch"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Golden State Valkyries are off to a great start to their second season. They have a 4-2 record and only trail the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever in the standings. The Valkyries have the second-best defensive rating in the WNBA. The addition of Gabby Williams vastly improved their offense <\/a>compared to last season, and the bench has been great, too. Only the Connecticut Sun average more bench points per game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the Valkyries\u2019 most thrilling games this season was a 90-82 loss to the Indiana Fever. It was a close game despite the Valkyries\u2019 struggles to score (they shot 37% from the field), and Caitlin Clark hit a 3-pointer from the logo before getting into it with Tiffany Hayes.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The Valkyries are looking to stake their claim as one of the top teams in the W this season. A win against the Fever in the rematch on Thursday would help with that. After how the first meeting went, the rematch promises to be even spicier, and the Valkyries got reinforcements at just the right time. They are finally at full strength after missing Juste Jocyte and Cecilia Zandalasini to start the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Juste Jocyte and Cecilia Zandalasini are available\"Juste<\/p>\n

Aug 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries president Jess Smith, 2025 number one draft pick (5th overall) Juste Jocyte, and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin pose during a jersey presentation before the Atlanta Dream game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn | David Gonzales-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Fans at Chase Center welcomed Juste Jocyte, the Valkyries\u2019 first-ever draft pick, with a standing ovation when she checked into the game against the Sun. The rest of the WNBA won\u2019t be quite as thrilled to see her on the court. Jocyte may only be 20 years old and has less than five minutes of WNBA experience, but her potential is sky-high. When the Lithuanian star burst onto the scene in European basketball as a teenager, she was quickly compared to the NBA\u2019s Luka Doncic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jocyte joined the Valkyries late because she still had to finish her season in Spain, and Natatalie Nakase said after the game against the Sun that the youngster played limited minutes because she had only practiced with the team twice. Nevertheless, Jocyte hit a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer, immediately showing off her scoring ability.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cecilia Zandalasini was also available off the bench, giving the Valkyries yet another big wing who can defend and score on all three levels. When Kayla Thornton went down last season, Zandalasini was often the Valkyries\u2019 go-to scoring option. Losing her to a concussion in the season opener had been a tough blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With Zandalasini and Jocyte finally available, the Valkyries are one of the deepest teams in the WNBA. The question, for now, is just whether it will be enough to get revenge on the Fever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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