NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
It’s no secret that the Golden State Valkyries are on a hot streak. They return to the Bay from their two-week road trip 5-5, and with their eighth straight victory.
The Valkyries now hold the second place spot in the WNBA standings and are the top defensive team in the league. However, the players aren’t worried about those stats. They want to put together the best 40 minutes, game in and game out.
What is their secret to success?
This team holds itself to a high standard. After a victory, this team immediately turns around and asks ‘How can I improve?’ before the next matchup.
The one thing that has significantly improved, according to Natalie Nakase, over the team’s first 25 games is its communication and chemistry, two areas Nakase has focused on since the team’s inception.
“Chemistry is a huge thing in any sport, but especially this sport.” Burton shared on Friday. “I think we have a culture of selflessness, and I think the more we grow as a team, the closer we get to one another. The more you’re willing to do and sacrifice for each other on the court and the more joy you play with…it all goes hand in hand when you build those relationships.”
During training camp, Nakase said she paid attention to relationships off the court – a comment that received much backlash. Why does it matter if players are best friends on and off the floor? Many disagreed with this approach and wondered why it was one of Nakase’s main focus points.
Halfway through the season, it’s clear the team feels the same way about building relationships and taking care of each other.
“I’ve never had such a long road trip that doesn’t feel so long, Williams said. “They feel like home to me, my teammates feel like home.”
The team had the chance to spend time at Burton’s home during the road trip, which was Nakase’s favorite moment from the trip. They played a game of cards with phrases describing someone’s personality, and everyone chose the card that best described them.
“Kai got the talkative one,” Nakase said. “Gabby got a lot about space and she’s interested in what the stars are and in National Geographic. So just learning about them on a different level.” Nakase joked about wanting the road trip to extend so they could spend more time together.
Golden State return home to face the Mystics on back-to-back matchups before the All-Star break. The Valkyries held Washington to a season-low 49 points during their road trip. But that matchup was without one of their star shooters Sonia Citron. With or without Citron, Golden State will be sure to make the adjustments and get a victory in front of their home crowd after being away for two weeks.
