NFLSeptember 18 – San Jose
By: Ashmere Prasad
The Golden State Valkyries built a season to remember. A brand new team of 12 women who bought into the team’s mission from the beginning. They adjusted to multiple roster changes, named their first All-Star, who they immediately lost to injury, and fought every game until the final whistle.
From the coaching staff to the players, everyone was committed to building something special in their inaugural season.
“I think Coach Nat has genuinely changed my career. Her belief in me has been something I can’t thank her enough for.” Veronica Burton said. “I think the people we have on this team are dogs. From day one, we bought into them (the coaching staff), and they poured into us. There was a level of respect for player-wise and coaching-wise that you don’t always see, and I think that translated to the court. I think we surpassed a lot of expectations, but I don’t think it was necessarily surprising for any of us.”
Golden State won nine games within its first 40 days as a team, surpassing the projected number of wins for the league’s newest expansion team. (Natalie Nakase does not like that term.)
Through it all, they figured out a way to win 23 games and land a spot in the playoffs in their inaugural season.
Fourth Quarter Fallout
In Wednesday’s loss, Golden State put in the best effort they could through three quarters, and unfortunately fell short in the fourth, where they only scored 11 points. They entered the final quarter with a 14-point lead, but the number one team in the WNBA continued to chip away.
The Lynx opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run and cut the Valkyries lead to five. Nakase called a timeout to give the team a break and draw up a play. The teams went shot for shot until Courtney Williams hit a midrange jumper for the Lynx, giving them a three point lead.
After a quick layup by Cecilia Zandalasini, cutting the lead to one point, Golden State had 28 seconds to find a way to win.
The Valkyries forced the Lynx to turn the ball over due to a shot-clock violation. Golden State had four seconds to get the game-winning bucket and tie the series.
Cecilia Zandalasini pulled up for a jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining, which hit the rim, and the Valkyries’ season was over. The team quickly huddled around Zandalasi, who was visibly frustrated and overwhelmed from her missed shot. The team took a moment to comfort her and allowed her to rise to her feet surrounded by her supportive teammates. Not even five feet away, the Lynx huddled together and hugged, celebrating their victory.
When asked about the emotions behind that moment, Burton answered, “Cece carries a heavy load. For her to even take that last shot was an incredible shot; we’re not in that game without Cece. Obviously, a lot of emotions, but just building each other up.”
The Valkyries put it all out on the floor, although the game didn’t go the way they wanted this group proved how resilient they are.
Head coach Natalie Nakase shared how proud she was of her team and the effort they put on the floor against the number one team in the league.
“I want everyone’s eye contact. I just told them how proud I was. To have that place rocking tonight, to have that Ballhalla mentality. To be able to go toe-to-toe with the number one team…I was so proud of Cece, to be able to have that type of confidence at the end of the game, to put it all on her shoulders. I told her, I’m always gonna ride with you to the end of the game as my last shooter.”
Nakase, named Coach of the Year, and Burton, named Most Improved Player, received their awards in front of their fans at SAP Center; they roared in excitement and celebration.
Golden State built a solid foundation in their inaugural season (and raised the bar for upcoming teams if you ask me). They set records, made history, and gave the Bay Area a new team to root for and obsess over. This team will always be remembered for far more than what they put on the floor. This is only beginning for the leagues newest franchise.
