The Golden State Valkyries have achieved something astonishing by becoming champions just two seasons into their WNBA journey, defeating the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 on their home court.
It may sound almost impossible to accomplish, but head coach Natalie Nakase made sure that the franchise didn’t need a long history to make history.
The Birth of the Valkyries: A New Force Rises in the WNBA
Announced on October 3, 2023, the Golden State Warriors franchise revealed plans to establish an expansion team in the WNBA, which would be named the Golden State Valkyries.
During their first-ever press conference on October 23 of the same year, primary owner and chairman Joe Lacob made his intentions clear, stating that the team was aiming to win a championship within its first five years.
“I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise,” said Joe Lacob.
Then came the first major moves. The Valkyries hired Ohemaa Nyanin as their general manager, who had previously been part of the New York Liberty organization for five years. They also appointed Natalie Nakase as their head coach, who had previously served as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces during her early coaching years.
Forged in Battle: Golden State’s Memorable First Season
Naturally, any expansion team is expected to struggle during its first year in a new league. However, the Valkyries defied expectations by making the playoffs in their inaugural season.
Through the expansion draft, Golden State acquired Veronica Burton, Kate Martin, Julie Vanloo, Carla Leite, Kayla Thornton, Monique Billings, Temi Fagbenle, Iliana Rupert, Stephanie Talbot, Janelle Salaün, and Cecilia Zandalasini.
The team also added Kaila Charles, Kaitlyn Chen, and Laeticia Amihere to its roster.
The Valkyries went on to win 23 games and lose 17, earning the eighth seed in the WNBA playoffs. They would eventually get swept by the Minnesota Lynx in the best-of-three quarterfinals, but their season was far from unsuccessful, as several players and members of the coaching staff received individual recognition.
Burton went on to win the Most Improved Player Award and earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team. In her first season as a head coach, Nakase was named Coach of the Year. Salaün was also selected to the All-Rookie Team, while Thornton became the franchise’s first-ever All-Star selection.
The Road to Ballhalla: Golden State’s Championship Conquest
During the offseason, the team took a strategic approach to its free-agent acquisitions. They signed center Kiah Stokes and guard/forward Kaila Charles. Perhaps most importantly, they also secured Gabby Williams with a multiyear deal.
The team once again exceeded expectations, finishing the regular season with an impressive record of 32 wins and just 12 losses, good enough to secure the second seed in the Western Conference.
In the quarterfinals, they faced a Dallas Wings squad led by Paige Bueckers and won the series, 2-1. Then came what was arguably their toughest challenge: facing the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, led by former Finals MVP A’ja Wilson.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Golden State swept the defending champions, ending their hopes of winning back-to-back titles.
Next came the Angel Reese-led Atlanta Dream, setting up a thrilling championship matchup as the series went all the way to a dramatic Game 7.
A huge third-quarter performance allowed the Valkyries to establish an advantage heading into the fourth. They then survived a late-game push from Atlanta to capture their first-ever championship with a 68-63 victory.
With averages of 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 26% from beyond the arc and 32% from the field, Gabby Williams was named Finals MVP. Her remarkable performance included a 30-point outing in Game 7.
Despite being a relatively young franchise with little history behind it, the Golden State Valkyries proved that a team does not need decades of existence to make a lasting impact on the history of the sport.
And who knows? With Lacob having helped the Golden State Warriors capture four championships in eight years, the Valkyries may very well replicate that same kind of success in the Bay Area.
