When the defending champs went out against an expansion franchise in its second playoff appearance, coach Becky Hammon was basically speaking in caps: “That is a TEAM”. There are no ifs and buts about it. There is a particular kind of dance to it — how much of the floor each player of the Golden State Valkyries moves and covers. And that is also what the team needs to execute perfectly, standing at the biggest stage of this season, against the Atlanta Dream. Staying healthy as a whole has been and will be paramount for them, and the staff has been pretty vigilant in that manner. But what can one do if there are factors you have no control over? So the Valkyries’ challenges appear to have started early as they prepare for Game 1 of the finals.
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“Valkyries team official told me that Kiah Stokes was at practice today but went home early due to some “congestion.” Should be fine though,” Valkyries beat reporter Kenzo Fukuda wrote on X.
“There’s been a bit of a flu thing going around the team, Veronica Burton clearly had a cough last week and through Game 3 in Vegas.”
Fukuda shared the update on October 12, five days before the team faces off against the Atlanta Dream in Game 1. Stokes being the one most affected so far is particularly notable, considering how important she was in the semifinal sweep.
Stokes had 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in Game 1, along with a game-sealing block in Game 2. She capped off the series with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, the first of her playoff career, while making every shot she attempted. Head coach Natalie Nakase spoke to her impact following Game 1, calling her the “MVP of the game.”
“Her disruption, her matching up with A’ja, it’s a really tough task,” she said.
And while a flu might sound like a relatively minor setback, its timing can make all the difference when a team is preparing for a series that leaves little room for error. Hopefully, the issue ends there, allowing the Valkyries to enter the Finals with the kind of mental and physical strength they have demonstrated throughout the season.
This WNBA season saw a massive surge in injuries, yet the Valkyries were able to have their players more consistently on the floor, as they finished the regular season with the fewest games lost to injury across the WNBA, per IX Sports, recording just 15 missed games across 11 injuries. The Atlanta Dream, who will also compete in the Finals, ranked just above them, with 57 games missed due to 16 injuries. In fact, the last time a player missed a game because of injury was when Janelle Salaun didn’t participate with knee soreness on August 11. In the postseason, too, all twelve players on the roster have been there to share the load so far. And that remains the focus.
“We have built a roster for everyone to play,” said Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, per IX Sports. “And we’ve told everyone that you have to be ready to play, knowing we’re not going to do heavy minutes. That was our goal and we stuck to it.”
The goal extends beyond simply preventing injuries and maintaining a full roster, as Nakase cautioned against exhaustion, referring to her own near-fainting episode during the series with Dallas.
“We’re six months in (to the season), right? No matter how say we had a (FIBA) break or not, we’re still a little bit exhausted. Look at me,” Nakase said. “I’m a complete example of emptying the tank. So it was really calculated because now I understand what each player needs.”
So, throughout the season, Nakase has carefully managed her rotation, giving players breaks regularly and allowing those who competed in the FIBA World Cup enough time to readjust before rejoining the lineup. And the staff never forgets to check in.
“It’s like ‘OK, what do you need?’,” Nakase said. “‘Would you like more rest, stay in your beds, stay with your families?’ Maybe that mental recovery is going for a walk, you know? Everyone is different. So we ulitize that, we calculate that. As long as we are concise and clear with our game plan, that is more important that actually getting on the floor and doing a walk-through.”
The schedule has not been gentle, too. Golden State played six games in 13 days to open the postseason and flew to Dallas and back in the middle of the first round. The impact has been there. During a 71-60 Game 1 win in the semifinals, Burton had sat nearly the entire second half, and speculation about an injury spread. Nakase later clarified that she was tired.
The Atlanta Dream are no easy opponent either. They come in after sweeping the Liberty, riding a franchise-best 10-game winning streak, with Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese on the roster. And while the Valkyries won all three regular-season meetings, the last an 88-83 road win on July 4, turning points are rarely predictable. Thankfully, the teams were given a week to rest and prepare.