There isn’t any denying the Golden State Valkyries fought onerous of their 98-91 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. With solely eight gamers accessible as a consequence of Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini’s late damage scratches, the remaining Valkyries stepped up and examined the Mercury by means of the vast majority of the sport.
Veronica Burton continued her Most Improved Participant marketing campaign with one other double-double, ending with 24 factors and 14 assists. Bench gamers turned starters Kate Martin and Carla Leite collected a mixed 29 factors and 6 made 3-pointers. Golden State simply ran out of gasoline within the second half because the veteran-led Mercury demonstrated why they’re respectable title contenders.
Nonetheless, the Valkyries’ second defeat in a row to a top-four group within the WNBA underscores some concern for the group shifting ahead. As accidents pile up and the playoff race will get narrower and narrower as the top of the common season will get nearer, the Valkyries enter a stretch of the season the place there may be little room for error. Listed below are three considerations to watch after Golden State’s powerful loss to Phoenix at house.
The well being of the Valkyries shifting ahead
The Valkyries, like many groups throughout the league, are on the level within the season when everyone seems to be some extent of damage when it comes to participant well being. However Golden State is feeling it proper now, and it is hitting them .
Hayes and Zandalasini have been added to the Valkyries’ official damage report minutes earlier than tip-off. Head coach Natalie Nakase informed reporters after the sport that Hayes tweaked one thing in warm-ups, so the group held her out of precaution. As for Zandalasini, Veronica Burton informed KPIX’s Matt Full of life the group realized Zandalasini can be unable to play as a consequence of a left calf damage through the beginning 5 bulletins.
In her post-game press convention, Nakase defined the reasoning behind Hayes and Zandalasini’s late damage scratches.
“They each warmed up pre-game, they usually did not really feel 100% wholesome,” Nakase stated when requested if Hayes may have performed if the group knew about Zandalasini’s damage designation forward of time. “You already know my motto, proper? If they don’t seem to be 100% they usually do not feel proper, it isn’t time to play. What number of gamers did I simply hear at present from Dallas? Somebody is out fully, Sophie (Cunningham) from Indiana is out fully. I’m not risking one other participant proper now.”
No group can put together for 2 starters sustaining accidents proper earlier than the sport. However paired with the truth that the Valkyries have been already down Kayla Thornton to a season-ending knee damage, Monique Billings to a nagging ankle damage, and Iliana Rupert to concussion protocol, it is onerous not to consider the group’s well being considerations shifting ahead and if that modifications how Nakase approaches her rotation.
Nakase acknowledged post-game that whereas there are well being components to contemplate, she doesn’t foresee altering when and the way the group rests gamers.
The elusive 3-point capturing
The Valkyries’ each fluctuating 3-point capturing is not a brand new concern, but it surely nonetheless stays some of the fascinating components for this group’s success. After going 9-of-18 from past the arc within the first half, the Valkyries’ capturing fell again to earth within the second half. They went 3-of-17 from the 3-point line to shut the sport, so it isn’t stunning to see that Golden State could not match the tempo of the Mercury’s second-half offense, getting outscored 51-32.
On the one hand, the Valkyries’ 3-point capturing seems worse on paper due to how chilly they have been to start the season. Because the all-star break, Golden State’s shot 35.3%, a far cry from their pre-all-star 30.7%, which ranked second to final within the league on the time. Nonetheless, however, the Valkyries nonetheless lead the league in 3-point makes an attempt in addition to proportion of factors from the 3-point line by a staggering margin.
A variety of their offense is based on how sizzling they’ll get from distance. Zandalasini, Burton, and Janelle Salaün’s sizzling capturing of their latest four-game profitable streak is proof of how good it may look when the Valkyries are firing on all cylinders. And whereas Nakase and the group eagerly lean into their identification as a top-tier protection that may muck up any opposing offense, the lingering unpredictability of their 3-point capturing is one thing to watch because the common season winds down.
The Valkyries’ matchups versus the WNBA elite
The loss was the Valkyries third to Phoenix this season and yet one more in opposition to a high 4 group within the league. Whereas the Valkyries have completed an incredible job of beating opponents at or under their report, they’ve struggled mightedly in opposition to the premier groups within the WNBA. The Valkyries are 4-13 in opposition to groups above them within the standings and 1-10 in opposition to the highest 4 groups within the Mercury, Dream, Liberty, and Lynx.
That does not bode effectively in a possible first-round playoff matchup as a result of the Valkyries are prone to end within the backside half of the bracket, that means they’d doubtless face a group that is dominated them within the common season.
After all, there’ve been extenuating circumstances in a lot of these video games: accidents, EuroBasket, roster turnover, fatigue, and so forth. And given how effectively the Valkyries’ teaching workers has been at scouting, it isn’t out of the realm that Golden State may pull off an upset in a brief 3-game collection. The protection alone can wreak sufficient havoc to steal at the very least one sport in opposition to a better seed, and the upside of risky 3-point capturing is the occasional lights-out efficiency.
Nonetheless, the Valkyries report in opposition to the perfect of the perfect just isn’t nothing. Actual considerations lie in these matchups, notably these different groups with the ability to shut them out in tight fourth quarters. Golden State has ample alternative to resolve its points in opposition to the WNBA elite with a rematch in opposition to the Mercury on Friday, in addition to matchups in opposition to the Lynx and Liberty towards the top of the season.