ARLINGTON, TX – Golden State Valkyries practices and shootarounds are usually very animated. Whether it's coach Natalie Nakase directing traffic in the midst of a drill she herself is participating in, players communicating loudly with each other and polishing what they preach, or even coaches and assistants doing anything and everything the team needs, it's never quiet when the Valkyries are in the office honing their game.
However, even by Golden State's standards, they were quite lively as they wrapped up their shootaround at College Park Center, hours before they face the Dallas Wings for Game 2 in a closeout scenario.
From the sideline, you could see Veronica Burton and Nakase joking around, laughing with each other as Burton was midway through her shooting drill. You could hear Kaitlyn Chen jovially chirping at Burton whenever the latter missed a half-court shot attempt (one of Golden State's end-of-shootaround traditions). Gabby Williams, after her attempt, made a loud noise between a shriek and a shout, slamming her feet after she missed. Even general manager Ohemaa Nyanin was getting in on the fun, chopping it up with Kayla Thornton after the forward airballed her own half-court heave.
But the Valkyries' good vibes and high spirits don't change their approach to Game 2 and the opportunity to win their first playoff series in their young franchise's history. After practice, Kaila Charles echoed the words and the mindset they've had all season: focus, discipline, and preparation.
“The energy is really high. We're excited to play tonight, get another chance to play, and we want to finish it tonight,” Kaila Charles said in a media scrum after practice. “So we're just locked in. We're focused, but we're also just enjoying the moment and having fun.”
The mindset of a WNBA playoffs closeout game
It makes sense that the Valkyries are enjoying the moment they've put themselves in; they looked like world beaters after a dominant 104-80 victory in Game 1, riding the momentum of a 37-11 second-quarter run to dispatch Paige Bueckers and the Wings in front of a raucous home crowd. But Golden State's habits and routines haven't changed; if anything, they've deepened, Charles explained.
“You just have to be more disciplined and consistent. It's the playoffs,” Charles said, emphasizing that last word not quite like Jim Mora famously did, but enough to get her point across. “We just played 40 games or 44 games–we're tired– but the people who are able to continue to still be consistent with the routine, those are the ones that are able to succeed. So I think it's just more of just locking in and continuing to be consistent and not take any days off or shortcuts.”
Article Continues BelowCharles pointed to how the defense, while sturdy against the Wings, still has room to be better. The film sessions showed that Dallas missed some shots that they typically make, Charles said, and there are some things in transition they need to hone in on to slow down one of the highest-paced teams in the league.
Regardless, it's a mindset Thornton is more than familiar with, as the 2024 WNBA champion understands better than anyone what it takes to finish off a desperate team fighting for its playoff lives.
“We got to take care of business. It's gonna be a tough one tonight against a great team.” Thornton said. “(It's) just doing a little small things, having composure. Things might not go the way we wanted tonight, but we have to stay together. It's going to be a wave, so we just got to make sure we stick to it and keep riding it till we finish.”
There's also a little added motivation entwined for Thornton and Charles. Thornton, who grew up in El Paso and played for Dallas from 2017 to 2022, will have friends and family in the building to cheer her on. For Charles, the former was waived by the Wings last season and bounced back and forth on the fringes of their roster before the Valkyries signed her after Nakase was extremely impressed by how she took it to them.
“I enjoyed being here, but obviously it didn't work out,” Charles said. “There is a little chip on our shoulder just because of just what happened. But honestly, it really didn't matter who we played. We want to beat them and be able to advance.”
Charles did say that the Valkyries kept an eye on the playoff results from the previous night, with the New York Liberty sweeping the Minnesota Lynx in a complete upset and the Indiana Fever forcing their series with the Las Vegas Aces to a Game 3, but that said, none of that matters if they can't handle their own business. As such, Golden State is keeping its head where its feet are, as opportunities to close out a team come well before future playoff matchups.
“You just focus on one night. If you get too far ahead, then you miss your moment, which is today,” Thornton said. “So it's all about just focusing on what's today, and then tomorrow will come, and then we'll figure that out.”