SAN FRANCISCO – “Empty the tank” has been Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries' mantra as they navigate this final stretch of games before the postseason. And while it took a quarter or two to shake off FIBA break rust, and no Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaün, and Cecilia Zandalasini still recovering from playing overseas in the FIBA tournament, the Valkyries lived up to those words, comfortably defeating the Portland Fire 82-66 for their fifth straight win.

“I thought the tank though started a little, little soft,” Nakase continued, pinching her fingers as she recounted how Golden State missed some easy layups and some easy reads in the paint. “I thought it was just a little rusty in terms of the offensive end, so it kind of leaked to our defensive presence. But I thought in the third quarter there was no wavering. We came out punching.”

Of those doing the punching, Kaitlyn Chen and Laeticia Amihere were the ones throwing haymakers. The bench duo finished with 17 points apiece, with Chen going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and Amihere adding in two blocks and two steals to extinguish the Fire. Alongside Kiah Stokes, Tiffany Hayes, and Juste Jocyte, a lineup that Nakase complimented after the game, the Valkyrie went on a 15-3 run to close the third quarter to effectively put the game on ice.

After the win, Chen and Amihere, two players who are very close off the court and spend much of their off time together hanging out and going to farmers markets, expressed how much joy they have playing with each other.

“It's so much fun to play with her today (and) every day, but especially tonight,” Chen said looking at Amihere. “She does that every day at practice, and to be able to see her do it here in Valhalla makes her special.”

Amihere smiled and whispered a thank you to Chen before talking about what it was like watching her teammate hoop.

“She bailed me out a lot,” Amihere said. “I think just driving and being able to find her and her knocking down the shots was great.”

It was small and light moment for the two of them but one that speaks to how far they've come since both of them were waived after training camp last season. Just a year and a little longer later, the duo are now integral parts of the Valkyries' league best bench.

Juste Jocyte's strong minutes

Of the other young Valkyries who stepped up in the absence of the veterans, Jocyte also put together a clean performance. The redshirt rookie from Lithuania, who's been largely out of the rotation for most of this season, gave Golden State nine points, two assists, two rebounds, and two steals, shooting 3-of-6 from the 3-point line. Playing primarily off-ball, Jocyte took advantage of the Valkyries' drive and kick offense, draining catch-and-shoot triple after catch-and-shoot triple.

Article Continues Below

But for Nakase, what was maybe the most impressive thing about Jocyte's strong 17 minutes of action was her defense, an area of her game the Valkyries have been harping on in practice throughout her first season in the WNBA.

“I loved it. She used all her fouls,” Nakase said. “That's what I'm talking about with physicality. She wasn't afraid. She didn't waver either with her face. You can you can see she was really confident, obviously on the offensive end… I thought she was talking. I thought she was communicating. Whether it was like the late switch, early switch, I thought she was fantastic.”

As it pertains to her playing prospects for the rest of the season, it's likely her minutes will go back to what they were once the international players get back on the court. Not to mention that the rotation in general will shorten once the postseason begins. But in a pinch, Jocyte is more than capable of giving the Valkyries exactly what they need — shooting, ball handling, and quick decision making. And long term, flashes like these bode well for Golden State, a team that won't be in the lottery any time shortly.

Valkyries' playoff picture

With the Valkyries win and the Minnesota Lynx loss to the New York Liberty, Golden State is now one game behind the Minnesota Lynx for the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs. Because the Lynx own the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Valkyries would need to surpass them outright in the standings. That means Golden State would have to go undefeated in their final three games and have the Lynx drop two of their last three.

In all likelihood, the Valkyries are locked into the No. 2 seed. But given that the Lynx play the Indiana Fever twice before the end of the regular season, a team that also has a lot to play for still, the door holding home-court advantage throughout the playoffs is slightly ajar. That being said, the Valkyries also need to keep winning to stay ahead of the Las Vegas Aces, who are a game and half behind them. The Aces own the head-to-head tiebreaker so Golden State would also need to remain a full game ahead of them to stay in at No. 2.

The Valkyries have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way as they play the Seattle Storm, the Fire, and the Los Angeles Sparks to finish out the regular season.