Riding a wave of support from their passionate fans at the Chase Center in San Francisco, the Golden State Valkyries are set to kick off the second half of the WNBA season at home against the Dallas Wings. The game, held in front of the electric crowd at “Ballhalla,” marks the first-ever regular season meeting between the two teams, both of which had players featured at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
With a 10-12 record, the Valkyries are aiming to get closer to a .500 record and secure a spot in the top eight for the playoffs as the season enters its final stretch. Despite a star-studded roster that includes four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale, 2024 Most Improved Player Dijonai Carrington, and rookie standout Paige Bueckers, the Wings have faced challenges, sitting at a disappointing 7-17 midway through the season.
Bueckers, the number one overall pick in this year’s draft, has been as special as advertised: making the All-Star team as a rookie, she leads Dallas in points (18.2), assists (5.5), and steals (1.7) per game just three months after winning the NCAA National Championship with UConn.
Tuesday night was also a positive sign for the franchise in a dominant 87-63 victory at Seattle over the 14-10 Storm. Ogunbowale led the Wings in scoring with 20 points along with three rebounds and three assists in the victory. Now 4-6 in their last 10 games, Bueckers isn’t getting ahead of herself as the team prepares to take on Golden State. She told reporters postgame that she isn’t a “fan of momentum.”
“Alright, well truly I’m not a huge fan of momentum because it takes you away from the present,” Bueckers said (via Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints). “And lets former games, former possessions dictate what you’re doing in that singular possession. So, I think the momentum is just us trying to be better every single day, every single practice that we show up… Not letting any win dictate, like, we want to play the way we’re gonna play next game regardless of what happened the game before. Disregarding momentum, we just want to continue to get better every single game.”
The Valkyries play a team-oriented style, relying on contributions from all over the roster rather than a single 20-point scorer. First-time All-Star Kayla Thornton leads the team with 14 points per game, while veterans Tiffany Hayes and former Wing Veronica Burton aren’t far behind, averaging 12.8 and 11.0 points respectively.
With a blend of emerging talents and experienced veterans, the Valkyries boast a diverse mix of backgrounds and skill sets. This unique combination could help them make history as the first expansion team in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season.
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