On Monday night in Washington, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase looked at her starting lineup on the floor against the Mystics and thought, “they did not have their legs.”
For many teams in the league that’s a dealbreaker; the difference between a win and a loss. For the Valkyries, though, it is a luxury and a strength. Because Nakase has options
Putting Laeticia Amihere, Janelle Salaun, Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes and Kaitlyn Chen on the floor for much of the second half was the tonic that Golden State needed. Cranking up the defensive energy and riding on Chen’s latest critical offensive contributions, the Valkyries matched their franchise-best five-game winning streak with a 62-49 win over the Mystics.
The team’s five-game road trip continues Wednesday in Toronto, and suddenly, Golden State is just a half-game out of the top spot in the league standings at 15-7.
The not-so-secrets to their success have been a buckle-down defense and their depth, as well as an ability to put an entire second unit on the floor, players who aren’t just keeping time while the starters rest, but who help win games.
With fresh legs to pressure ball-handlers and switch and rebound as well as the ability on many nights to keep the offense humming, the Valkyries’ bench is going to be key to Golden State’s championship aspirations.
Salaun is one of the league’s most potent 3-point shooters, Charles a clutch rebounder, Hayes is quick and experienced, Amihere — whose limited playing time early in the season was the source of passionate fan debate — is a reliable source of effort and hustle in the paint and Chen is a backcourt sparkplug. It is perhaps no coincidence that Golden State is one of the healthiest rosters in the league, currently, spreading its minutes (and its opportunities to rest) around.
“They are all potential starters,” said Nakase, who got 39 points from the bench Monday. “And they all know they could start. I mean our first unit understands that too. It’s the humility that they lead with, knowing they could [be starters] and also understanding their roles and buying into them.”
Golden State leads the league in bench scoring at 34.4 points a game. Salaun leads the second unit scoring at 12.3 points a game, second on the team behind All-Star Gabby Williams.
“As a team, we believe in everybody and we always just come in trying to contribute, bring energy and be positive,” Charles said. “Everybody does that. We just continue to lift each other up and it shows on the court.”
Chen, who was fighting for her roster spot coming out of training camp, has quite simply been a revelation in her second season. She is averaging 6.8 points in a little more than 14 minutes a game, but she has scored in double figures in five of her last nine games, including 14 against Washington, and she is playing with a confidence and energy that plays right into Golden State’s identity. The Valkyries ultimately chose to keep Chen over fan favorite Kate Martin as the season began, and the decision has proven to be the right one.
“I felt like I had to prove that I could help the team, to make the team,” Chen said. “I am just trying to bring energy. I don’t think that’s a secret, it’s just all about effort.”
Mystics coach Sydney Johnson, who has been following Chen since her college playing days at Princeton (Johnson is also a Princeton alum) joked that it was “tough to see somebody do damage like that who’s worn the orange and back.”
Chen’s play has not only allowed Nakase to rest starting point guard Veronica Burton for significant stretches — part of Nakase’s plan to keep her team healthy for as long as she can during the season — but she has also diversified Golden State’s 3-point heavy offense by driving to the rim and hitting shots in the middle-range.
Not surprisingly, Charles said that defensive consistency is the key to everything.
“We just continue to watch film and learn every game,” Charles said. “We’re communicating and we’re being consistent and that is something we can control. We are holding each other accountable. We might miss shots, but our defense has to be on every night.”
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