Overview
- By mid-July the second-year Golden State Valkyries sit 17-7 with a seven-game win streak and have surged into serious contender talk thanks to their defense.
- The team leads the WNBA with a defensive rating of 100.4 and allows a league-low 76.2 points per game according to WNBA statistics.
- All 10 regular-rotation players rank inside the league top-50 in individual defensive rating and veterans Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes are credited with solidifying the unit.
- Golden State shoots 45.0% of its field-goal attempts from three-point range and gets 38.7% of its points from threes, but ranks 13th in true shooting percentage and dead last in field-goal percentage.
- Analysts say the Valkyries mirror recent champions in defense and 3-point volume, yet their weak conversion rates and lack of wins over top teams like Minnesota and Las Vegas leave their postseason upside unproven.