Not much was expected of the Valkyries in their first year of WNBA play. While Bay Area fans were excited to add a Golden State women's franchise, becoming the first franchise in women's sports history to eclipse 15,000 season ticket deposits according to the team, conventional wisdom was that the product on the court would take some time to develop.
Coach Natalie Nakase and her scrappy start-up roster threw that notion right out the window from the start of the season, culminating in Thursday's 84–80 win over the Wings, which clinched a playoff berth.
The Valkyries overcame an impressive 27-point effort from Dallas's Paige Bueckers, with forward Janelle Salaun leading the team with 19 points, adding six rebounds. She was one of five Golden State players to hit double digits, a balanced effort that pushed the team's record to 23–18 and an impressive 14–7 at home.
While Nakase allowed her team to celebrate the playoff-clinching win, she made clear after the game that the work isn't done yet. The Valkyries are still fighting for playoff positioning, and intend to compete in the postseason.
"We're not done yet," she said, via ESPN. "Maybe after the season, after this is all done, I'll reflect ... I've got to stay present. I've got to stay where my feet are ... and I think that's why we've been able to do what we do, because we stay present. I don't really allow them to celebrate. They can obviously enjoy this, but I also keep them humble. Y'all want to continue to make strides? Then let's stay focused."
Golden State is the 11th expansion franchise to join the WNBA since its second season in 1998, the first since the Dream began play in 2008. They are officially the first to crack the postseason. The 1998 Detroit Shock were the only other expansion team to break .500, going 17–13 but falling short of the playoffs. Most of the other expansion teams were mired in dreadful first seasons, winning just over 30% of their games as a group.
Not bad for a roster built primarily of former role players.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Valkyries Make Incredible WNBA History With Playoff-Clinching Victory.
