Valkyries' Performance Debated
Golden State Valkyries secure two wins against Mercury and Storm, raising questions about margin of victory.
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The Golden State Valkyries are winning. But they are making it harder than it should be. Golden State beat the Phoenix Mercury 87-81 on June 9, then grinded out a 76-72 road win over the Seattle Storm on June 12 — a team that had lost eight straight games. Both wins were close. Both raised real questions about whether the Valkyries can keep doing this against tougher opponents, according to Mercury News.
At 8-5 and sitting 4th in the Western Conference, Golden State is in a good spot. But the cracks are showing. The Valkyries went 1-for-16 from the field in the fourth quarter against Seattle, watching a 12-point lead shrink to just one point before holding on, East Bay Times reported.
Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams Carry Too Much Weight
The Valkyries' offense runs through two players. Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams combined for 50 points in the Mercury win. Burton is logging 34 to 37 minutes per game — a heavy workload for any player, let alone one facing teams the Valkyries should beat comfortably. "The people we have on this team are dogs," Burton said, per SF Standard.
The bench did outperform Phoenix's reserves 22-12. But in crunch time, Coach Natalie Nakase still leans on her starters. Critics say this is not sustainable. If Burton or Williams gets hurt or worn down before the playoffs, Golden State has no clear backup plan, according to Press Democrat.
Fourth-Quarter Collapses Are Becoming a Pattern
Against Seattle, the Valkyries made just one field goal in the entire fourth quarter. A 12-point lead nearly vanished. Janelle Salaün saved the game, finishing with 22 points and becoming the 9th fastest player in WNBA history to reach 100 career three-pointers, per Times Standard.
Gabby Williams put it plainly after the win. "We would have preferred for it to not be that close," she said, per East Bay Times. Coach Nakase focused on the positives — rebounding and composure. But late-game execution has now been a problem across multiple games, including losses to Minnesota (84-87) and Las Vegas (79-84) earlier this month.
Three-Point Defense Has Quietly Become a Liability
The Valkyries built their identity on defense in 2025, ranking 3rd in the league in defensive rating. That edge is fading. Golden State now ranks second-to-last in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 37.5% from deep, according to Mercury News. That number explains why teams like the Mercury and Storm can hang around in the fourth quarter.
Opponents have learned to scout Golden State. When teams stop the Valkyries' transition game, the offense stalls. Seattle fans and analysts have noted the team is "easy to scout," falling into scoring droughts when forced to run a half-court offense. This is a pattern that stronger teams — like the New York Liberty or Las Vegas Aces — will absolutely exploit.
Brand Is Booming but Roster Depth Remains the Real Question
Off the court, the Valkyries are thriving. The team recently earned a $1 billion valuation — the first in WNBA history. They have sold out 29 straight regular-season games at Chase Center, averaging 18,064 fans per game, a league record, per Times Standard. Close wins don't hurt the bottom line. But they could hurt playoff seeding through point differential tiebreakers.
The front office made a controversial call this offseason, trading the rights to No. 8 draft pick Flau'jae Johnson to Seattle in exchange for Marta Suárez — who was later waived — and a 2028 pick. Critics say the move forced the team into "ugly" wins instead of dominant ones. A three-game homestand starting June 15 against Los Angeles will show whether this team can still blow someone out, according to East Bay Times.
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