San Francisco – Kayla Thornton Caught the rebound and sprinkled downwards. Golden State Valcaries Forward Euro stepped around the loan defender between her and the basket, reached the rim and hit a reverse.
The crowd erupted, feeling against the return of the second half Chicago sky It was almost complete. The Thornton retreated with the sideline, where the Golden State owner who came out for a high five. He slapped his hand, then stopped and dropped a roar, sent the fans to another big frenzy.
Such scenes at the Chess Center have become common for the WNBA’s first expansion franchise in 17 years. The Golden State has sold all its 11 houses this season and led the WNBA in appearance.
Norse In mythology, Vallah is a resting place for great warriors who died in war. In summer, the Chess Center turns into the nickname Ballah, the nickname of Vulcaries for its home court, which regularly draws 18,000 fans.
This energy has been running in the Gulf region since the Golden State was honored with a team 20 months ago. Valkyries Violet could be seen lying on the streets of San Francisco a year ago, before they started playing games, and Golden State became the first team in the women’s game history to submit 15,000 season tickets. The city was behind them, and through their inaugural season, the Vulcaries is at the speed of the presence of the highest average house by any team in the history of WNBA, according to the timeline.
The achievements of Golden State on the court are surprising. When Valkyries opened the camp in April, the front office said that success will be measured by the players’ purchase and charity level this season. But Valkyries (10–12) are hunting to become the first WNBA expansion team to reach Postsen in its first year. The Golden State has one of the top five rescues of the league, which holds opponents for the second lowest scoring for total scoring in the league.
And although the team entered the all-star break, after losing five of the six matches so far in July, Valkyries has crossed all the expectations around their first season-even that they set for themselves.
“I think we have crossed what we have done,” Thornton told ESPN. “I felt that it is going to take a little more time to know the system to know each other …
“The fact is that we just go there and play with joy, we play selflessly. It makes the game very easy.”
Natalie Nakez knew His players’ ability to connect with each other will be important on a new team together with two drafts and free agency. And as the Golden State coach and front office built a roster in the last one year, he had a special ideal in his mind.
“We needed to choose the players with the team that with the chip on their shoulder,” Nakez told ESPN. “I felt so because they were all, it would become our standard. It was not about a face or an elite player.”
The need for connectivity is something that has been learned as an assistant coach with Lab City Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant coach in NBA during its time. The team featured Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and D&R Jordan, but lost in the first round of the 2017 NBA playoffs.
“I still talk to those people and they still say, ‘If we were connected, what would happen if we had great chemistry?” “But we didn’t [have it]… this is what I learned: You have to connect. If you are not connected on the same page for these games, it is not going to work. ,
Nakez says that Volcaries do not have a franchise face, but all 12 players of the roster make their mark. Golden state center Tempie Phagbanel Said that they are a team made of sixth women. Thornton, who previously played with New York Liberty’s Super Team Sabarina Eonacu And Breena stewart It won the 2024 title, saying that every member of Valkiris is waiting for his opportunity to shine.
They do not have an attractive roster filled with pre-lottery pics or all-league meals, but their selflessness has achieved initial success. Valkyries have already won more than twice as many games as the final expansion team, Atlanta dreamIn his debut season in 2008 (four), and more than that Seattle Storm In 2000 in its first season (six).
Thornton said, “We have only a lot of players who were in different teams, were successful, but were not really able to flourish, to actually show ourselves,” Thornton said. “So now to be able to come together and we have been put to all who are working hard and waiting for such a moment, keeping all these types of girls together, it makes something beautiful.”
Thornton, in his 10th season, is a prominent example, going with an all-star from a role player with Liberty, the first player after 2006 was selected from an extension franchise from a franchise.
The quantity of purchases from the players, coaches and front office was necessary to be part of the evaluation.
When General Manager Ohma Nayanin picked the Golden State Pitch to the target players and employees to form the team, they made it clear that they should only come to San Francisco if they wanted to be a part of making something from the scratch and could handle the ups and downs coming with it.
“If we can make something together, do you not want to be a part of it? You need to be brave in a lot of ways to be a part of something like this. There was no type of rose -colored glasses,” Nyinin told ESPN. “Oh, and by the way, it proves extremely difficult.”
But another part of Nayanin’s message landed well with the players.
“He told us,” We chose each of you to install it. Tiffany Hes Said.
As soon as the players arrived at the camp, the Nakes told them that they would be “killers”. Their play style would rely too much on their rescue and ensure that the opposition felt him on every possession.
“Coach Natalie, when she needs to go on us, she reaches us,” Thornton said. “She gives us the most confidence and that is what I respect him. … He is competitive, he is a dog. That is what we feed with us. Playing for him wants to play the game.”
The nukez demands a high level of intensity for 40 minutes, and during the presiden, Thornton admitted that there was a change in the mindset for him. Gradually it began to become a second nature, and the walls believe that it has made them competitive in almost every game that they play. Golden State has not lost more than nine points since June 5.
“When I watch the film and see the players diving either the floor, then there are only a few players who do this in W and I almost seem that I have 12 of them.” “So with it, it’s unstable. I think at any time we play, we can beat anyone with that kind of competitive mindset.”
As a lacquer sitting On stage with WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert, the then-San Francisco Mayor London breed and Warriors co-worker president Peter Gugar, when the Golden State was honored with a franchise in October 2023, Lacob announced some Bay Area Basketball fans, he heard the first to win a championship in five years.
It looked like a comfortable timeline for Lakob, but like many people, their expectations were low for the opening season.
“I felt that we were going to be a lottery team next year,” Lacob told ESPN that he burst into laughter.
Instead, they are in the middle of the playoff race.
Nakase was spent learning from each other in a year, to find out the coach of their players, because they gain understanding of what they want from them. But the Golden State Foundation is far away from the construction.
“The way we gameplan, we can actually push that envelope,” said Nakez. “We said that we really wanted to be the top team in defense. Well, let’s continue it, let’s take it to another level. Let’s go to personal defense now. Now we can set more buildings, more goals.”
And the use of Lacob’s five -year target continues as an inspiration, which he has completed so far.
“I don’t think of it, as much as our northern star is more time,” Nayanin said. “Every day you come to work and you are trying to keep a championship product together.
“Target is a championship. Well, great, how do you reach there now?
