Golden State Valkyries fans are in an eight day drought waiting for the team’s next game in New York City. They have not been able to watch their beloved point guard, Veronica Burton, command the court or their French phenom, Janelle Salaün, sink a three in almost a week. The sound of Kiah Stokes stuffing a Chicago Sky shot last Wednesday is no longer ringing in anyone’s ears.
Burton, Salaün, and Stokes are all still playing ball, of course. But they’re doing it at practice, across the bay in downtown Oakland.
So for those who cannot wait a minute longer, Mission Local took it upon ourselves to go behind the scenes. (We stayed totally calm, there was no fan-girling, we promise).
The Valk’s practice on a far larger court than the one at the Chase Center where they play their games and last Friday the team was spread out at four different hoops. There were a handful of Valkyries at each basket along with a coach or two, and a few male practice players.
We gathered behind the basket where Burton was practicing with Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes and Katilyn Chen.
The players went through a series of shooting drills from different spots on the court – sometimes passing or driving to the hoop.
At 37, Hayes has been in the WNBA longer than any other player on the Valkyries. She played an important role in the team’s inaugural season last year, helping lead the Valks to the playoffs – a first for an expansion team in WNBA history. At practice, she found room to not only practice her shot, but also her dance moves. She wasn’t the only one.
At one point, one of the male practice players brandished a long black “dummy defender” hand to simulate an especially tall player putting their hands up to block a shot. Chen, who at 5-foot-9 often goes up against defenders well over six feet, was prepared, using her now-signature hook shot, and laying the ball up around the towering fake hand.
It won’t be long before the team has to navigate real-life equivalents — the New York Liberty’s Han Xu (6-foot-11) and Jonquel Jones (6-foot-6) or the Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston (6-foot-5). Both are teams the Valkyries face later this week when their dry spell ends.
Having these 8 days between games is unusual in a WNBA season that packs 44 games into less than six months. Across the league the average number of days between games this season is 2.7. Preparing for a packed season with several back-to-back games is part of why Head Coach Natalie Nakase has had the Valkyries practicing so much over the last week.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. Claps. Cheers. High fives. The players moved around the court simulating different plays and shooting from every angle.
And then, all too soon, it was over.
Media are only allowed into the last 30 minutes of practice. As the clock ran out, the entire team, coaching staff and practice players gathered in the middle of the gym to wrap things up. It wasn’t clear what Nakase was telling her players — but everyone seemed to laugh, and then get quiet before a final “GSV” cheer.
The Valkyries are now in New York getting ready to play their next game, finally. It’s Thursday at 5 p.m. Pacific. If you’re missing the vibes of Ballhalla, there are a handful of bars around the city that will be showing the game.
Till then, here are a few more of our favorite “shots” from practice.
