‘Strength in numbers’ has Valkyries one win from WNBA title - USA Today

SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Valkyries' biggest question mark all season has been where their offense would come from.

The Valkyries have proven throughout the WNBA playoffs that they have plenty of options. Take Game 5 of the Finals, for example. Golden State had four players score in double-figures in their 64-55 win against the Atlanta Dream on Monday, Oct. 26. None of them were named Gabby Williams, who finished with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Williams has been the answer a lot this postseason, as she leads the Valkyries by averaging 21.2 points a game. But every player has an off night and the Valkyries have proven they have the depth to step up.

Insert their adopted mantra: "strength in numbers." Not one player, not even Williams, was selected to the All-WNBA teams, but there's something special about Golden State. They don't need recognition or accolades. Just a team of willing competitors. That approach has the Valkyries one game from their first WNBA championship in Year 2 of the franchise's existence.

"Our team is our strength. You know, we've said 'strength in numbers,'" Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said before their Game 5 win. "Anybody could close, anyone could start. Anyone can come off the bench.
Anyone can finish the game. It's just so valuable that we can change our rotations. We can change our lineups. That's what's kind of dangerous about our team."

In Game 5, Kiah Stokes scored 13 points including going 3-of-4 on 3-point field goals, and added eight rebounds and three blocks. Tiffany Hayes scored 12 points on 44% shooting (4-of-9 field goal shooting), adding two steals and her infectious energy throughout the game.

Cecilia Zandalasini came off the bench for a second consecutive game and her offense opened up. She had 10 points on 50% shooting in Game 4 and followed that up with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting in Game 5.

"It's hard to scout when you have so many options, and so that's what I love," Nakase said. "I've never met 14 players that want to see success in their teammate that's sitting to the right or the left. Like, no one wants credit on this team. ... I just think that's rare in this age with social media and everything is that we have 14 players that really don't feed into the attention, and it keeps us laser focused."

Golden State doesn't have a true star in the sense, just a group of capable hoopers. Anyone's name can be called to put the ball in the hole. It's what makes their situation one of the most unique throughout the league.

Monday was a breakout game for Veronica Burton. She had her best game of the series with 13 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and a steal. Burton's defensive performance tied a WNBA Finals record for most blocks by a guard.

Burton had struggled finding her spots in the series but made a gigantic impact with her aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. So what changed for Burton? Her teammates and coaches kept instilling confidence in her which turned any self-doubt into undenied belief.

"It's the team and the confidence that they pour into me. I really feel it," Burton told USA TODAY. "It's so hard to perform if you don't feel like people have your back, around you. And it's so easy to perform when you feel like they have your back.

"You want to run through a brick wall when you love the people you're around."

Burton came into the game looking to focus on consistency and aggression, she said. Her teammates love it when she takes it upon herself to be more assertive. They do not hesitate to tell her, too.

"We’re at our best when V is aggressive," Stokes said. "I tell her, trust her floater, get to the paint. I got confidence any time she’s gonna go in, she’s gonna make it or get fouled. So I just try to tell her, we need those, stay aggressive and I think that just gets the rest of our team going."

Nakase said Burton is "hands down" the best point guard in the league.

"It may not look, you know, fancy and pretty, you know, as maybe you guys have seen other Finals. But this is her way," Nakase said. " ... It's that grittiness. It's that leadership. It's that toughness. It's diving on the floor, getting knocked down, getting back up. Like, that's another way that you can show being the best point guard.

"Her resilience. Again she just took another step today. She leveled up for sure."

The Valkyries aren't just getting it done through a collective team effort through X's and O's, they are taking the time to focus on the little things they can control, such as energy and body language.

Valkyries forward Kaila Charles made sure to bring all of that into Game 5, as they took a 3-2 series lead. Charles played 24 minutes and made one field goal, but was effective on defense, helping to hold Angel Reese to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting.

"Just watching the film and seeing we weren't playing like ourselves, whether we miss a shot or make a shot, it was the body language," Charles told USA TODAY on their response in Games 4 and 5. "It was the lack of (consistent) defense. We did a lot of self-reflecting and we watched the film. The film doesn't lie, so that was something that allowed us to tune in and be like, all right, let's get back to ourselves."

They heard the chatter of their lack of energy, Burton said. They made a pact to turn it around. That's been the story of the Valkyries whenever they are faced with adversity, they respond.

"It says a lot about who we are as individuals, too," Burton said. "That's something we're all having in common, is that we're resilient, and we're gonna persevere as a team. We're really collected, we're unified, and when our backs are against the wall, we come together."

Look at the end of the regular-season. The Valkyries lost to a Portland Fire team they believed they should've beaten and turned it around late in a comeback win against the Los Angeles Sparks in their final game. When Golden State found itself down 16 points in the first round against the Dallas Wings, they rallied. A tough series with the defending champion-Las Vegas Aces included an overtime win. So being down against the Dream, well it put the Valkyries in familiar territory.

"That's part of our culture," Burton said. "Again, understanding that we can do hard things, and when things aren't looking great, or when they're not pretty, we come together and that's a beautiful thing. I definitely believe it's our superpower."

A super power that could give them a title. Game 6 is Thursday afternoon at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (12:30 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock).