The Golden State Valkyries met a surprising end to their nine-match winning streak when they lost to the 13-12 Washington Mystics. After beating the Mystics in their first of two back-to-back clashes, a consecutive win would’ve taken the Valkyries to No. 2 on the league table. After the tough loss, head coach Natalie Nakase shouldered the blame and revealed where she slipped up strategically.

“For me, personally, I’m battling that, Kenzo. I’m just gonna be really, really honest. I wasn’t at my best today because I don’t think I did the proper rest and recovery,” she said during the post-game presser, about battling exhaustion and mental fatigue.

“I have to figure it out. That’s where I leaned on my mentors. That’s why I called T-Lue (Tyronn Lue, head coach of LA Clippers) for the game today. You know, Steve even advised me sometimes when you sleep to write down your thoughts if a thought comes up because my mind keeps going.”

“I don’t know how to turn it off. So that’s something that I’m going to take within the next six days because, like, I can’t not be present.”

It’s no surprise that with a 19-8 record, the 3rd-placed Valkyries were disappointed at how the game ended at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday. They were actually leading the game with around three minutes left on the clock before the Mystics went on a scintillating 17-2 run to close the game in their favor.

Kaitlyn Chen had 20 points and six assists for the Valkyries, who squandered many opportunities down the stretch. It was quite uncharacteristic of a team that’s dominated the league defensively so far.

The Valkyries have the best defensive rating in the league of 93.7 points allowed per 100 possessions, according to The Athletic. They also have the second-best turnover percentage, at just 15.1, and have boosted their chances of winning silverware this season by making some smart moves in the off-season market.

Valkyries Have The Squad Depth To Push For A Deep Run

The Valkyries front office has added some massive firepower in the offseason. Gabby Williams has emerged as a two-way threat.

She leads them in scoring with 14.8 points per game, shooting 41.5% from the field, and contributing 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. On the defensive side, Williams is No. 4 in the league with a defensive rating of 101.0, right behind reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and her teammate Kiah Stokes.

In fact, Kiah Stokes has added championship pedigree from Las Vegas, contributing to the team’s interior defense. She is currently leading the league as the only player with a sub-100 defensive rating of 96.8, according to Fox Sports.

Rookie guard Kaitlyn Chen has also emerged as a reliable offensive option. The 2025 third-round draft pick (Overall 30th) provides a spark off the bench. That was on display recently when she dropped a career-high 20 points against Washington, while shooting an incredibly efficient 58.0% from the field.

The Valkyries have opened up the floor as an offensive unit as the season has progressed, and now rank No. 1 in the league in three-pointers made, averaging 10.6 shots made from beyond the arc.

They would once again hope to start the winning momentum as they face the Phoenix Mercury after the All-Star break.