Golden State had the lead. They had the clock. And then they watched it all slip like sweat off a basketball. From a commanding position with four minutes to play, the Valkyries collapsed, conceding an 18-1 run to the Phoenix Mercury. But when the buzzer sounded on an 86-77 defeat, it wasn’t just the players reeling. Head coach Natalie Nakase didn’t mince words postgame. The locker room wasn’t a shelter, it was a spotlight. And she aimed it right back at her team.

“From the jump…I asked them, ‘Where’s our energy?’” Nakase said. “We didn’t throw any punches from the beginning. It’s the first time I’ve seen it, so I have to make sure their buttons are ready from the jump.” The Mercury, down 76-68 with 4:04 left, out-hustled with a 19-1 run and out-executed Golden State in the final stretch. But to Nakase, the meltdown didn’t start in the fourth quarter.

It started with the tip, and she wasn’t wrong. Golden State actually opened the game with a sharp 9-3 run. But that momentum vanished almost as quickly as it arrived. After the 1:23 mark in the first quarter, the Mercury responded with a 9-3 run of their own, closing the quarter on top, 21-16. So yes, the downfall didn’t begin late, it began right then.

Her tone didn’t soften with time. “Just become poised,” she added. “We kind of lost our composure…we got to be able to close and be composed.”

The Valkyries had the game in hand. Veronica Burton missed a wide-open layup with Phoenix up three. Temi Fagbenle posted a double-double. Burton had 16 points. Still, they let Lexi Held, a rookie who had never scored more than 21 in a game, torch them for 24. Held hit a deep go-ahead three with 1:11 left, and the rest unraveled like loose laces.

Phoenix didn’t have Kahleah Copper or Alyssa Thomas, yet still outrebounded Golden State 36 to 29 and shot 46.2% from the floor. It wasn’t just about shot selection. It was about the heart.

The Valkyries’ rebounding struggles and defensive lapses were glaring in their recent loss to the Mercury. Valkyries are battling the same uphill climb  that teams like Chicago Sky (5-29 in 2006) and  Atlanta Dream once faced.

Nakase has been vocal about her expectations, saying earlier this season that she wanted players with a “ridiculous work ethic” and commitment to building a winning culture.

“We are a brand-new team, it’s going to take time” she told ESPN, yet her urgency shows she is determined not to rely on time alone to build a heart her team needs.

As the Valkyries search for rhythm, Kate Martin’s performance highlight both the challenges and the potential for a turning point.

Kate Martin’s struggles reflect Valkyries’ rocky start, but her off-court Spotlight may spark a comeback

It might be just 40 minutes of cold basketball for the Valkyries, but for Kate Martin, the struggle hasn’t been just minutes long, it’s stretched across the season. The former Iowa Hawkeye came into her sophomore year with a fresh start and a new squad. Selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft after a gritty rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces, Martin was meant to bring leadership and tenacity to Golden State’s debut campaign.

Instead, she opened the year quieter than expected, she is just averaging 6.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. Not exactly the fearless Viking energy fans expected from the team’s heart-on-sleeve guard.

To her credit, Martin started to find her rhythm before Thursday’s loss in Phoenix. She averaged 12.0 points in the two games prior and dropped a career-high 14 against Minnesota. But the ship still isn’t steady. The Valkyries are now 2-5 and spiraling, staring down a matchup with Martin’s former team, the Aces, this Saturday.

Still, there’s a glimmer of off-court momentum. Martin, beloved for her days alongside Caitlin Clark at Iowa, will be the next guest on Bird’s Eye View, the podcast hosted by WNBA icon Sue Bird. She’ll join a stacked lineup of past guests, including Jewell Loyd and Sabrina Ionescu.

“One year in the league and ready to drop some wisdom with us 👀,” the podcast teased. “Our guest this week is a fan favorite with the @valkyries & celebrating a birthday today… @katemartin 😆🎉”

Maybe this is exactly the breather Martin needs — a moment to reflect, reset, and reconnect. Because while the Valkyries may be brand new, and their legacy still unwritten, the clock is ticking fast in the Wild West. And Martin? She’s got the tools to lead — but it’s time she finds that fire and lets it blaze for more than just two games.

After all, Valkyries weren’t made to fade. They were made to fight.