The Golden State Valkyries made it three wins in a row after beating the New York Liberty 76-67 on Sunday, with one moment involving guard Kaitlyn Chen standing out. Coming off the bench, she found an unlikely ally during a second-quarter sequence, using a stationary WNBA official as a screener before going on to score. Chase Center wasn’t expecting it, and neither was head coach Natalie Nakase.

“I didn’t see that. Clever, right?” Nakase said of that sequence, as per ClutchPoints’ Kenzo Fukuda. “Maybe that’s what we call Princeton offense. That was good enough. But no, that was clever,” she added, describing the move. 

Shortly after a jump ball in the second minute of the second quarter, forward Janelle Salaun collected the ball and found Chen, who dribbled past the Liberty’s Rebekah Gardner. As Gardner turned to recover, she collided with the official, effectively serving as a screen and leaving Chen with a clear lane to the basket.

Chen read the situation well, drove through the paint, and converted a 12-foot turnaround jump shot. The two points extended the Valkyries’ lead to eight. Though the play wasn’t planned, it wasn’t simply a lucky break either.

The reaction on social media and Gardner’s own initial response captured how rare the moment was. For a moment, the Liberty guard just stopped, looking surprised. She looked like she half-expected the official to blow the whistle. But that wasn’t to be. Per WNBA rules, officials are part of the court and do not constitute a violation when used as incidental obstacles.

This was simply Chen using the official as an inadvertent screen, showcasing the on-court vision and intelligence Nakase described. A play like that earns its place in the postgame discussion precisely because it sits at the edge of basketball instinct, and it became one of the night’s biggest talking points, with Chen emerging as one of its protagonists.

Chen finished the night with 8 points, 2 assists, and 3-of-5 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from the free-throw line in 13 minutes off the bench. The contribution was modest in volume, but its timing gave the Valkyries something to build on. The Valkyries won 76-67, outscoring the Liberty 21-14 in the second quarter and 23-19 in the third before New York rallied to take the final frame 19-12. Golden State’s defense held the Liberty to 40% shooting from the field and outrebounded them 30-24. 

Chen’s awareness of that play was just one example of the impact Golden State’s rotation had throughout the night. After the game, Nakase was quick to credit not just Chen, but the entire Valkyries bench for helping secure the win.

Natalie Nakase Lauds Her Off-Bench Players Like Kaitlyn Chen and Kaila Charles After Liberty Win

In the 2026 season, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is doubling down on her team’s depth. Behind Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton, the team does have an explosive starting five. But their role players, like Chen, Tiffany Hayes, and Janelle Salaun, have also made a substantial impact on the team.

Be it with their defensive tenacity or scoring bursts, these players give the Valkyries an extra edge. We got a similar display against the Liberty as well, where their bench, led by Salaun (10 points) and Kaila Charles (13 points), outscored the starting five, 39-37. By comparison, the Liberty’s bench scored just 11 points. However, speaking in the postgame presser, Nakase emphasized her bench’s importance more on the defensive end than on offense.

“I think coz they take so much pride on that side,” Nakase said. “Defense to me is all heart and all hustle. So, those are the players we obviously went after. When we talk about deep roster and strength in numbers, it’s because we need to be able to sustain guarding a Sabrina, Paige, or Kelsey Plum.

“So, it takes multiple matchups to be able to go into the bench, so I think it’s heart and hustle,” Nakase added. 

Restricting a team like the New York Liberty to just 67 points is never easy. They are averaging 87.7 ppg this season, with world-class players like powered by world-class scoring threats like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones bolstering their offense. But the Golden State Valkyries relied on team defense. 

The Golden State Valkyries are 13-7 in the season, sitting third in the Western Conference division. The face the Atlanta Dream on the road at the Gateway Center on July 3.