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Why Valkyries remain ‘proud’ after Mystics snap 9-game win streak appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
SAN FRANCISCO– It had to end at some point. The Golden State Valkyries’ nine-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in their 90-82 loss to the Washington Mystics, their final game before the All-Star break. While Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen collected a career-high 20 points off the bench, the Mystics’ size proved to be too much as their bigs bludgeoned Golden State in the paint.
Washington forward Kiki Iriafen finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while center Shakira Austin added 15 points, 15 rebounds, and a dagger turnaround hook shot to send Golden State into the break with a loss.
But for a team that surrendered a nine-point lead with 4:44 left in the game and went 1-for-7 with two turnovers in the final three minutes, the Valkyries weren’t too devastated by the clutch-time loss. And while Veronica Burton and Chen acknowledged they can learn from this kind of loss, they were more focused on the team’s achievements through the first half of the season.
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“Really proud of us,” Burton said as she gave her takeaways from the Valkyries 19-8 record.
“That was also a message [post-game]. We don’t want this to seep into this All-Star break and leave a bad taste in our mouth. But I’m really proud of the way that we’ve shown up. We’ve competed at home, on the road, we’ve gotten close, we’ve stuck together. And I think we’ve shown just how good of a team we are and how we play true team basketball.”
It’s a sentiment well earned. Through their past ten games, the Valkyries went 6-1 against teams currently in the playoff picture. They’ve climbed to third in the conference and boast the league’s best defense. And maybe most importantly, they’ve found victory in several different ways. So while this loss to the Mystics, the Valkyries are holding their heads high as they go into the break.
“You don’t win that many games without handling adversity well,” Chen said. “Today was just sort of a tough one. I feel like we played four minutes of rough basketball at the end, which is really unfortunate. But I think we’re gonna bounce back and we’re gonna be ready.”
Natalie Nakase battling through exhaustion
The All-Star break comes at a good time for not only the players but also Natalie Nakase. After the game, the Valkyries’ head coach admitted she’s struggling with her own energy levels at this point in the season.
“I’m battling that,” Nakase said.
“I’m just going to be really, really honest. I wasn’t at my best today because I don’t think I did the proper rest and recovery. I have to figure it out. “That’s where I leaned on my mentors. That’s why I called Ty Lue before the game today. Steve [Kerr] 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.”
Nakase, throughout her Golden State tenure, has always been honest when taking the podium– whether it’s critiquing her own coaching job or talking about her personal emotions and some of the personal loss in her life. In this case, she did a little bit of both.
“It’s something that I’m going to take within the next six days, because I can’t not be present,” Nakase continued. “I cannot be really slow with my adjustments. I thought I called the timeout too early this game… So I gotta get better at it.”
Nakase and the Valkyries will have six days off before returning to the grind and preparing for the Phoenix Mercury on July 29th.
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