The Golden State Valkyries have taken the WNBA by storm in just their first season. Not only have they captivated fans of California's Bay Area and sold out every home game at the Chase Center, but the team is competing at a high level.
After Saturday's 95-68 beatdown of the Las Vegas Aces, the Valkyries now sit at 3-5 on the season. This places them eighth in the standings and would mean that they are in the playoffs if the season ended today.
This success has not been an accident, however. Through almost one month of the franchise's inaugural season, it has become clear that the organization could have an upper hand on the rest of the WNBA, and it is not just a rowdy home court advantage.
Valkyries have one of the best front offices in the WNBA
The Valkyries' superpower, so to speak, has been their front office and coaching staff, who put together an incredible roster in Year 1. It is important to remember that this team is comprised of players that the other WNBA teams did not want, but Golden State saw something special in them.
Even without Tiffany Hayes, their big free agent addition, the team has fared quite well against even the best competition in the WNBA. Kayla Thornton, who has not averaged more than 8.0 points per game since 2019, is leading the Valkyries with 13.0 points per contest and had a career-high 22 points on Saturday.
Veronica Burton had not averaged more than 3.1 points per game in her career, but she is contributing 12.8 points per contest for Golden State this season. She had a career-best 22 points against the Washington Mystics last month to help earn the franchise's first-ever win.
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Of the nine players on their roster who played in the WNBA last season, seven of them are averaging more points than they did a year ago. The team also has eight players averaging between 7.3 and 13.0 points per game, including five who average double figures.
These statistics all serve to prove the point that the Valkyries' front office was able to seek out talent from the bottom of other WNBA rosters and turn them into solid contributors. The team's ability to work together and carve out wins and hang tight in the early going is a testament to head coach Natalie Nakase.
Unfortunately, several of these players will be heading to play with their respective home countries during EuroBasket or the AmeriCup later this month. The good news is, however, that this Golden State front office can seemingly find talent anywhere.