Valkyries add interior scoring at the trade deadline? Injuries may force their hand.
Washington, D.C. The Golden State Valkyries described their 77-75 victory in Atlanta on Tuesday as “resilient.” Tiffany Hayes, a seasoned guard, was up first. Then, head coach Natalie Nakase repeated the word. However, the club nearly blew another fourth-quarter lead, something it has done four times this season. The Dream led the Valkyries by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, but they went 4-for-14 and scored only eight points. Nakase intended to blame officiating, as has become customary. Hayes was a little more open, admitting, “There were mishaps on our end.”
Beyond late-game performance, the Valkyries’ perennial problem loomed large: a feeble inside offence. Golden State has the second fewest paint points in the WNBA, averaging 30.2 per game. Golden State’s 18 attempts per game within 5 feet of the basket are the second-lowest in the NBA.
The signing of 6-foot-4 centre Iliana Rupert expanded the Valkyries’ roster, although she has yet to establish herself as a force on the inside. Kayla Thornton, an All-Star who supplied perimeter shooting at power forward, was ruled out for the season on Friday due to a right knee injury. Then Monique Billings, who started alongside Temi Fagbenle on Tuesday for Nakase’s unusual double-post look, re-injured her left ankle in the second quarter.
If Golden State believes Billings, who was scheduled to miss Thursday’s game in Washington, will be out for the rest of the season, they may have a hole to fill before the Aug. 7 trade deadline. Billings, who leads the Valkyries with a 78.9% shooting percentage from within four feet, missed two games with the injury before starting in Atlanta. Nakase provided no post-game updates.
Wing Cecilia Zandalasini filled in for Billings in the two games he missed, although she rarely plays on the inside, with only 20.8% of her shots coming in the paint. “With KT going down and trying to find who we are now, that’s a huge loss, so I’m giving our team grace,” said reserve centre Laeticia Amihere.
“It’s hard to replace, with her size too, everyone has to give a bit more now.” Rupert hasn’t been an inside danger for the Valkyries, with only six paint shots and 11 3-pointers before Thursday. Amihere, who ranks third among eligible players with 4.4 paint points per game, is primarily a bench player.
The Valkyries have plenty of salary cap flexibility to do whatever they want, but not enough roster room without cutting or trading. If the Valkyries want to rely on Zandalasini as a starter — she shot 52.6% in the first three games following the All-Star break, averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds — should they really invest in another bench big?
Nakase has only started two posts this season, both in Atlanta against Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. Few WNBA teams have that type of rotation. “It’s just matchup-based,” Nakase added, before mentioning the foul problems Fagbenle got into during the July 7 game. But is Amihere enough to replace Fagbenle on the bench, or do the Valkyries need to look outside the organisation? They might try to utilise Rupert in a more traditional centre role, but when she was paired with Griner on Tuesday, she committed two quick fouls. Rupert had a defensive rating of 126.5 in her first 53 minutes, according to WNBA Stats.
”Natalie is familiar with how I play,” Rupert remarked. “I appreciate our style of play. It’s a lot of motions, but I think it complements my game quite well. They know I want to shoot and can do so from the outside.” A couple bigs might be available at the deadline. Megan Gustafson, a centre for the Las Vegas Aces, has been listed as available due to the team’s depth. Aaliyah Edwards, a 6-3 second-year forward for the Washington Mystics, has reportedly sought a trade and has one season remaining on her deal, so Golden State may have to give up a young asset to get her.
Washington has a deep frontcourt, but the Mystics, who are also competing for a postseason place, lack 3-point shooters, whereas the Valkyries have many. Isabelle Harrison, 6-3, is also expected to be dismissed if Emma Meesseman joins New York, after the Liberty signed former Valkyries forward Steph Talbot. Dallas forward Myisha Hines-Allen, who was rumoured to be available by ESPN, has been moved to the outside of the rotation and may see more minutes versus Golden State.
The Valkyries’ readiness to make a move may ultimately be determined by their trust in Billings’ health.
