The Golden State Valkyries are on a mission to solidify their defensive prowess in the WNBA, aiming to become the league's top defensive team. Last season, their disruptive and chaotic defensive front secured a playoff berth, ranking third in the WNBA for defense. However, it wasn't enough, and they're now doubling down on their defensive mindset. This season, they've signed former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Gabby Williams and former first-team defensive player Kiah Stokes, joining all-WNBA second-team defender Veronica Burton to form a core of defensive-minded players. The team's strategy revolves around stealing the ball, forcing turnovers, and creating the worst possible angles for opponents' shots. They've been successful in shutting down teams in the paint, forcing turnovers, and clogging passing lanes, resulting in the fewest points allowed per game from the paint in the WNBA. However, they've struggled with three-point defense, allowing opponents to make 36.9% of their shots from three-point range, ranking in the bottom three of all teams. Despite this, the Valkyries are pushing teams to take shots further from the basket, making them only 42.5% accurate. To counter this, they focus on rebounding, with guards rebounding 11.8 times per game and centers at 5.0 rebounds per game. The team's small ball lineup, however, has struggled defensively, allowing 35.7 rebounds per game. To address their height issues, they've signed 6-foot-4 center Nadia Fingall, who has excelled in Europe but has never played in the WNBA. While the defensive scheme has mostly worked, the Valkyries are still not the best defensive team in the league. They know they rely on their defense and must stay on top of it to achieve their goal.
