SAN FRANCISCO — The Valkyries didn’t need Janelle Salaün or Kiah Stokes to wallop the Chicago Sky last Wednesday, but their Monday matchup with the Dallas Wings saw both return.
Without its top bench player and starting center, Golden State beat Chicago 91-71 as Salaün sat with right knee soreness and Stokes missed the game with a concussion.
Stokes was off the injury report as of Monday, and Salaün was listed as questionable but looked to be a full participant in practice on Monday morning.
Both players missed only one game, which created an opportunity for developmental player Ashten Prechtel to play significant minutes and reserve forward Laeticia Amihere to start.
But while she was happy other players got their chance to shine, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was thrilled to have her centerpiece in the paint back in the fold.
“It’s really important,” Nakase said. “Kiah has been obviously someone who’s been available every single game. That’s huge for us in terms of being professional, emptying the tank, but also recovering.
“So for us, having Kiah, her voice, her leadership, her defensive rim protection, anchor everything is very important, and then obviously her knowledge in terms of picking on certain matchups and things like that offensively.”
Golden State will have a chance to clinch a playoff spot Monday night with a win, an achievement they were denied when Portland, the ninth-best team in the WNBA standings, beat Phoenix 88-85 on Sunday night.
The Valkyries entered Monday second in the league standings with a record of 24-9, with just one win or a Portland loss needed to clinch a spot in the eight-team playoff bracket.
“We haven’t even really talked about what this game could mean in terms of clinching,” point guard Veronica Burton said. “Maybe there’s an awareness for some people. Maybe there’s no awareness at all for others. More of the focus is just how can we get better? Honestly, we haven’t had a conversation about that yet.”
In order to clinch, Golden State is tasked with slowing down Dallas superstar Paige Bueckers, who has had to work hard for her points against the Valkyries.
Bueckers, who averages 20.5 points per game this season, has been held under that mark both times. In her last game against the Valks in Dallas, Bueckers was a minus-17 during her time on the floor.
Golden State’s stellar defense has quickly developed a reputation for being a nuisance against top guards in particular. Bueckers was held to nine points in a game against the Valkyries last August, and Kelsey Plum – a trade target for the Valks at the deadline – had four points in San Francisco last August.
“They’re extremely disciplined, very well coached,” Bueckers said. “So they have a game plan and a scheme and identity on both sides of the floor, and they’re really disciplined in their execution on both sides, and they just play as a string.
“Nobody’s ever on an island. They’re always helping. They’re always communicating. They’re always in scramble mode. They’re always connected defensively. So it’s tough to get any easy and clean looks on them.”
Subscribe to our special Valkyries newsletter for game analysis, scores, and everything you want to know about the team from Ballhalla.