Co-Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joe Lacob gave the Golden State Valkyries an ambitious five-year timeline to win a WNBA championship before they even had a single player on their roster. And the Valkyries have won at historic pace since. In their inaugural season, the Valkyries set a league record for the most wins by an expansion team in their first season (23) and became the first such team to make the playoffs. In their second season, they had a franchise-record nine-game winning streak and entered the All-Star break with nine more wins than they had at this point last season (19) and four fewer losses (8), placing them second in the WNBA standings. The Valkyries’ nine-game winning streak was fueled by several factors — the WNBA’s best defense, the league’s highest-scoring bench, the first All-Star starter in franchise history and an expansion draft star that established a successful foundation for the franchise. 

During their nine-game winning streak, which spanned 25 days, seven of the Valkyries’ wins came against opponents who have a .500 winning percentage or higher. They also became the second team in WNBA history to complete a perfect road trip of at least five games. The slate included three wins over the Atlanta Dream, who have three 2026 All-Stars, two against the Washington Mystics, a win over the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup champion New York Liberty, a win against the Indiana Fever, who have three 2026 All-Stars and a pair of wins against the Toronto Tempo and Connecticut Sun. The Valkyries won six of those nine games against teams that are in the top half of the league in scoring, yet Golden State stifled those prolific offenses, holding their opponents to a combined league-low 69.2 points per game. For context, the league average for points per game for a WNBA team is 86.8 points, meaning the Valkyries held teams 17.2 points below league average. The Mystics mustered a WNBA season-low 49 points against Golden State on July 6. The Valkyries held opponents to the fewest field goals made and attempted and the lowest percentage and the fewest 3-pointers made, attempted and the lowest percentage during their streak. They also forced the second-most turnovers per game (16.1 TPG) while allowing the fewest assists per game (15.8 APG), meaning opponents were turning the ball over more than they were assisting made baskets. The Valkyries struggled to score during the streak, only eclipsing 80 points three times, but their defense and timely baskets down the stretch helped them compensate.

“We control what we can control, which is our defensive intensity,” Head Coach Natalie Nakase said. “If we can’t score, they can’t score — it’s the identity we’ve instilled since Day 1.”

Gabby Williams punched her ticket as an All-Star starter for the first time in her career and became the first player in franchise history to achieve that feat due to her two-way prowess and ability to take games over in the clutch. Two nights after a 23-point takeover against the Atlanta Dream, Williams closed out another win against the same opponent, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter alone without missing a shot. 

“I told you guys day one, she's [Gabby Williams] one of the best two-way players in the world,” Nakase said. “We're just providing the stage for what we already knew. She's absolutely a star — she's our star. She's definitely an all-star, but she's going to give credit to her teammates, because that's who she is. She's the most humble star I think I've ever coached before and that's what makes her shine even more.”

Another leader Nakase has raved about is her point guard, Veronica Burton, who led the WNBA in plus-minus (+84) during the streak. Burton has started in every game in Valkyries’ franchise history and has taken her game to another level with Golden State as the WNBA’s reigning Most Improved Player. Burton ranks 10th in assists per game (5.5 APG) this season and recorded the fifth-most in the league during the team’s streak (51 total assists). The Valkyries started the season 12-0 in games in which she recorded at least six assists, a streak that was snapped by the Washington Mystics on July 20 and simultaneously ended Golden State’s historic unbeaten stretch. Williams also rarely turns the ball over, having 14 games this season with one or fewer turnovers, five of which occurred during the streak. 

“I just love that we win in so many different ways and in so many different situations,” Burton said. “That's a huge confidence boost for us. It feels like every game is so different. We're winning when it's easier, winning when it's hard, when we're on the road, when we're home, when we start great, when we don't start great. We're just always finding a way, and I love that about us.”

Williams and Burton have steered the ship for much of this season, but the Valkyries also possess the WNBA’s highest-scoring bench as their reserves average 35.4 points per game, 5.1 points per game higher than the next closest team. 

“We picked up the model from the Warriors of strength in numbers,” Nakase said. “Because our bench has been doing a fantastic job stepping up, but I also know our starters have played really well.” 

Among WNBA players with at least five games off the bench, Janelle Salaün leads all reserves in scoring, averaging 12.8 points per game. Salaün is also the top 3-point shooter off the bench, making 2.5 3-pointers per contest at a 39.4 percent clip. Among all qualifiers, starters or reserves who have made at least 2.5 3-pointers per game, Salaün ranks third in 3-point percentage, trailing only four-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell and five-time All-Star Kayla McBride. She scored a new career-high with 26 points and five 3-pointers during the streak against the Toronto Tempo on July 8. Another standout reserve for the Valkyries has been Kaitlyn Chen, who scored in double figures four times in the span, including shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 14 points against the Indiana Fever on July 15. 

“We’ve got to be the only team that has multiple Sixth Player of the Year options,” Williams said. “It's insane.” 

A year and a half into a five-year timeline, the Valkyries are already firmly among the WNBA’s most successful franchises. Their nine-game winning streak propelled them to the second-best record in the league and just 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Lynx, the lone team the Valkyries have yet to beat as they are on a seven-game winning streak of its own. If the standings were to hold at season’s end, Golden State would be hosting a first-round playoff series in Ballhalla with the best home record in the league, playing behind a passionate crowd that has sold out every game at Chase Center. They are trending toward their ultimate goal and the numbers suggests they might be well on their way to achieving it.