Valkyries become WNBA's winningest expansion team ever after dominating Sky
CHICAGO — Before the Golden State Valkyries’ win against Los Angeles last weekend, head coach Natalie Nakase decided to be explicit about it to her players: This team is trying to make the playoffs.
She called that a must-win game. She has called every contest since then a must-win game, too, including Friday’s 90-59 blowout over the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. They haven’t lost in that stretch.
“After we lost to Vegas (on Aug. 6), and we were still right there (in the standings), we said this is a must-win against Los Angeles,” Nakase said. “That’s when we started saying, look where we are right now. We can’t control other teams winning or losing. All we can control is ourselves. … Our new goal is to make the playoffs. And so ever since we said that we are in a must-win situation, it’s kind of come to fruition.”
On Friday, Valkyries (18-15) passed the 1998 Detroit Shock (17-13) for most wins by a WNBA expansion team. The 31-point win was Golden State’s largest of the season, and the Valkyries’ 51.9% shooting percentage from 3-point range surpassed the season high they set in Washington two nights before.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/valkyries-rout-sky-wnba-s-winningest-expansion-20810249.php