Natalie Nakase's Past Caitlin Clark Strategy Backfired in Fever vs Valkyries
The Indiana Fever went 0-3 against the Golden State Valkyries in the 2025 WNBA season, and none of the three games were particularly close.
One big reason why the Valkyries had an edge over the Fever last year was that they were able to contain star guard Caitlin Clark, who played in two of the three games between these teams. Clark scored 10 points in one of these games and 11 in the other, both of which were well below her 16.5 points per game in the 13 games she played in 2025.
And Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase clearly believed some of this success was owed to her team's game plan against No. 22, which she conveyed when speaking to the media after beating Indiana 88-77 on June 19, 2025.
When asked what her team did to slow Clark down in that game (the one where she had 11 points on 3 of 14 shooting, including 0-7 from three-point range, Nakase said, "I mean, you guys saw what we were doing... We were being disruptive, we know she doesn’t like physicality," per an X post from Kenzo Fukuda.
"And we know she wants to get back to that left stepback. I mean, I watched her at Iowa. So she loves that left stepback. It's almost like a layup for her. So again, just making sure she wasn't getting into rhythm, and that she was just seeing multiple bodies," Nakase added.
After the game, Natalie Nakase talked about what the Valkyries did to slow Caitlin Clark down:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 20, 2025
“We were being disruptive, we know she doesn’t like physicality. And we know she wants to get back to that left stepback.” https://t.co/tp2swMeK6I pic.twitter.com/2MpFMLFVIQ
Natalie Nakase’s Physical Caitlin Clark Approach Took Different Turn Friday
This physical approach Nakase took didn't fare as well on Friday. Clark finished with 22 points and 9 assists in 32 minutes in the Fever's 90-82 win, and the physicality that Valkyries players showed when defending Clark only seemed to fuel her even further.
Nakase acknowledged this when speaking to the media postgame. When asked what the Fever did to get Clark going, she said, "I think a lot. Obviously, in transition, she flows really well. And then setting a ton of ball screens. But we had, I think, a good coverage, I thought we had a good game plan," per an X post from @WondrousWoman21.
"I just thought they were the more physical team. To me, they did play harder than us," Nakase then added, before noting that her team is usually more physical than their opponents. She then added, "Give credit to the Fever, they were ready for the battle."
Natalie Nakase's plate of humble pie:
— Black Demon Slayer⚔(BDS) #CTMR (@WondrousWoman21) May 23, 2026
–"I just thought they were the more physical team."
–"Give credit to the Fever, they were ready for the battle."❤💙💛
–"I can be better, perhaps I could be better with a little quicker Subs, I can do that."
24 "uhh's" counted. #FeverDub https://t.co/Bu3wjkZ1Iw pic.twitter.com/5aPLhG1pRq
Nakase deserves props for giving Clark and the Fever credit. She'll likely need to rethink this physical strategy when the Fever and Valkyries meet again in five days.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
Follow GrvntYoung