ESPN Makes Golden State Valkyries Decision After Blowout Loss
It's no secret that the Golden State Valkyries have fallen off track.
The Valkyries seemed to be gaining momentum fast early in the season. They boasted one of the most successful records in the month of June, going 7-4. They were so successful that head coach Natatlie Nakase was named Coach of the Month for the way she captained her team as a first-year head coach.
That high was capped off with forward Kayla Thornton's selection as a 2025 All-Star, the first honor in the history of the expansion franchise.
Since then, the wheels have seemingly fallen off in San Francisco. Thornton suffered a season-ending knee injury that required surgery while practicing in mid-July, and the Valkyries have now lost six of their last eight, including a three-game losing streak going into the All-Star break and a 31 point blowout loss to the bottom-ranked Connecticut Sun on July 27 that was so bad the Valkyries X page turned off comments on the post announcing the score of the game.
Nakase has shouldered the blame for her team's struggles, addressing her perceived failure at managing the team amidst a tight schedule full of travel following the loss to the Sun.
While Golden State looks to get back on track with a game against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, the WNBA media world has taken notice of their skid.
In ESPN's WNBA power-rankings posted Tuesday morning, the Valkyries not only dropped down a spot from ninth in the league to 10th, their struggles were made a highlight of the article by its author Michael Vopel.
WNBA Power Rankings: The Los Angeles Sparks ride a win streak (and Cameron Brink's return) up the latest edition while the Golden State Valkyries struggle. https://t.co/lhc0OMxPo1
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) July 29, 2025
"Golden State will need to dig deep to to find it's identity without Thornton," Vopel wrote.
Vopel contrasted the Valkyries' fall with the rise of another California team, the Los Angeles Sparks, who have won five straight and rose three spots to number seven on ESPN's list.
The Sparks and Valkyries appear to be mirror images in more ways than just their records. While the Valkyries have suffered the loss of Thornton and need to reckon with how to play without their leader in both points and rebounds, the Sparks are able to celebrate the return of star center Cameron Brink from injury.
Bio: Jack Haslett is a writer and photographer covering Golden State Valkyries basketball for Sports Illustrated. Jack has previously published work with the Sporting Tribune, the Long Beach Current and DIG Magazine, covering sports, community events and news. A graduate from Long Beach State University, Jack has a passion for writing, photography and all things sports.