Valkyries Coach Has Decision to Make After Injury News on Wednesday

The Golden State Valkyries continue to have injury trouble.

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase addresses the media before the game against the Chicago Sky at Chase Center. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The short-staffed Golden State Valkyries may have grown even shorter.

The Valkyries' win Tuesday night against the Atlanta Dream appeared to be a return-to-form for the struggling squad. They narrowly out-shot the Dream in the 77-75 victory and set a franchise record with seven three-pointers in the third quarter for the win.

The undisputed hero of the game was forward Cecilia Zandalasini, who set two career-highs with 18 points and eight rebounds and hit the game-winning jumper to save Golden State amidst an Atlanta comeback.

That performance appeared to come with a price. Zandalasini has been listed as questionable for the Valkyries' upcoming game against the Washington Mystics with her left foot stated as the issue.

Golden State Valkyries forward Monique Billings (25) blows a kiss after scoring a three point basket against the Phoenix Mercury during the third quarter at Chase Center. / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Also in the report was confirmation that forward Monique Billings will be out for the upcoming game with a left ankle injury. Billings was questionable to play against the Dream for the same reason, but rallied to start the game. She managed to play just nine minutes before having to exit.

The loss of both Billings and Zandalasini is a huge problem for Golden State. Zandalasini in particular was cited to be a major figure that head coach Natalie Nakase was relying on to fill the void left by All-Star forward Kayla Thornton, whose season was ended by a knee injury the week prior.

#valkyries injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Washington Mystics:

Cecilia Zandalasini - Questionable - Left Foot 
Monique Billings - Out - Left Ankle
Kayla Thornton - NWT - Right Knee

— Nathan Canilao (@nathancanilao) July 30, 2025

Nakase will have to get creative with her roster construction as she loses more and more options. With two more forwards plagued by injury to varying degrees, more pressure is put on remaining forwards Janelle Salaun, who has started 14 of 17 games she has appeared in, and Laeticia Amihere to fill the gaps.

Alternatively, Nakase could switch to a more guard-reliant roster rotation. This could result in the return of regular minutes for fan-favorite Kate Martin, who played just six minutes against the Dream and was a healthy scratch the game before.