Valkyries (2-4) vs. Minnesota (7-0) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes and Quotes

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WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries (2-4) vs. Minnesota (7-0) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes and Quotes

June 2, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


Valkyries (2-4) vs. Minnesota (7-0) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes, Quotes and Links

Golden State 75, Minnesota 86

By the Numbers

Golden State drew another sellout of 18,064 on Sunday, its third home sellout in as many games.

The Valkyries are the first WNBA franchise to have an attendance of 18,000+ in each of its first three home games.

Kate Martin scored a career-high 14 points on 50.0 percent (4-8) shooting and added four rebounds.

Veronica Burton added 21 points, her fourth game scoring in double-figures this season and second 20-point performance (22 points vs. Washington on May 21). Burton also added five rebounds and three assists.

Kayla Thornton scored 11 points and is one point away from 2,000 in her career. Thornton added seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Golden State scored 29 points in the second quarter, which is tied for its season best in a quarter this season (4th quarter versus Washington on May 21).

The Valkyries had a season-best 21 fast break points and tied a season high of 12 second-chance points.

Golden State falls to 0-1 in the Commissioner's Cup.

Quotes

HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE

ON GOLDEN STATE'S PERIMETER DEFENSE:

"Yeah, their ball movement. Our shifts were not great today, which is kind of like our normal base. So when our shifts are not great, they were able to get downhill, and then when they get downhill, they spray it out for three. So yeah, it was different when we watched it at halftime. Everyone, they were actually more shocked when they see it on film, like when they're feeling it out on the court. They're just like, 'Oh, we didn't feel that,' but then seeing it is one thing. Just because we know they all can shoot the three. So it pulled us a little bit more than natural. So that's why they got wide open threes. "

ON KATE MARTIN'S CAREER-HIGH NIGHT:

"Yeah, it's her career high, right? 14 points, so just a great spark off the bench. That is the Kate that we know and we love, just again, 'cause she is adamant with her work ethic. She's super consistent. She practices like it's like the last possession, every possession. So credit to Kate, and obviously her teammates kind of like finding her in the right time. So very, very happy. 14 points, that's huge."

ON THE VALKYRIES' SECOND HALF OFFENSIVE DROUGHT:

"So if the shot's not falling, then you have to lock up defensively. So that was the problem with shifts and stuff. But at the same time, you have to lock up and you have to rebound. So you have to eliminate their extra possessions. And we struggled, unfortunately, in both of those spots. We had great moments of it. The first half was great. And then in the third, we just kind of got, we almost got a little bit down on ourselves for missing shots. But I just said, 'Hey, let's keep fighting,' and that's what you saw. Those last six minutes, that was inspiring Valkyrie basketball, that last six minutes, yeah."

GUARDS VERONICA BURTON AND KATE MARTIN:

ON IMPROVING THEIR PERIMETER DEFENSE:

Martin: "Well, yeah, we talked about it in the locker room a little bit. Like when our shots aren't falling and we're not getting great offensive flow, we can't let that affect the defensive side of the floor. But I think some of it comes from earlier communication, picking up in transition earlier. But we know the adjustments we need to make, and we will make them going forward."

ON KATE MARTIN'S CAREER-HIGH NIGHT AND GETTING PAST OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES:

Martin: "I don't know, I don't count missing shots as struggles. It's just I didn't make it. So I made some shots tonight, and kudos to my teammates for getting me the ball and finding me. And I don't know, just leaning on my teammates is all I really do and just try to control what I can control. And tonight, you know, I made a couple shots."

ON THE CHASE CENTER CROWD:

Martin: "Yeah, I mean, it's honestly incredible. When you have a fan base, just stick through the highs and lows of the games and, you know, cheer you on. Like, it really does bring us energy, and sometimes you need it whenever you've missed a few shots in a row. Like, to have such supportive fans, it really does help."

Burton: "It's a testament to the community here, the investment that they've poured into us, the organization. And so we're grateful, and it just challenges us and it raises us to a new level. And we feel them throughout the game. We rely on them, and so we're grateful for a fan base that continues to support us, and hopefully that continues throughout the season."

Up Next

Golden State travels to take on the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, June 5 for its second Commissioner's Cup game at 7 p.m. PT on KPIX+, KMAX and the Audacy App.

Check out the Golden State Valkyries Statistics



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 2, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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