Valks will need Ballhalla energy for a playoff push. It looks like they've been competing hard, but falling short on the road. (close enough to hurt, as Eric says) But at Chase, they seem to have that extra juice.
Either GSV will make the playoffs or get a Top 5 pick in the draft (as opposed to #8 after the expansion teams) so either way it should be entertaining and something to build on.
Valkyries officially announce Iliana Rupert has been activated.
(Their words not mine, I’m not trying to make her sound like the Terminator T-800.)
GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES ACTIVATE ILIANA RUPERT FOLLOWING OVERSEAS COMMITMENTS
Rupert Set To Join Valkyries Following The WNBA All-Star Break
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Valkyries announced today that center Iliana Rupert has been added to the team’s active roster. Rupert will wear No. 12 for Golden State and is expected to join the team following the WNBA All-Star break.
Rupert was selected by the Valkyries in the 2024 Expansion Draft from the Atlanta Dream, where she played 20 games during the 2023 campaign and averaged 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Prior to Atlanta, she appeared in 17 games for the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game en route to a WNBA championship. Rupert was originally drafted 12th overall by Las Vegas in the 2021 WNBA Draft.
Most recently, Rupert played for the French National Team alongside Valkyries teammate Janelle Salaün in FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025, where she averaged 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in six games in the tournament.
Ugh. kind of a scheduled loss with all the road games. They are never really crisp on offense but they have their moment. Not tonight though. It was a particularly wilted night and I have to attribute that to all the travel (plus the home slant of the refereeing hasn't helped the last few. hopefully it will favor us when we get back home).
Enjoy the all star break everyone!
Edited to add that I was impressed with their continued commitment to defense, especially considering that, in tired teams, that is usually the first thing to go.
"The Valkyries are a young, under-talented team. They should not be able to compete with a Seattle Storm team that trots out a Williams/Diggins/Ogwumike/Magbegor/Wheeler lineup - five All-Stars.
But they overachieve and more often than not, they achieve the GOOD scenario of a close game with a random ending, which is going to be bad for your heart, win or lose."
Half the league will be free agents next year. The future, along with the present, is bright.
I was juggling work and the game today so I don’t have many notes to add to the discussion. Plus, I don’t have a lot of nice things to say about this one☹️But! I’m so happy for Carla omg finally hitting her first triple since May😭keep shooting never give up it will fall eventually
Reflecting on the issue of whether the refs are letting Caitlin (and Angel etc) get fouled too hard… when Michael Jordan came into the NBA, he invigorated a league that was already on the upswing (from Bird/Magic), but the refs let many teams including the Pistons and Celtics beat the hell out of MJ.
I’m not saying the treatment is right or fair or what I’d prefer — everyone knows I prefer watching a clean, hard fought, strategic game — but it’s consistent with the idea that the WNBA was already a rough league and the refs are continuing that culture.
Valks will need Ballhalla energy for a playoff push. It looks like they've been competing hard, but falling short on the road. (close enough to hurt, as Eric says) But at Chase, they seem to have that extra juice.
11 of the 22 remaining games are at home, evenly split. But, first we gotta survive the next month 7 of the first 11 after the break are on the road.
GSV has a slightly easier than average schedule remaining https://www.tankathon.com/wnba/remaining_schedule_strength.
Either GSV will make the playoffs or get a Top 5 pick in the draft (as opposed to #8 after the expansion teams) so either way it should be entertaining and something to build on.
Valkyries officially announce Iliana Rupert has been activated.
(Their words not mine, I’m not trying to make her sound like the Terminator T-800.)
GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES ACTIVATE ILIANA RUPERT FOLLOWING OVERSEAS COMMITMENTS
Rupert Set To Join Valkyries Following The WNBA All-Star Break
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Golden State Valkyries announced today that center Iliana Rupert has been added to the team’s active roster. Rupert will wear No. 12 for Golden State and is expected to join the team following the WNBA All-Star break.
Rupert was selected by the Valkyries in the 2024 Expansion Draft from the Atlanta Dream, where she played 20 games during the 2023 campaign and averaged 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Prior to Atlanta, she appeared in 17 games for the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game en route to a WNBA championship. Rupert was originally drafted 12th overall by Las Vegas in the 2021 WNBA Draft.
Most recently, Rupert played for the French National Team alongside Valkyries teammate Janelle Salaün in FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025, where she averaged 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in six games in the tournament.
Ugh. kind of a scheduled loss with all the road games. They are never really crisp on offense but they have their moment. Not tonight though. It was a particularly wilted night and I have to attribute that to all the travel (plus the home slant of the refereeing hasn't helped the last few. hopefully it will favor us when we get back home).
Enjoy the all star break everyone!
Edited to add that I was impressed with their continued commitment to defense, especially considering that, in tired teams, that is usually the first thing to go.
Appreciate no spoilers in the title! This time I actually made it to my evening watch time without seeing the result!
Hooray! And sorry for the result
"The Valkyries are a young, under-talented team. They should not be able to compete with a Seattle Storm team that trots out a Williams/Diggins/Ogwumike/Magbegor/Wheeler lineup - five All-Stars.
But they overachieve and more often than not, they achieve the GOOD scenario of a close game with a random ending, which is going to be bad for your heart, win or lose."
Half the league will be free agents next year. The future, along with the present, is bright.
"ACETH™
🖖
Is that a Vulcan Valkyrie V
Verily
Nailed it.
I was juggling work and the game today so I don’t have many notes to add to the discussion. Plus, I don’t have a lot of nice things to say about this one☹️But! I’m so happy for Carla omg finally hitting her first triple since May😭keep shooting never give up it will fall eventually
Lasik is legit offering free treatment to all WNBA referees and it's a whole other level of savage.
Ha, funny idea. It’s actually free for referees from all major pro leagues: https://www.lasik.com/referee/
Reflecting on the issue of whether the refs are letting Caitlin (and Angel etc) get fouled too hard… when Michael Jordan came into the NBA, he invigorated a league that was already on the upswing (from Bird/Magic), but the refs let many teams including the Pistons and Celtics beat the hell out of MJ.
I’m not saying the treatment is right or fair or what I’d prefer — everyone knows I prefer watching a clean, hard fought, strategic game — but it’s consistent with the idea that the WNBA was already a rough league and the refs are continuing that culture.
Since I came to pro basketball fandom in the 21st century, asking for clarification -
Is this league culture about letting both sides beat each other up, or about letting the vets beat the newer guys/gals up (more)?
Probably supposed to be fair on both sides, but there seems to be across sports an inescapable rookie penalty with the refs
In the W/NBA, how many seasons does this rookie hazing by refs usually last?
No hard and fast rule… (and notice that in the Toohey interview on DubnationHQ.com, he mentions that Bogut told him not to expect calls as a rookie😀)
Hallmark sorority sisters initiation.