WNBA: Can the Valkyries keep defying expectations against the Fever?

The Golden State Valkyries don’t care that they’re an expansion team. They don’t care that they don’t have a traditional star. They don’t care about criticisms of their roster decisions. They don’t care that they’re supposed to lose more games than they win.

They don’t care that the other California team in is splashier and starrier; they’ll just beat them twice on their home turf. They don’t care that their opponent is a two-time champion with the reigning MVP; they’ll just beat them by 27 points on national TV.

So, the Valkyries certainly won’t care that the Indiana Fever, with all their fanfare, are making their first visit to San Francisco on Thursday night (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

They’ll only care about playing good, winning basketball. And if they do that, don’t be surprised if they score another expectation-defying victory.

Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase has impressed with her innovative defense, particularly her implementation of zone looks. The Fever, flush with shooting, seem primed to break a zone, likely requiring Nakase to dip deeper into her bag to concoct schemes to slow Indiana. Troubling Caitlin Clark, the engine of the Fever attack, is a challenge that Nakase will be eager to accept.

Nakase, of course, might benefit from some insider knowledge, courtesy of Kate Martin, Clark’s former Iowa teammate. Additional insight could be gained from Bree Hall, the most recent player to be signed by the Valkyries to refill the roster after EuroBasket Women departures. Hall not only was drafted by the Fever and spent training camp with them, but she also was a member of the 2024 South Carolina national championship team that successfully frustrated the then-Iowa superstar.

Veronica Burton presents Nakase with the type of player who could make things difficult for Clark. Burton has the frame necessary to play physical defense, all while having an instinct for the ball. For all her proficiency with the basketball, pressure defense can cause problems for Clark, as she can struggle to maintain the tight handle required to prevent takeaways. The return of Tiffany Hayes, who can be a turnover-generating menace, gives Golden State another perimeter pest. And don’t forget Western Conference Player of the Week Kayla Thornton, one of the league’s toughest defenders.

Stalling Clark can cause the Fever offense to sputter, which will be a prerequisite to a Golden State upset. Barring an outlier 3-point shooting night, which is possible because of the high volume of 3s the team attempts, the Valkyries do not have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Fever; Indiana has a top five offensive rating, while Golden State is in the bottom three. Gumming up things for Indy and turning this game into a grind is the home team’s surest path to victory.

A contender check for Phoenix’s “Big 3” in Brooklyn

Before the battle in the Bay, the New York Liberty will host the Phoenix Mercury (7 p.m. ET, PrimeVideo). Phoenix not only will be playing their third-game of their four-game road trip, but also will be on a back-to-back, having defeated the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, 83-75.

The win at Mohegan Sun makes the Mercury 2-0 in games with all of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally. Thus far, that trio has played 22 minutes together, outscoring the opponents by 12 points and registering a net rating of 25.6, a superb number that is driven by an unsustainably-stingy defensive rating of 72.1.

A game against the league-best Liberty, in contrast to contests against offensively-challenged Sun and A’ja-less Las Vegas Aces, will present a tougher, truer test for the Copper-Thomas-Sabally Mercury. However, if that star triumvirate, surrounded by an unheralded-but-overachieving supporting cast, can engage New York in a competitive, back-and-forth affair, it will be time to start taking Phoenix more seriously as a darkhorse contender that could disrupt the seemingly destined Finals rematch between the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx.