Valkyries Might Have a Rivalry with the Fever

Despite being thousands of miles apart, the Golden State Valkyries and Indiana Fever might have a rivalry brewing.

The Valkyries were established as an expansion team last season, meaning the two teams have only met five times. Golden State leads the series against Indiana 3-2, with their most recent matchup on May 28 ending in a 90-88 victory.

The last few matchups between the two teams sparked social media discourse. Chippy moments and hard fouls throughout the games created a tension-filled environment.

May 22 Game Between Fever-Valkyries

This season, in their May 22 matchup, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Golden State’s Janelle Salaün each earned a double technical after an altercation just before halftime.

Clark also earned a Flagrant Foul Type 1 at the end of the fourth for an illegal screen on Veronica Burton, as noted in the ESPN play-by-play. Fever Guard Lexi Hull also earned a technical foul.

In the same game Clark and Tiffany Hayes guarded each other throughout the first quarter. When Clark made a logo three-pointer in the 3rd quarter, Hayes had her hand in Clark’s face, which she did not like. Clark had a few choice words for Hayes, and the two broke into back-and-forth banter. They had to be separated before play could resume.

The remainder of the game was chaotic and full of tension.

Caitlin Clark Shuts Down the Narrative

The tension between the two continued beyond the court. A hot microphone after the game captured Hayes complaining about the officiating. “They’re never going to start calling the fouls on her,” she said. “If they did, she would never get to play the game.”

Hayes also notably liked fans’ posts and even replied to some controversial ones about the situation.

Clark had some things to set straight, however. Ahead of the May 28 game, Clark downplayed what had happened in the previous matchup when speaking to the press. She made it clear that she had no “bad blood” with Hayes and that the altercation was just competitive players doing what they could to get the win for their team.

“I don’t think there’s anything you carry over into the next game – at least, I’m gonna speak for me, I don’t know about the other side,” she said. “I approach every game the same way. I don’t have any sort of bad blood with any player in this league. It’s just the competitive fire, and it’s the competitive fire my teammates play with too.”

Natalie Nakase on Rivalries

Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase spoke out about the narratives that this might be a new rivalry brewing in the WNBA. Anticipation for the May 28 game, especially after the events of their last matchup, was high.

Nakase was asked about whether she thought a rivalry was brewing between Golden State and Indiana, and her response was telling.

“Everyone’s a rival in my eyes. Yeah. I mean, I hope, and I think that’s a good thing. I think it’s great that everyone comes—whether it’s Indiana, and now we have Vegas coming up—Y’all, keep coming, you know? I want it loud, I want it to be, really, the boos, and the cheers, and the ups, and the downs,” Nakase said in a postgame press conference.

“We want all 14 rivals. That would be great…it felt a little different tonight, right? That just helps us build and prepare, you know, for the long season, and I think our players, what I think what I saw tonight was instead of splitting, they came together in those moments, so give me 14 rivals,” she said.

Nakase continued by saying she believes rivalries are great for the game. 

May 28 Game at Chase Center

The teams’ latest matchup on May 28 at the Chase Center was also incredibly physical. Every single player who stepped foot on the court earned at least one personal foul. Notably, Veronica Burton and Kelsey Mitchel both earned five, while Clark and teammate Aliyah Boston each earned four.

Burton was the key to the game for the Valkyries. She ended with 25 points, six rebounds and five blocks. Clark had an off-game with only 16 points, half of which came from free throws. She shot 3-for-12 from the floor.

At halftime, Indiana managed to close the 11-point deficit. However, two of their starters, Hull and Boston, remained pointless.

The last few minutes are where Indiana fumbled the game. Clark turned the ball over on a bad pass with 1:32 on the clock, then again on an out-of-bounds turnover with 1:06 left. She missed every shot she took after that.

Fan engagement in the Chase Center was definitely a contributing factor to Clark and Indiana’s loss. Fans booed Clark every time she touched the ball, which only added to her pressure.

The two teams meet for the final time in the regular season on July 15 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans are eagerly awaiting this final matchup, wanting another physical, tension-filled game.

For the Golden State to consider itself a rival of Indiana, its matchups need to remain high-stakes. Both teams will need to bring their best basketball and make few mistakes to keep games tight.