A month has passed since our last WNBA Tuesday piece, and we’re sticking with the same subject this time around: the Golden State Valkyries. With an 18-16 record, the league’s first expansion team in 17 seasons already has exceeded expectations, breaking the record for most wins by an expansion team (which is easier to do when the league’s 44-game schedule is the longest in league history, of course). We were way off here!

Again, we give credit to Head Coach Natalie Nakase for working with an ever-changing roster throughout the summer, and with 10 games left in the regular season, the Valkyries are sitting in a playoff slot: seventh place with a two-game lead over the two teams tied for ninth place (Los Angeles and Washington). Golden State hosts fourth-place Phoenix tonight, so there’s a chance for the team to increase playoff chances again.

But coming off a rough loss at home to second-place Atlanta on Sunday, the team needs to focus to keep that postseason berth in its grasp: the Valkyries were outscored 54-38 in the second half in the loss to the Dream, and that just won’t do in front of the hometown fans, no matter what the opponent. So, here’s our latest breakdown of the roster and who should be getting the bulk of playing time down the stretch:

  • Veronica Burton, G: She has posted 4.6 Win Shares so far to lead the team, but she also tops the squad in WS/40 showing her value in each moment to Golden State’s success. Remember, the mighty Caitlin Clark posted only 3.0 WS last year, and everyone stupidly hailed her as an MVP candidate. Burton has been this team’s MVP this year, and at age 25, she could be a mainstay here for many years. STARTER.
  • Cecilia Zandalasini, G: She’s only played in 17 games this season due to Eurobasket business, but she is second on the team in WS/40. Thus, she’s been very effective when on the court, and the team needs to keep feeding her isolation and shot opportunities. She is one of the best shooters on the roster, if not the best, and the Valkyries need to take advantage of this and increase her usage a bit. STARTER.
  • Laeticia Amihere, F: Perhaps the most underused player on the roster, she is third in WS/40 among active Golden State players. She is a little raw, but she has so much physical ability and energy, she creates positive plays for the team and excitement for the fans (the latter less a concern here, but still). With some injuries to other players, it’s time for her step up and make her presence known. STARTER.
  • Monique Billings, F: She is out for another week or so with an ankle injury, but hopefully she can return at something close to 100 percent soon. She is fourth on the team in WS/40, and her veteran presence in the front court is really valuable to a young(er) team like the Valkyries. Her counting stats do not pop off the sheet, but again, it’s also about leadership and wisdom on the floor, too. STARTER.
  • Iliana Rupert, C: She suffered a concussion on Sunday against the Dream, so she may be out for awhile, which sucks as she is fifth on the team in WS/40. She will miss at least one game, which is rough as she has been playing well in replacing the out-for-the-season Kayla Thornton. Hopefully, she only misses that one game and can return for the final stretch of games this season. STARTER.

There is a big dropoff at this point to the sixth player in the team’s WS/40 rankings. Sadly, only guard Tiffany Hayes and forward Temi Fagbenle are having good enough seasons to warrant rotation time these days. Everyone else on the roster has become a liability, really, specifically forward Janelle Salaün, guard Carla Leite, and guard Kate Martin—all of whom have way-too-high usage rates for their low-value output.

This means really only seven players are safe bets on the floor right now, and two are injured (Billings and Rupert). Hayes and Fagbenle are going to have to step up, along with the underperforming trio noted above, if the Valkyries want to maintain their playoff positioning. Of course, in reality, it’s not the end of the world if they miss the postseason. That would mean a higher draft pick, of course, which is not a bad thing.

Also, the team has shown so much promise in its initial season that it will become a prime destination for free agents, too, including coveted scorer Sabrina Ionescu, as discussed here previously. Overall, we already can declare this season a success for the Golden State Valkyries, even though no one on the team is ready to concede that playoff slot just yet. It’s only going to get better and more exciting here in the future.