Valkyries Head Coach Has Perfect Response to Indiana Fever Question

Everybody circle July 15.

That’s the third and final time the Indiana Fever and Golden State Warriors will play in the regular season, and we can only hope they meet in the WNBA playoffs.

The Fever (4-3) and Valkyries (5-2) have clashed twice in the past week, and both games had playoff intensity.

Last Friday, Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark went on a trash-talking spree, earning flagrant and technical fouls in the process. Indiana prevailed, 90-82.

Last night, Golden State got revenge. Clark dished her 500th career assist, but it was a forgettable night for her otherwise. She scored a season-low 16 points on 25% shooting from the floor. The Valkyries blocked 11 shots, and Veronica Burton went off for a season-high 25 points and five of the team’s 11 blocks. The Valkyries won, 90-88, in front of 18,064 fans at “Ballhalla.”

After the win, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was asked whether Fever-Valkyries can officially be considered the WNBA’s newest rivalry.

“Everyone’s a rival in my eyes,” Nakase said, per Madisyn Cunningham.

She continued, “I mean, 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. I want it loud. The boos and the cheers and the ups and the downs. Shoot, we want all 14 rivals. That would be great, because then that builds that type of - you guys felt a little different, right? That just helps us build and prepare for the long season.”

That attitude is why the Valkyries are the most instantly successful expansion franchise in WNBA history. In 2025, the Valkyries went 23-21 and became the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season. Along the way, they set all-time attendance records.

The Valkyries will try to win their first-ever playoff series this season. But that’s a problem for September. They have to get there again first. They’ll next host the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces (4-3) on Sunday afternoon.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:30 PM.