Valkyries ponder adjustments after giving up record-breaking outburst in loss to Wings
The Golden State Valkyries are a defensive powerhouse, but after giving up team records in a Game 2 loss to Dallas and Arike Ogunbowale's WNBA-record 45 points, is it back to the drawing board?
The Golden State Valkyries faced a historic loss to the Dallas Wings in Game 2 of the 2026 WNBA playoffs first round, surrendering the most points ever in franchise history. Arike Ogunbowale set a single playoff game record with a 45-point performance, leading the Wings to a 108-100 overtime victory. The Valkyries, the No. 2 seed, now face elimination with Game 3 against Dallas at Chase Center on Friday.
Head coach Natalie Nakase refrained from fouling to get the ball back with a one-point lead, despite the Wings being out of timeouts. The Valkyries' defensive game plan remained unchanged between Games 1 and 2, and their inability to contain Ogunbowale's aggressive play led to their defeat. The team's energy appeared different during the overtime loss, with Kaila Charles acknowledging that they "didn't recognize" themselves.
The Valkyries may not need to significantly alter their strategy, as Bueckers remains the engine of their offense, but they will need to communicate better and be more connected on defense.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
