The rotation puzzle: How Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase is finding the right lineups through constant roster change

SAN FRANCISCO For the last two weeks Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase has been piecing together her rotation on the fly Since losing four key rotation players to EuroBasket Nakase and her coaching staff have been piecing together the puzzle of determining who will play on a nightly basis Since June the Valkyries have added five new players to their roster and welcomed back guard Tiffany Hayes who had been out with a nose injury In that time frame Golden State has had a different closing lineup in each of its four games While she explained she hasn t quite figured everything out just yet Nakase explained she has enjoyed the challenge It s a constant conversation with my coaching staff you know what do we see What do we like Which is kind of fun Nakase revealed It makes it really challenging for us But luckily again the majority of the players that we brought in were here at training camp so they really didn t miss a beat It definitely ran a lot smoother than I thought So again just credit to our staff for making sure those players were ready So far the ever-changing lineups have been a positive for the Valkyries - Nakase has had rotations that go nine deep and typically closes with the players who have the hot hand It makes it fun forward Chloe Bibby explained You might have a quick rotation in there so it just means you can play as hard as you possibly can for those minutes that you re out there Opposing teams have had to prepare for the uncertainty of the Valkyries lineups as well What I know about this organization is that they have been playing well and they ve had good results Connecticut Sun coach Rachid Meziane stated before Sunday s challenge Every time they bring in someone different they continue to play well Golden State Valkyries' Kayla Thornton speaks to her teammate after defeating the Indiana Fever during their WNBA meeting at Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Thursday June The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Indiana Fever - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Bibby finding groove In her season debut on Thursday Bibby played herself into a rotation spot Bibby scored points and grabbed three rebounds in minutes of play in the Valkyries - win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday She shot -of- from the field and -of- from -point range I was really impressed with her ability to knock down s Nakase noted I think having that at ease confidence and safe space kind of really allowed her to excel in the space that she got Bibby was with the Valkyries during training camp but was cut two days before the season opener She reported spending time with the squad helped ease the transition when she returned It definitely made it a lot easier to be able to jump right back in Bibby declared I mean we went through everything in training camp so I was just taking the training wheels off really In Thursday s competition Nakase used Bibby at power forward and even at center in certain lineups despite her -foot- frame I haven t really been down there so it s all new Bibby declared But it s fun taking it all in Golden State Valkyries' Chloe Bibby shoots and makes a -point basket past Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston in the second quarter of their WNBA event at Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Thursday June Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group EuroBasket updates Valkyries rookie forward Janelle Sala n has been a force for France at EuroBasket Sala n is averaging points and rebounds for the French national unit which is at present undefeated and the top seed going into the tournament quarterfinals Sala n s teammate Iliana Rupert who has yet to analysis to the Valkyries after being selected in December s expansion draft is averaging points and six rebounds Golden State s starting center Temi F gb nl should be back in the Bay Area soon after Great Britain was eliminated from the tournament on Sunday According to the WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement F gb nl has hours to return to the Valkyries following the completion of play Golden State Valkyries' Temi Fagbenle leaves the court following their - loss to the Minnesota Lynx at the Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Sunday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group