Valkyries Win in Portland Without Their World Cup Players

The Golden State Valkyries take care of business against the Portland Fire without several key players and the message in the postgame presser is the same one this team keeps coming back to: next person up, and you cannot tell the difference. Tiffany Hayes finished with 18 points and kept it simple. The spacing was right, the reads were right, and she finished on two feet. When asked about the World Cup break, her message to the locker room was direct: do not go on this break and do nothing. The next four games after the World Cup are vital heading into the playoffs and this team knows it.

The transition defense was a point of emphasis going in. Portland likes to run and the Valkyries took that away, holding the Fire to just 5 transition buckets. That was the game plan from the opening tip and they executed it. Even with players away for the World Cup the bench outscored Portland. Whoever starts and whoever comes off the bench, you cannot tell the difference. That is what is important and that is how they play. When the conversation turned to cheering on teammates at the World Cup, TIP kept it completely real. She does not have cable because it is too expensive. But if it is on YouTube TV she will be dialed in. Send a link.

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Golden State Valkyries | WNBA | Players Presser | Tiffany Hayes, Kayla Thornton | Portland Fire | 2025

00:00 — Next Person Up: Kayla on the Depth of This Roster
00:12 — Tip's 18 Points: What Was Working Offensively
00:51 — The World Cup Break: How Do You Stay Sharp?
01:09 — Transition Defense: Holding Portland to Just 5 Buckets
01:43 — The Bench Outscores Portland: What Does That Say?
02:28 — Cheering on Teammates at the World Cup
03:03 — Attacking Portland's Zone Defense