On Wednesday night, the Golden State Valkyries will wrap up their five-game road with a visit to Indianapolis to play the Indiana Fever (8 p.m. ET, USA Network).
Despite venturing from the Deep South up to the nation’s capital into Canada back to Connecticut and now into the Midwest, Golden State is 4-0, looking not only to complete the cross-country jaunt at 5-0, but also to extend their current winning streak to eight games, which would match the New York Liberty’s eight-game run for the longest
winning streak of the 2026 WNBA season.
Regardless of what unfolds in Indy, the Valkyries already have proven that they aren’t Ballhalla merchants.
Before this road trip began, the Valks were 3-4 away from San Francisco. Such a record could lead those skeptical of Golden State’s ultimate quality to cast them as beneficiaries of their homecourt advantage. Sure, the Valkyries could find success in front of the more than 18,000 fans that pack the Chase Center, yet, away from that atmosphere, maybe the team wasn’t all that special.
Nope, Golden State has shown that they can win anywhere—and anyhow.
Their four-straight victories away from the Bay have demanded that the Valkyries win in different, diverse ways.
On July 4 against the Atlanta Dream, 13 made 3-pointers, including a clutch one from Kaila Charles that capped an 8-0 late fourth-quarter run, helped Golden State overcome free throw and rebounding disadvantages and complete their 3-0 season sweep of the Dream.
Two days later in DC, the Valkyries’ 3-balls were not falling against the Washington Mystics.
But as Zack Ward chronicled, Golden State got key contributions from up and down the roster, with their bench, defense and just enough offense allowing them to escape in a low-scoring affair. Golden State managed just 62 points, yet held Washington to 49 points—the fewest scored by a WNBA team this season.
Next, Janelle Salaün burnished her already rock-solid Sixth Player of the Year candidacy by rocking the Toronto Tempo. Salaün scored a season-high 26 points in 23 minutes, going 5-for-6 from behind the arc and 7-for-10 overall, in the comfortable win.
Finally, Golden State made it 4-0 on the road by methodically dismantling Connecticut Sun, again showing off their elite defense by holding the Sun to just six second-quarter points before rediscovering their offense after halftime.
Now, 5-0 is on the line in Indiana, the site of one of their road losses from earlier in the season.
After the Valkyries swept the Fever last season, shutting down the Indy offense through defensive schemes that stymied Caitlin Clark, the Fever earned their first-ever win over Golden State on May 22, as their Big 3 of Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston combined for 63 points.
Salaün, certainly, did not have her typical shooting stroke that night. She scored a season-low four points; it was also one of only two games this season in which she has failed to make a 3. Gabby Williams, who is questionable to return to the lineup after missing the Valkyries’ last two wins with a back injury, also had an off night, with her six points representing her second-lowest scoring output of the season.
Can Golden State reassert their advantage?
The Valkyries already have scored another win over the Fever, sending them out of San Francisco with a two-point loss on May 28. Veronica Burton was at her best in that one, complementing her season-high-tying 25 points with a career-high five blocks. Burton captained a defensive attack that limited Indiana’s offensive engines, forcing Clark to scrounge for points at the free throw line, limiting Mitchell’s 3-point attempts and inducing an inefficient outing from Boston.
The Valkyries have the formula for beating the Fever, and, as they’ve demonstrated on this undefeated road trip, they’ve also proven that they can find ways to win when their preferred formula doesn’t work.
So, I believe the Valkyries will be headed back to the Bay at 5-0 on the road, with an overall eight-game winning streak in intact.
What about you? Are the Valks just a wins machine? Or, are they overdue for a humbling defeat? On either side, who do you expect to deliver a winning performance?
