The Golden State Valkyries, a new WNBA expansion team, kicked off their training camp in Oakland. Expectations are modest for their first year; however, the team aims to cultivate a strong competitive culture over the next few weeks, leading up to their inaugural game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Coach Natalie Nakase emphasized a 'win or die' mindset, while players noted the unique experience of building a team from scratch. The current roster includes a mix of rookies and veterans, as some players will join later due to international commitments.
I think this is obviously a different experience than any other training camp. Since it's a brand new team, we're all starting from ground zero.
Everybody has the mindset of win or die. We want to approach every practice like it's a battle. I thought every single player did that today.
We're really building something from scratch, and so it's a lot different, obviously, but it's been really fun and it's been really high energy so far.
While expectations won't be high in Year 1, Golden State will use the next two-and-a-half weeks to build a hyper-competitive culture.
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