June 23, 2025
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Talking Valkyries
By The Next
Smith: 'They're playing a really good brand of basketball'
On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick chats with Michelle Smith, a hall-of-fame journalist and Valkyries beat writer for The Next, to get a low-down on the new Golden State team. The two chat about the Valkyries’ roster, owners, coaches, front office and more.
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Hendrick opens the show by asking Smith how the Valkyries are making it work. “We’re talking about a 7-6 team at this point,” Smith says, walking listeners through some details of the season, “and they are solidly in the playoff picture. They’re playing a really good brand of basketball.
“And Natalie Nakase, if she is not in the conversation for Coach of the Year I don’t know what you’re doing with your life,” Smith continues.
Later on, Heidrick and Smith discuss what would make a player want to come play in Golden State, and consider some potential ways the next draft can go. To Smith, it won’t be hard to convince a player to come to Golden State. “They like everything about this,” Smith says. “They like the branding, they like the full, loud practice arena, they like the separate practice facility.”
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Heidrick and Smith end the podcast by giving more credit to the impressive basketball the Valkyries have been playing this year. “They’re better than Chicago,” Smith says. “They’re better than Dallas. They’re better than Connecticut. … We’re going very quickly from this pleasant surprise about what they ‘could’ve’ accomplished.”
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