SAN FRANCISCO, CA -OCTOBER 4: Kaitlyn Chen #2 of the Golden State Valkyries drives to the basket during the game against the Las Vegas Aces during Game One of the WNBA Playoff Semifinals at Chase Center on October 4, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Notebook from Game 1 71-60 win vs Las Vegas

Natalie Nakase talked before the game and said she’s doing fine and her collapse in Game 3 against Dallas was due to exhaustion.
“You could want to win as much as you want,” Nakase said. “But when I say empty the tank, if my tank is not full, whether it’s rest, food, hydration, like everything, then I’m not going to be able to give my full self during the game, as you guys saw.
It seemed like maybe she was sitting a little more often than she usually does, but Nakase also prowled the sidelines and was pretty animated throughout.
Veronica Burton didn’t play after leaving the game with 7:29 left in the third but it seems like she’s not hurt. She went to the locker room for a moment but came back and was celebrating on the bench and jumping up and down.
“She’s feeling great,” Nakase said. “Kaitlyn (Chen) was fresh. I’m playing a fresh Kaitlyn Chen. Strength in numbers means you play your fresh players, because they’re all capable of playing.”