Laeticia Amihere’s 14 minutes off the bench helped the Golden State Valkyries secure a 1-0 lead over the Atlanta Dream in the opening game of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco. Tasked with defending star center Angel Reese, Amihere used her length, rebounding, and intimate knowledge of the Dream’s tendencies to slow Reese’s impact down the stretch.
Before this series, Amihere had only been on the court for six minutes across the first two playoff rounds against the Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces. Head coach Natalie Nakase turned to her in Game 1 as Reese began finding space in the paint during the second quarter. Amihere’s minutes rose to 14, and alongside veteran Kiah Stokes, she held Reese scoreless in the second half, limiting the Dream to just two made field goals on 19 attempts during that period. The Valkyries staged a comeback to win by four points.
Amihere’s experience with the Dream, where she played the 2023 and 2024 seasons, gave her insight into their offensive patterns. “Just tendencies,” Amihere said. “I played with a bunch of the players and know their tendencies. Just trying to help [the team] out where I see fit. But it’s not only this game, it’s any game. I think I’m a person that watches a lot of film and has the advantage of being able to see what I see.”
Nakase confirmed the value of Amihere’s perspective going into the series. “L.A. spoke up a lot because of her previous experience with Atlanta,” Nakase said. “That’s just a different insight that we really take in. She’s talking about [know your personnel] and things they’re really good at and how we can take it away.”
Amihere’s stat line included five rebounds among the Valkyries’ 57 team boards, a block, a steal, and a perfect 2-for-2 shooting from the field. Her plus-9 rating reflected her impact on both ends. Point guard Veronica Burton praised her readiness despite limited minutes earlier in the playoffs. “I think this is a great matchup for her and just being ready and I think obviously you know she didn’t get as many minutes in the first two rounds, but her ability to just stay focused and do whatever is asked of her was huge, and so she’s been incredible. I’m a big fan of L.A. and I think she adds so much to our team.”
Nakase credited Amihere’s energy and defensive communication for the team’s success. “You could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup. She’s going to say it’s team defense, so it was everyone being on the same string, just calling her number or whether she was getting back in transition, I thought L.A. did a phenomenal job and then at protecting the rim she was key for us in our success.”
Amihere downplayed any notion of genius, instead emphasizing preparation. “I’d like to say I’m a genius – no, not genius. I just think by watching film, you see people tend to do what’s comfortable for them and what they’ve done all season. I do say that we’re successful in that way, obviously they’re going to come up with different ways to combat that, and we’ll be ready as well.”
The Valkyries have drawn on contributions across their roster to reach the Finals, with Nakase employing a “strength in numbers” approach. Amihere’s defensive assignment and composed performance in Game 1 added a new dimension to Golden State’s strategy as they look to extend their lead in the series.
According to Yahoo Sports.