​Valkyries flex depth and championship-level defense in Fever takedown originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Golden State Valkyries are sizzling.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn just their second WNBA season, the Valkyries are a genuine title contender.Golden State has the league’s No.1 defense, and it hasn’t lost a game in nearly a month.MORE: Caitlin Clark’s tantrums cover up scary truth about her productionThe Valkyries ran their winning streak to eight games on Thursday night with a crushing 88-75 win over the Indiana Fever.Golden State held Indiana — the league’s top offense — to 30 points in the first half, and the Fever barely cracked 40 percent shooting for the game.Six Valkyries players scored in double-digits, led by All-Star forward Gabby Williams with 16.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut Golden State’s strength all season has been its depth. The culture that head coach Natalie Nakase has instilled allows for a variety of different contributors, every night.On Thursday, it was Kailtyn Chen’s turn. The former UConn guard scored 14 points in only 9:38 of game time, providing an enormous lift off the bench.The Valkyries are the league’s least-efficient shooting team; their 41.9 field goal percentage is the worst in the WNBA. Golden State makes up for it though with its 3-point shooting (first in attempts, fifth in success rate) as well as its lights-out team defense, which holds teams to the second-lowest field-goal percentage and the lowest two-point field-goal percentage in the WNBA.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt 18-7, Golden State is one game behind the Minnesota Lynx for the league’s best record. With a little more offensive punch, it’s not out of the question that the Valkyries could reach the Finals in their second season of existence.Fever complaining goes beyond Caitlin Clark, brings in Sophie Cunningham, Aliyah Boston, Lexie HullCaitlin Clark loses her mind during Fever loss to Valkyries, but somehow doesn’t get a technical foul from patient refOlivia Miles gives encouraging injury update after scary ankle turnSky’s Sydney Taylor crashes an exclusive rookie party with Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles