Explain One Play: Golden State Valkyries near upset over champion Liberty | Basketball Basics #3

so so close to the upset of the year

May 31, 2025

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Analysis of the Golden State Valkyries strategic plays in their near upset against the WNBA champions, the New York Liberty on 2025.05.29.GSW-NYL, focusing on the play "HORNS 5" and the defenders' decisions to go over the screen or under the screen.

Starring Julie Vanloo, Carla Leite, Temi Fagbenle, Veronica Burton, Monique Billings, Janelle Salaun, Kayla Thornton.

With Sarah Ashlee Barker, Dearica Hamby, Marine Johannes, Breanna Stewart, Natalie Cloud, Leonie Fiebich.

This is Part 3 of a beginner-friendly guide to basketball concepts.

Comments can be posted at the original ValkyrieNation.org thread (click here).

Basketball Basics

The whole series can be found at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBu5gvT7emrIvgbQtcI9m3bEgwpIVJDw

Part 3 terms defined include:

00:33 Go Over the screen, Go Under the screen, High side, Low side
02:19 HORNS formation
02:33 Dive or Roll
03:23 HORNS 5
04:14 Dribble handoff, DHO
05:07 Pindown screen, Down screen
05:15 Using the screen, Coming off the screen
06:37 Jamming the cut, Bumping the cut, Denying the cut
07:35 Slip a screen, Roll vs Pop

Part 2 terms defined include:

00:38 Recover
00:46 Bigs and Smalls
00:54 Mismatch
01:53 Rotating on defense
02:42 Slipping the screen, ghosting the screen
03:03 Double team, trap, blitz
04:02 Rejecting the screen
04:26 Helping at the nail
06:21 Slide cut, Passing angle

Part 1 terms include:

00:34 Dribbling and shooting, big vs small
02:00 Screens
02:10 Off ball
02:32 Cut, Flare Cut, Flare Screen
03:39 Ball Fake
03:53 Geography of the Court
03:57 Baseline, sideline, up, down, top
04:10 Corners, elbows, HORNS
05:29 Pick and roll, screen and roll
05:49 Dribble handoff
06:17 Rebounding, boxing out
06:18 Roll
07:18 Backdoor cut
07:46 ICE defense
07:51 take / accept / use the screen