‘It's my job': Laeticia Amihere stays ready after vanishing from Valkyries' rotation
SAN FRANCISCO - Through the Valkyries' first eight games, Laeticia Amihere was a fixture in the rotation, averaging nearly 15 minutes a night.
In the three games since, she has played just one.
The fourth-year forward was a healthy scratch in back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Las Vegas, and played just over a minute in garbage time in the Valkyries' blowout win last Tuesday over the Portland Fire.
After Monday's practice, Amihere said she is focused on staying ready, though she offered little insight into why her role evaporated so quickly.
"I'm a professional," Amihere told Bay Area News Group. "Whatever you have to do to keep yourself focused on the next game and practices, that's what I'm going to do."
Following Saturday's loss to the Aces, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase kept things short when asked why Amihere hasn't played in the last few games.
"It's matchup related," Nakase said.
Amihere's spot on the roster was never guaranteed during training camp. But following the announcement of Iliana Rupert's pregnancy a day before the season started, the Valkyries needed Amihere's size and athleticism on a roster that had just one center on the depth chart.
Through the first eight games, Amihere platooned the center position with veteran Kiah Stokes. Golden State hardly ever went without at least one of the two on the floor, and used Amihere in lineups where it wanted to push the pace.
Out of the 10 lineups that have played the most minutes, Amihere is a part of three of those combinations. The Valkyries' second-best lineup this season includes Amihere, Janelle Salaün, Kaila Charles, Veronica Burton, and Gabby Williams, with a point differential of +49.5, per basketball reference.
Her minutes started to dwindle with the Valkyries’ first matchup with Las Vegas on May 31. In seven minutes, she scored two points, grabbed four rebounds, and was 0-for-5 from the field.
In recent games, Nakase has opted to go small in critical moments with forwards like Kayla Thornton, Charles, and Salaün playing the two frontcourt positions. Stokes, who has struggled on offense, starts games but has not been on the court much in the closing minutes.
In their last two losses, the Valkyries have struggled against athletic players like Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson and Minnesota's Natasha Howard, which makes Amihere's lack of playing time perplexing.
When asked if she was told beforehand if she wasn't going to play, Amihere said, "I don't really have an answer. I think it's something you would have to ask Natalie."
Nakase has spoken broadly about the challenge of making sure players are fully versed in what the coaching staff wants from them before putting them on the floor. On Monday, when asked about rookie Justė Jocytė being a healthy scratch against Las Vegas, Nakase said the responsibility starts with her.
"Everyone’s still learning what exactly we want. It has to be more, ‘Are we really clear with the game plan, and how are they digesting?’" Nakase said. "Because today we had a lot of discussions on this. It starts with me first, and making sure they know it. I don’t ever want to throw a player in there if they don’t know exactly what we’re looking for because then I’m not setting them up for success."
The frontcourt situation grew more crowded on Sunday when the Valkyries signed former Stanford center Nadia Fingall to a rest-of-season contract after waiving Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda in a corresponding move. Fingall, who stands at 6-foot-4, is a stretch center who adds much-needed size.
For now, Amihere said she isn't dwelling on uncertainty. Following practice on Monday, Amihere participated in a scrimmage against the team's practice players that included Jocytė, Kaitlyn Chen, Miela Sowah, and Ashten Prechtel.
“It’s my job,” Amihere said. “I’m going to stay sharp and do what I need to do to be successful.”
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 4:16 PM.