Golden State Valkyries center Laeticia Amihere at GSV Media Day 2026. (Photo: Golden State Valkyries)
SAN FRANCISCO — A single basketball game can be the ultimate test of mental and physical resolve for any given player. No matter how much meticulous game-planning goes into preparing for a game, those plans are often thrown out the window almost immediately because there are several variables within a game that force players to adjust or adapt their approach at a moment’s notice. Extrapolate that variability over the course of a 44-game WNBA season, and players will inevitably experience exhilarating highs, frustrating lows and every emotion in between.
For Golden State Valkyries center Laeticia Amihere, the first half of her 2026 WNBA campaign has been a display of resilience and patience amidst uncertainty. Despite a strong and thoroughly impressive 2026 preseason, Amihere has not had the luxury of guaranteed rotation minutes. In the first weeks of the season alone, Amihere had stretches where she was routinely making momentum-shifting defensive plays and closing out games. And in contrast, she had a stretch of eight games where she was out of the rotation altogether, albeit for the brief appearances she made in the waning minutes of four blowouts.
It would be very easy for any player to grow discontent, if not discouraged, by the perception of being yo-yoed between feeling essential and being seemingly neglected. But Amihere is no stranger to physical and mental adversity, and as such, she was able to center herself by drawing inspiration from one of the core tenets of Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks.
“Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows,” Amihere told The Podium Finish. “That’s something she (Staley) hangs her hat on. She preaches it and practices it every day. You got to kind of stay even-keeled, and that’s my mentality with life.”
South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley and Laeticia Amihere Holding Postgame Media Availability After a Game vs Ole Miss on January 31, 2020. (Photo: University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball)
As Amihere sees it, Staley’s philosophy encourages her players to remember that incredible victories or heartbreaking losses should not distract one from the overarching process. She believes that maintaining this steady, even-keeled approach and focusing on daily habits instead of external outcomes is what ultimately builds championship character and longevity. What is fascinating about Staley’s principle is that it is not just a mere slogan or mantra for her players to repeat; on the contrary, Amiehre and several of her fellow South Carolina alumni practice this core tenet on a daily basis, and they recognize those values in each other.
When Amihere arrived at South Carolina as a freshman, she looked up to senior point guard, Tyasha Harris. Harris, who would eventually get selected seventh overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft, was a 2017 NCAA Champion and widely-recognized as one of the most cerebral and high-IQ players in the country during her senior year. Naturally, Amihere wanted to lean on Harris and soak in as much knowledge as possible. While Harris was more than happy to take Amihere under her wing, she saw their time together at South Carolina somewhat differently.
“I just think she came into college already ready-ready,” said Harris emphatically. “She came to SC college-ready. And then leaving from college to the WNBA, she was already pro-ready. Her body, her framework was a perfect product for the WNBA. It was interesting because she came to college early, so it was like she was a young one coming in college, but she came in and just seamlessly did what she had to do. I think just as a person, her faith is a big thing, and that’s something that you can never take from nobody.”
South Carolina Forward/Center Laeticia Amihere and Point Guard Tyasha ‘Ty’ Harris holding Postgame Media Availability after a game vs USC Upstate. (Photo: South Carolina Gamecocks Online)
What Harris saw in Amihere all those years ago is what Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and Amihere’s current teammates see in her now: a confident, wise-beyond-her-years individual who does not have to use perceived slights or setbacks to fuel her desire to improve and forge ahead. In contrast, it is Amihere’s faith that fuels her: her faith in herself; her faith in her teammates; her faith in the bigger picture.
Even now as an opponent, Harris can recognize Amihere representing South Carolina’s standard in how she approaches the game. “Just seeing her now, I just feel like she’s more aggressive, more demanding in her space and her timing of stuff. So, she’s definitely a person on the scout that we’re always looking out for. She makes big impact whether she’s playing 3 minutes or 33 minutes. She never gets too high or too low.”
Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows.
In those 2.5 weeks when Amihere was out of the Valkyries’ rotation, Nakase asked her backup center to ‘stay ready.’ And to Amihere’s credit, Nakase continuously praised Amihere for her diligence and professionalism during practices and film sessions. But staying ready has never been an issue for Amihere, and this is a fact that Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston can attest to. Boston, the first overall pick of the 2023 WNBA Draft, was teammates with Amihere for all four years at South Carolina. While most people recognized Amihere as Boston’s backup, Boston remembers Amihere as the Swiss Army knife utility-big that the Gamecocks could always depend on.
“I think Tich (Laeticia Amihere), even in college, she was always the person that we used to play one through five, ” said Boston glowingly. “And I think (Golden State) has been able to see that, which I think is just so impressive, ’cause there are not many players that can guard one through five and play one through five. And I think Tich has just done a great job of that. And I think just her confidence, like she is able to attack from different ways, shoot the three-ball, and I think when her confidence level is at a great point, like there’s nothing she doesn’t think she can do.”
South Carolina Centers Laeticia Amihere and Aliyah Boston During Practice Media Availability on February 24, 2023. (Photo: South Carolina Gamecocks Online)
When looking back at Amihere’s college career, it is hard to suggest that Boston was exaggerating about Amihere’s all-around game. In the 2022-2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball season (Boston’s and Amihere’s senior year), there was only one player in all of D1 who was 6’3″ or taller, had an Assist Rate of 14.0% or better, and recorded a Steal Percentage of at least 3.0% and a Block Percentage of at least 6.0%. Sure enough, that one player was Laeticia Amihere.
While it might seem like Amihere’s statistical profile is a collection of random benchmarks, it actually speaks to her two-way versatility. And as Boston pointed out, Amihere’s two-way skills have not only translated to the WNBA, but they have begun to blossom with the Valkyries.
In 20 games this season, Amihere has recorded an Assist Rate of 17.1% with a 1.39 Assist/Turnover Ratio (both best marks among GSV bigs). In addition, she has recorded a Steal Percentage of 1.8% and a Block Percentage of 6.6% which has contributed to the lineups that include Amihere registering a Defensive Rating (DRTG – a pace-adjusted statistical metric that measures how many points a team allows per 100 possessions) of 93.7. For context, the Valkyries, as a team, lead the league in DRTG with a mark of 100.4. So when Amihere is on the court, Golden State’s defense goes from great to exceptionally elite.
Amihere’s multi-faceted game combined with her sense of self-belief naturally allows her to stay ready, but staying ready is rarely an individual experience. For Amihere, being able to help elevate her teammates’ games when she’s on the court or from the bench is one of her greatest strengths and talents.
“I think you see her leadership in the way she talks to her teammates” said Boston. “Like, she talks a lot to them. I think that’s always the biggest part, especially being in the W, no matter how many years of experience you have, but I think she’s always a constant communicator, talks to her squad, which, I mean, that’s just who she’s always been.”
Boston knows her former Gamecock teammate well, because Amihere has stayed ready by always keeping the bigger picture in mind. Amihere’s daily habit consists of using her basketball IQ, her court vision and her voice to help the Valkyries as a team ascend to newer heights.
May 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere (3) shoots the ball while Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski | Imagn Images)
“I’ve always been one that has a really high basketball IQ and I know the scout from front to back and I study everything and I watch a lot of basketball,” said Amihere proudly. “I just do my job and hope that comes with a little bit more. But I’ve played multiple positions, so I’ve had to be ready for all of them. That’s kind of how it is. I mean, last year, I played multiple positions here (at Golden State) as well. So just staying ready for whatever position I’m called to be and if not, then I also help my teammates from the bench as well.”
For some players, the level of selflessness that Amihere displays must be developed over time; for others, it is something they draw from within. But for Amihere and her fellow Gamecock sisters, that level of competitive altruism is directly proportional to each player’s self-confidence.
“I want to say just the confidence is the driving force,” said Boston. “Like, Coach Staley’s always instilled in us to be confident and stay level-headed, and I think you see that no matter how the game’s going, through the highs and low, we have to remain confident and remain selfless. And LA does that at all times.”
Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows.
It is often said that shared adversity acts as a powerful ‘social glue.’ Experiencing similar setbacks makes people feel understood, and at a fundamental level, those shared experiences foster a deeper sense of empathy and a unified sense of purpose between two individuals. For rookie point guard Raven Johnson, Laeticia Amihere has been a direct support system who has taught Johnson how to find and focus on the highs even in her lowest moments.
“During my freshman year (at South Carolina), I tore my ACL. So she (Amihere) was one of the people I leaned on,” reflected Johnson. “She led me closer to God, and we have a relationship that is bigger than basketball. We did everything together. Like, that’s someone I go to about any little thing.”
If anyone could relate to Johnson’s early injury setbacks, it was Amihere. Amihere had torn her left ACL in late 2017 only to tear her right ACL in late 2018. The physical pain and the amount of time spent rehabbing is enough to make any player grow restless. The time away from the game often leads to an amplified competitive drive. Whether it is because of injuries, reduced playing time or DNPs, time off the court has not necessarily made Amihere angrier; it has made her hungrier. As Johnson can attest, Amihere’s competitive hunger is contagious.
“I remember in college when she was talking about how she didn’t think she was going to go first round or something, and she went first round, ” Johnson reflected. “She was telling me it’s about a process, and trusting the process, and just getting in the gym, putting in work when nobody’s watching. Like, little things like that with Laeticia.”
“She’s a hard worker; she’s going to do the little things and at the end of the day, she wants to win. She’s a winner. She’s a competitor too. She competes hard in practice and in games. And I think those are things that I picked up from her when I was a freshman, just watching her pro habits. She has always had pro habits, so it’s all those little things.”
May 28, 2026; San Francisco, CA. Golden State Valkyries Center Laeticia Amihere at the Free Throw Line with Indiana Fever Guard Raven Johnson (3) In Rebounding Position. (Photo: Lucina M)
It can be easy for fans to overlook the importance of players excelling at the little things and providing consistency on the margins. But doing the little things is the exact type of daily habits that Coach Nakase (and Coach Staley) believe lead to winning. For Amihere, her on-ball and off-ball screening has directly led to her leading the team in screen assists. And for a team that preaches connectivity, Amihere’s ball-handling and connective passing are among the reasons why the team’s Assist Rate and Pace increase when she’s on the floor. And despite averaging only 12.1 minutes per game, Amihere has an average +/- of +3.6, the fifth-best On/Off differential of all Valkyries players.
Sports do not necessarily build character, but they can reveal it, and Amihere’s willingness to consistently place the greater good of the team before her own personal success is an example of how her individual character helps shape the team’s culture and identity.
“I think just her personality, her character – who she is as a person, she’s just a phenomenal person,” mused Johnson. “I call her mom. She’s just so caring, she’s loving. And I think that shows on her teams too, like she cares about her teammates. You can tell they love her. She doesn’t let the highs or lows of the moment phase her or phase her team. That’s why they love her.”
Golden State Valkyries fans hold up signs in support of Laeticia Amihere at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. (Photo: Golden State Valkyries)
Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows.
In the Valkyries latest 7-game winning streak, Amihere has turned in what is arguably her most consistent and impactful stretch of basketball in her pro career. Her +3.9 plus-minus is even more impressive given that she is a +5.3 in the four road games that were played in a span of seven days.
And while Amihere and Kiah Stokes platoon the center position, Amihere has registered a DRTG of 89.1 since she rejoined the rotation 13 games ago. If that was not already impressive, it will certainly please Valkyries fans to find out that the team has recorded an 86.2 DRTG when Amihere has been in the game at center during Golden State’s franchise-record 7-game winning streak.
As Golden State approaches the second half of the regular season, they do so with aspirations of a deep playoff run. As exciting as their recent victories have been, the team is aware that they must be prepared for the inevitable losses and/or adversity that they will likely face along the way. While each game will be laced with a layer of unpredictability, the Valkyries will enter each matchup with the reassurance that their backup center is always ready to do what is necessary to get a win. And her actions and words on and off the court will serve as a constant reminder to the Valkyries and all of Ballhalla:
Don’t get too high with the highs and don’t get too low with the lows.
Author’s Note: The quotes used in this article were taken from exclusive interviews with Ty Harris, Aliyah Boston, Raven Johnson, and Laeticia Amihere that took place before and after the Valkyries’ first two matchups versus the Indiana Fever earlier in the 2026 WNBA season.
