"Boys in Mexico": Kaitlyn Chen drops hilarious reaction to Kate Martin and Valkyries teammates' swimming pool snap

Fresh off their historic debut year in the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries are spending their offseason in Mexico, as shown in an Instagram story shared by guard Kaitlyn Chen.

Chen, a rookie backup guard, posted on Wednesday a photo of herself relaxing by the pool alongside teammates Kate Martin, Laeticia Amihere and Veronica Burton.

Her caption simply read:

“Boys in Mexico.”

The Valkyries are on break after being eliminated in the first round by the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Still, their season was far from a disappointment, as they broke several records along the way.Golden State finished 23-21 in its inaugural campaign, the most wins ever by a WNBA expansion team. They also collected end-of-season honors, with Burton named Most Improved Player and Natalie Nakase winning Coach of the Year.

Guided by Nakase and her staff, the Valkyries established themselves as one of the league’s best defensive squads: first in opponent points per game (76.3), first in opponent field goal percentage (40.5) and third in defensive rating (99.8).

What’s next for the Valkyries?

During her exit interview on Tuesday, Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin addressed the team’s future after their record-breaking season.

Asked whether Golden State might chase a trade or big free-agent signing to secure a franchise star, Nyanin emphasized the team-first identity.

“I don’t think about the face of the franchise,” she said (per SF Standard). “Valkyries basketball has meant that on any given night, with any given roster, we can win basketball games.”

“The humility and the drive to win wasn’t held in any one person, which I think is a testament to the type of culture that coach Natalie and the rest of the staff built. Valkyries basketball isn’t just one human and that’s the type of philosophy we’re going with moving forward.”

No Valkyries player averaged at least 15 points per game, with Kayla Thornton leading the way at 14.0 in her 22 appearances. She was followed by Burton (11.9), Tiffany Hayes (11.7), Janelle Salaun (11.3) and Cecilia Zandalasini (10.5).

As a group, Golden State still cracked the league’s top five in rebounds (35.3 per game), 3s

made (427), and free throw percentage (81.5) during the regular season.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro