Valkyries Enter 2nd Half as Hottest WNBA Team
Golden State won nine of their last 10 entering the break.
Written By: Danny Williams
Twitter: danny_w22
Last Monday, the Golden State Valkyries (19-8) finally proved they were mortal, falling to the Washington Mystics, 90-82. Before that, they had rattled off nine wins in a row.
Golden State held a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but a 36-point eruption from Washington sunk its chances of the winning streak reaching double-digits.
In the final quarter, the Mystics shot 69% (11-16 FG) from the field and shot 92% (12-13 FT) from the free-throw line. Shakira Austin scored 10 points in the quarter, and All-Star Sonia Citron added 11 points. Citron finished with 17 points and six assists, while Austin finished with 15 points and a whopping 15 rebounds. Kiki Iriafen led the Mystics in scoring with 23 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds. The Mystics out-rebounded the Valkyries 35-21.
Kaitlyn Chen led the way for Golden State, scoring 20 points (8-13 FG) off the bench and dishing out six assists. Janelle Salaün also scored 11 points off the bench. The Valkyries outscored the Mystics 37-14 on bench points.
Kayla Thornton tallied 15 points, and Veronica Burton added 12 points and seven assists. All-Star Gabby Williams was disappointing in the loss. The forward scored just eight points (4-12 FG) and had a team-worst -19 plus-minus.
Before Monday’s loss to the Mystics, the Valkyries ended their five-game road trip with an impressive 88-75 over the Fever on Wednesday, July 15, and took the first game against the Mystics at home on Saturday, July 18, 74-69.
Against Indiana, seven Golden State players finished in double-figure scoring. Williams led the team with 16 points. Salaün and Chen both scored double-figures off the bench along with Tiffany Hayes, who pitched in with 13 points. The Golden State bench dominated once again, outscoring Indiana’s bench 43-21.
The Valkyries’ defense stymied a potent Fever offense. The Fever shot just 40% (27-67 FG) from the field and were held to just 12 points in the second quarter. Offensive juggernaut Caitlin Clark scored just 13 points on 4-14 FG shooting and committed four turnovers. Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points (7-16 FG) to lead the Fever.
In Saturday’s matchup against the Mystics, the Valkyries shot just 41% (24-59 FG) and were out-rebounded 37-26, but still found a way to edge out the victory. A common theme, the Valkyries’ bench scoring, was the key to victory. Golden State outscored Washington 25-16 off the bench.
Golden State outscored Washington 22-12 in the final frame to secure the win. Williams led Golden State with 18 points, 10 coming in that fourth quarter, and tallied five assists. Veronica Burton ended with a double-double, 11 points and 11 assists. Austin had a monster game for Washington, 18 points and 16 rebounds.
Coming out of the All-Star break, Golden State heads back on the road to take on the Phoenix Mercury (10-18) on Wednesday, July 29, at 7 p.m.
The Valkyries sit in second place in the WNBA standings, and they’ve gone 9-1 in their last 10 games. They finished last season as the 8th seed and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs against Minnesota. This year, they are aiming to finish in the Top 4 to have homecourt advantage once the playoffs begin.
Photography Credits: Golden State Valkyries/WNBA Photography
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