The Golden State Valkyries ended a short road trip on Sunday with a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. They were looking to continue their winning streak and get closer to officially clinching a playoff spot while facing the team sitting in the first spot outside of that top group to start the day. The Valkyries played well early and led comfortably for most of the game only to let the hosts back in the frame in the fourth quarter. They held their nerve late and left with the 84-78 win.
The Lineup
The Valkyries got positive news early with Cecilia Zandalasini available, keeping the starting lineup the same. Smallball lineups were used early and then to close the game after Kiah Stokes exited in the fourth quarter and the trajectory of the game meant that no players ended up playing heavy minutes in the win. The Sparks did have Rae Burrell, but not Monique Akoa Makani available from their initial injury report. Neither team activated any of their developmental players for the game.
First Quarter
As seems to be the tradition at this point, Cecilia Zandalasini got the first shot of the game and made a three-pointer from the wing. She later came up with a steal and Gabby Williams was able to make a layup before the defense could get fully set. Los Angeles got on the board next with consecutive baskets before Zandalasini made another shot from nearly the same spot. Kayla Thornton scored next as she was allowed to dribble into a deep two-point jumpshot and then passed it to Williams after a rebound as Gabby made another layup and then got in the lane again for another basket. The Sparks connected from beyond the arc to avoid falling too far behind, but Kiah Stokes matched it from the corner.
After the media timeout, Zandalasini made the first basket, a three-pointer from the opposite side. Los Angeles got the first point at the free throw line and then Janelle Salaun made a three-pointer after getting a second chance from an offensive rebound. The Sparks got fouled again only to not convert the three-point play, scoring again before Kaila Charles got her first basket on a baseline drive. Kaitlyn Chen got a layup directly from an inbounds pass, then drew an offensive foul, and finished the sequence by finding Tiffany Hayes for a layup. The Sparks scored the last basket of the quarter, stilling trailing 29-15.
Second Quarter
Los Angeles made a three-pointer on the first possession of the quarter even as the Valkyries cranked up the defensive pressure. They did score on their first possession as Laeticia Amihere got free for a layup. There was confusion on consecutive backcourt violation calls and the Sparks eventually made a three-pointer when they got the ball, leading to a Valkyries timeout. Kayla Thornton made a three-pointer when action resumed and scored the next basket as well. Both teams got baskets after steals with Golden State getting another three-pointer from Cecilia Zandalasini.
Los Angeles scored last before the media timeout and scored again once action resumed. Tiffany Hayes finally got the Valkyries back in the scoring column when she converted a three-point play. The Sparks got closer at the free throw line before Hayes got fouled on another drive to pick up another three-point play, which left the halftime margin at 45-32 in Golden State’s favor.
Third Quarter
Neither team scored on their first possession, but the Sparks did strike first before Veronica Burton sliced through their defense for a layup. Los Angeles scored again, but Cecilia Zandalasini made another three-pointer only for the next Sparks basket to lead to a Valkyries timeout. Gabby Williams was able to get another layup and then Kayla Thornton got a steal and drove it in herself for a layup. Kiah Stokes had been finding space in the post and was able to convert between a pair of Los Angeles baskets.
The Valkyries had a ridiculously long possession courtesy of work on the offensive glass, leading to a Tiffany Hayes three-pointer and a Sparks timeout. Neither team was really back in rhythm when play resumed, but Los Angeles eventually got three points on a possession by making a free throw from a delay of game call even though they missed the originally awarded shot. The Sparks scored again before Janelle Salaun ended the Golden State drought and then Kaila Charles made a three-pointer, which left the lead at 64-47 to end the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Kaitlyn Chen made a layup on the first possession of the quarter, but Los Angeles answered immediately. Chen drove in for a layup next as the Sparks continued to find some success on offense after struggling for the first three quarters. The Valkyries used another timeout after surrendering a three-pointer and brought back more of their starters only for Kiah Stokes to need to exit quickly after contact to her neck area, which was reviewed as part of a very long stoppage, but not ruled to be a foul of any kind.
Golden State continued to struggle as the Sparks trimmed the deficit to single-digits. Veronica Burton ended their run with a drive for a three-point play, but Los Angeles continued to get closer, closing within a point after a stoppage. Tiffany Hayes answered their three-pointer immediately only for the Sparks to respond. Gabby Williams made a basket and the Valkyries were able to get the stop after a Sparks timeout. Janelle Salaun made it a two-possession game with a three-pointer and Los Angeles fouled to extend the game. Kayla Thornton and Burton made both free throws when they were fouled and Williams split her pair as the Sparks did score twice more, still losing 84-78.
Player of the Game
This was another team effort with players having big moments at different points in the game, but the tone setter was Cecilia Zandalasini, who gets the award for this game. Her early three-pointers gave the team the lead quickly, which nearly held up for the rest of the game. She was perfect overall from beyond the arc on a night where the rest of the team did not have a great percentage. While she has continued to start and be a key part of the offense early, there have been games where her minutes later in the contest have dwindled, but her scoring and her tie for the team lead in rebounds meant that she was contributing late into this game.
The Verdict
This game was shaping up to be exactly the kind of win that would be wanted against a team not currently in a playoff place. The Valkyries ended up needing to sweat out the fourth quarter and still got the win against an opponent that has proven to be tough against other top teams. Golden State now gets a week with only one game, an important time back at home ahead of a packed schedule before the World Cup break, still sitting in excellent position in the standings.
Leave a Reply