Game Recap: Regular Season Game 7 vs Las Vegas Aces

The Golden State Valkyries returned home for a rare noon games on Saturday, facing the Las Vegas Aces. The team looked ready to shrug off Thursday’s tough loss that extended their losing streak and took the lead early. While the visitors briefly tied the game again early, the Valkyries built a big lead by halftime and controlled the rest of the game on their way to a 95-68 win, an impressive result early in their inaugural season.

The Lineup

Tiffany Hayes was not able to return to the lineup to face her former team, but all other players were available. Having the same players meant that the team was able to start the same lineup of Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kayla Thornton, Janelle Salaun, and Temi Fagbenle. All of the data from the first six games of the season has helped the coaching staff figure out their rotations more so only eight players played before the win was completely secured.

First Quarter

Kayla Thornton helped the Valkyries start off on the right foot with early baskets on consecutive possessions and she also hit a pair of free throws. Neither team shot well early as Golden State was able to disrupt the Las Vegas offense multiple times and force turnovers. Struggling for answers, the Aces brought in Aaliyah Nye off the bench and her three-point shot tied the game back up at 13, but Kate Martin answered with a basket and a successful replay challenge meant that Nye turned over the ball instead of getting the chance to take the lead at the free throw line.

Second Quarter

Monique Billings opened the scoring in this quarter, which ended up being a fantastic one for her and then Cecilia Zandalasini answered an Aces three-pointer with one of her own. That ended up being the closest that Las Vegas would get again after an offensive explosion that saw the 34 points come from everywhere. Golden State was perfect at the free throw line, shot well from behind the arc, and were able to attack the paint too. The Aces tried to feed A’ja Wilson in the paint, but excellent defensive execution from the Valkyries made possessions difficult. Kate Martin beat the buzzer with a three-pointer against her former team to push the lead to 21 at the break.

Third Quarter

The Valkyries did not want to let up after such a decisive half and made their first five shots of the quarter to extend the lead to 29, part of a 14-3 run spanning halftime. Las Vegas finally found some success on offense, but they still could not keep pace and were outscored by a point in this period. Rather than settle for shots beyond the arc, Golden State continued to attack the paint on offense too to maintain the lead.

Fourth Quarter

There was no let up from Golden State to close the game and the lineup of Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kate Martin, Kayla Thornton, and Monique Billings was so effective that no changes were being made. Las Vegas decided to pull all of their starters at the 6:34 mark down 25 and the Valkyries continued to roll against the bench unit. With no stoppages in sight, Kayla Thornton took a foul after a Cecilia Zandalasini three-pointer to allow the Valkyries to clear their own bench with 1:19 remaining, giving Carla Leite, Stephanie Talbot, and Kyara Linskens their first playing time alongside Martin and Julie Vanloo. Linskens was able to score her second basket of the year and grab a couple of rebounds to end the game.

The Verdict

After such a tough loss on Thursday, it was certainly a great time for the Valkyries to put everything together on both ends of the floor for a comprehensive. It was just the cherry on top for the win to come against a strong team where Natalie Nakase was an assistant coach before joining the Valkyries. Golden State will now try to carry this momentum into their next game on Monday when they head back on the road to face the Los Angeles Sparks.

Player of the Game

There were a number of impressive performances on both ends of the floor with three players recording double-doubles, but this award will go to Kayla Thornton for this game as she helped set the tone early and kept it up for the entire game, playing the most minutes for the team and being the leading scorer. Her experience in the league and versatility continues to allow her to contribute in a variety of ways as player roles continue to get clarified.