Date, Time, Location: Monday, July 14th, 7:00pm PDT, Chase Center
Broadcast Information: KPYX (Bay Area), KMAX (Sacramento), KTVK, Arizona Family Sports, and Merc+ (away team local market), WNBA League Pass (outside local markets), KGMZ (radio)
The Golden State Valkyries return home for a game on Monday against the Phoenix Mercury. This difficult stretch continues against a team that looks strong enough to advance in the playoffs and their matchup earlier in the season could have been a big win for the Valkyries, but a big Mercury comeback prevented that from happening. This will be the last home game before the All Star break and only one of two games in San Francisco this month.
The Valkyries
Since Stephanie Talbot was waived, the Valkyries would not have twelve players available on Monday as it seems unlikely that they would sign another player in time for tipoff. Everyone else is expected to be available having played on Saturday with matchups likely determining the rotation again.
The Opposition
Injuries were the story for the Phoenix Mercury in the first matchup even though they found a way to get the win and that continues to an issue for this game. Lexi Held, who was the leading scorer in that game, suffered a serious injury on a road trip that prevented her from even flying back to Phoenix directly. Satou Sabally, who also starred then, has missed recent games and will not be available. Kahleah Copper missed that first game before finally returning, but has been out again and will miss this game too.
The injuries have meant that Phoenix has made a number of moves to try to field the strongest lineup that they could at any given time. Haley Jones was on a hardship contract during the first meeting that ended so they had to release the Northern California native. The Mercury did end up signing a former Stanford player again though by bringing in Kiana Williams after waiving Megan McConnell while she was out due to injury. Williams has since been waived herself, but the big move came when Phoenix brought DeWanna Bonner back to her original teammate after her tenure in Indiana did not work out and she was waived by the Fever. Murjanatu Musa, who had her season high against the Valkyries, was the player waived to allow them to bring her on board.
Phoenix lost their first game after their win over Golden State, but then went on a six-game winning streak. A two-game losing streak followed, but they have won their last two games, including a massive win over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx in their last game on Wednesday in Bonner’s first game back despite all of their injuries. The win moved them to second place in the standings and the hopes that they will get healthy at some point leaves them believing that they can be championship contenders at the end of the season.
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