The Golden State Valkyries returned to San Francisco for their final home game before the All Star break on Monday, hosting the Phoenix Mercury. After a poor start, the Valkyries surged into the lead, but found themselves in a tough battle for the rest of the night. They trailed again late before another comeback left the score tied, but a tough call in the last second resulted in a 78-77 loss. It will be a quick turnaround for the team with a trip to Seattle on Wednesday before they get a long break for the All Star Game.
The Lineup
There was no change to the lineup for the Valkyries, which led to some interesting decisions by both teams on defensive assignments with Phoenix’s larger lineup contending with smaller Golden State groupings. The rotation experimentation continued throughout the game for both teams as they tried to find a strategy that would give them an edge and Kaitlyn Chen ended up being the sole healthy player on either team to not play with the Mercury only having eight players available.
First Quarter
Tiffany Hayes scored a basket on the first Valkyries possession, but they surrendered four three-pointers to the Mercury to get forced into taking an early timeout. Veronica Burton finally answered from beyond the arc and Monique Billings scored next, sparking a responding run. It was Golden State’s turn to hit four three-pointers with a pair from Hayes, one for Cecilia Zandalasini, and a Kayla Thornton four-point play after hardnosed offensive rebounding headlined an 18-1 surge. Kathryn Westbeld finished up a scorching quarter behind the arc for both teams, but the Valkyries had the 20-16 lead.
Second Quarter
Monique Billings scored the first four points of the quarter to extend the lead, but Phoenix had their own 9-2 run to stay close. With both teams cooling off from distance, the offenses attacked the basket more often as Carla Leite also scored twice coming off of the bench. The Mercury recaptured the lead at the free throw line, but Veronica Burton converted a three-point play after the media timeout to tie the game again. Phoenix finished the half with another basket and a pair of free throws for the 36-32 lead.
Third Quarter
Janelle Salaun scored the first basket of the half for the Valkyries, but Phoenix had another good start offensively with six consecutive field goals made. Veronica Burton helped Golden State keep pace with scoring and playmaking as the long-range shooting returned for both teams in this period. Burton’s second three-pointer put them in range to take the lead after the Mercury finally missed as Monique Billings hit from the corner. DeWanna Bonner scored all eight of her points in the quarter after that point as she led Phoenix again, giving them the 59-58 lead heading into the final frame.
Fourth Quarter
DeWanna Bonner hit two more free throws to start the quarter, but both teams struggled from the field for a while before Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Thornton hit consecutive three-pointers to the Valkyries the lead again. Veronica Burton was next to hit from long-range before Laeticia Amihere scored on a nice drive during her only extended opportunity of the game. Phoenix hit their only three-pointers of the quarter to tie the game again and then Alyssa Thomas made two baskets to restore their lead. Janelle Salaun was fouled beyond the arc and made all three free throws, but Golden State had offensive struggles at a critical time again.
DeWanna Bonner scored in the final minute to give the Mercury a three point advantage after Golden State missed two chances to take the lead. Two more Valkyries misses forced the team to start fouling to extend the game. A raucous home crowd came to life when Bonner split a pair of free throws and Janelle Salaun hit a difficult three-pointer. Bonner could only split the next pair of free throws as Golden State scrambled to make substitutions for rebounding and offense while managing their remaining timeouts. Salaun tied the score with another impressive basket, but the Mercury created a chaotic situation on their final possession and Alyssa Thomas was able to draw a foul in the final second. The fans were given the hope of overtime after she missed the first free throw, but she made the second free throw to let Phoenix escape with the 78-77 win.
The Verdict
It was another tough close loss for the Valkyries after also losing by one possession in the previous game. There were strong moments for the team again, but they could not regain the lead late in the fourth quarter during some tough offensive stretches and then could not hold on to force overtime. Golden State was able to generate good three-point looks and hit them at a high percentage, but did not match that success inside in this game. Phoenix was able to combine strong performances from their stars with timely contributions from role players as the Valkyries are still trying to figure out the best roles and lineups for their rotations.
Player of the Game
There were multiple good performances for the Valkyries in this game to build the lead and fight back, but this award will definitely have to go to Veronica Burton for her consistent efforts throughout the whole game. She continues to facilitate for the team’s other offensive weapons, leading Golden State in assists again. She continues to also find the right times to call her own number as she was the leading scorer too and made good plays on defense regularly.
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