Game Recap: Regular Season Game 2 vs Washington Mystics

The Golden State Valkyries returned to action on Wednesday when they hosted the Washington Mystics, looking for their first win of the season. They started well, but first half offensive woes struck again before they gained some momentum heading into halftime. The visitors started the second half strong, but the Valkyries restored their lead and then a back and forth fourth quarter saw them take the lead for good late and then hold on to the 76-74 win.

The Lineup

Janelle Salaun was available for the first time this season and she was immediately inserted into the starting lineup alongside Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Kayla Thornton, and Temi Fagbenle. She made an immediate impact, scoring the first two baskets. While Cecilia Zandalasini is still injured, Stephanie Talbot also played her first game of the season and worked some rust off after coming off the bench.

First Quarter

After the first two baskets from Janelle Salaun, Kayla Thornton hit a pair of free throws before the Mystics were able to get on the board. The Valkyries had the lead at 11-4 with four minutes remaining, but gave up a 10-0 run with six misses beyond the arc and a turnover. Stephanie Talbot played her first minutes, but misfired on a pair of shots. Foul trouble affected both teams as the Stefanie Dolson picked up two quick fouls for Washington and Kayla Thornton only played half of the quarter for Golden State.

Second Quarter

Washington’s run extended to 16-0 early in the second quarter before Monique Billings finally got Golden State back on the board. The Mystics kept the lead and the big moment came with 3:43 remaining when Tiffany Hayes picked up a foul trying to defend Shakira Austin in the paint only to take the worst of the contact to her face, forcing her out for the rest of the game. The Valkyries continued their drought from distance, missing 17 shots before Janelle Salaun finally broke through with two minutes to go. Billings tied the score only to see the Mystics get the lead back on free throws following a failed challenge by Natalie Nakase. Golden State had the lead at the break though after quick thinking after the inbounds got Veronica Burton a good three-point shot opportunity that she banked in at the buzzer.

Third Quarter

The Mystics restored their advantage early in the second half with a 12-4 edge before the media timeout after Brittney Sykes scored 10 of those points. After another seven misses from beyond the arc, the Valkyries found some success attacking the paint to trim the deficit and then Kayla Thornton broke the three-point drought to give them the lead heading into the final minute, shaking off the tough start to restore the one point margin from halftime heading into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Temi Fagbenle scored the first basket of the last frame, but rookie Sonia Citron, who had been quiet after two strong games, emerged alongside Brittney Sykes to power Washington. Veronica Burton took charge for the Valkyries though with her scoring and playmaking keeping the game close. Sykes hit a pair of free throws to put the Mystics up 2 with just under two minutes to play, but Veronica Burton hit a three-pointer to give Golden State the lead and then Kayla Thornton completed a four-point play. They could not get the stops on the defensive end, but Burton made it three consecutive makes from beyond the arc on the next possession and free throws helped the lead hold up for the win.

The Verdict

For an expansion team, getting that first win is a big deal and it was great for the Valkyries to be able to do so in their second game and to be able to get that win at home in front of a big and loud crowd. The previous expansion team, the Atlanta Dream, lost their first 17 games on the way to a 4-30 debut so fans did not have to wait months before being able to celebrate something. The team cleaned up a few of the issues from the opener and maintained their intensity throughout the game, making the important plays to get the win. Shooting woes persisted, but there were plenty of missed shots that were open so they do need to avoid shooting some of the more difficult shots, but should expect to hit a higher percentage on those better shots in the flow of the offense in the future. Golden State hits the road and gets an immediate test of how they have changed from the opener when they visit Los Angeles on Friday.

Player of the Game

There were excellent performances from a number of players, but the choice ended up being clear for the game as Veronica Burton was both consistent and able to deliver in the biggest moments of the game. After a first game where she barely played at all in the second half, she bounced back to lead the team in points, rebounds, and assists, including perfect shooting in the fourth quarter for 14 points. She hit the go-ahead three-pointer and then the key three-pointer to stretch the lead out before sealing the victory with two free throws.