Game Recap: Regular Season Game 5 vs New York Liberty

For the second straight game, the Golden State Valkyries visited the New York Liberty and they were ready to prove that they could be more competitive than what they showed in Tuesday’s game. They started this game much better, playing more of their game as the score was tied at halftime. The Liberty took the lead again, but the Valkyries stayed in the picture, taking leads in the fourth quarter before falling behind late and not getting the final baskets that they needed, losing 82-77.

The Lineup

For the first time all season, the Valkyries were supposed to have 12 players available for a game, but Tiffany Hayes did not end up playing. There was some helpful continuity though in terms of being able to field the same starting lineup for the second game in a row, also a first this season. Cecilia Zandalasini made her first appearance of the season for Golden State, entering the game in the first quarter along with Monique Billings in her returns. Nyara Sabally missed another game for New York, but the big news was Jonquel Jones also being out, eliminating more of their size advantage and letting both teams run small ball lineups constantly.

First Quarter

The start was important in this game after the Valkyries were buried early in Tuesday’s game. Both teams scored on their first possessions and Golden State managed to keep pace this time. New York was hitting their shots, but the Valkyries were able to force some turnovers and grab rebounds, crashing the offensive glass to offset their shooting difficulties. Cecilia Zandalasini played for the first time this season and hit a three-pointer right away before scoring another basket. Two more consecutive baskets tied the score, but Sabrina Ionescu finished an impressive quarter with her own make to restore the Liberty lead.

Second Quarter

The Valkyries hit a pair of three-pointers early in the second quarter to take the lead and the teams continued to go back and forth with neither side getting much of an advantage. Golden State had the lead in final minutes, but a pair of free throws left the score tied at the break. It was a better shooting quarter for the Valkyries while New York struggled, not scoring from inside the arc, but the Liberty hit all of their free throws to keep pace.

Third Quarter

The game remained close after halftime, but the Valkyries only led twice after a Steph Talbot three-pointer early and a Monique Billings basket late. It was an excellent quarter for both players as they ended up scoring 16 of the team’s 19 points with 8 apiece. Talbot looked her strongest so far this season while Billings provided valuable minutes at center in her return as Temi Fagbenle battled foul trouble. Marine Johannes, who was terrific in her last outing, hit her only three-pointer of this game at the end of the quarter to restore the Liberty lead.

Fourth Quarter

New York scored on their first two possessions in the final quarter, leading to concerns that this would be the point when they would pull away after getting a lead. Golden State fought back and tied the game though, utilizing a dual point guard system as Julie Vanloo scored or assisted on the first six field goals for the Valkyries. The last of those was a Temi Fagbenle basket that gave them the lead as the teams traded baskets. Vanloo restored the lead, but missed the free throw on the three-point play opportunity and then New York hit two free throws to lead again. The Valkyries had three shots to take the lead, but turned it over on an inbounds play before they could get a fourth chance. They tried to keep the deficit to a single point on defense, but Natasha Cloud scored and the Valkyries could not hit a tying shot.

The Verdict

This was a big bounceback game for the Valkyries and they kept up with the defending champions before coming up short in the final minute. Execution down the stretch will continue to improve as rotations get firmed up, something that is more clear now that all of the players have had some chances to show what they can do. While there are still plenty of areas to clean up, the offense looked much more like how it was designed in this game. The defense was also able to find ways of disrupting a New York offense that carved them up in the last game, but they were unable to keep the opposition off of the free throw line. The challenges do not get any easier for the Valkyries as they host the league runners up and cup winners, the Minnesota Lynx, on Sunday.

Player of the Game

This was another game with multiple strong performances, but the choice will be Janelle Salaun for her performance over the entire course of the game. There are still some aspects of her game that need to be polished as she progresses through her rookie season and some of her shot selection continues to need improvement, but her fearlessness typifies that attitude that the Valkyries have been playing with to turn in some unexpected performances. She continues to hit shots, even those that have a high degree of difficulty and was both the leading scorer and leading rebounder by significant margins in this game.