The Golden State Valkyries were looking to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they hosted the Chicago Sky. Even though their opponents had been struggling this season, they were coming off a win and found success early. The Valkyries had the lead at halftime, but the visitors took the lead again in the fourth quarter before a strong closing run from Golden State secured an 83-78 win.
The Lineup
The Valkyries did not have either Carla Leite or Temi Fagbenle back for this game so there were only ten available players again. As a result, the same starting lineup was used, but strong performances from the bench got everyone but Bree Hall playing time. Chicago was forced into one lineup change due to national team duty and opted to go with a smaller lineup featuring Michaela Onyenwere at forward.
First Quarter
Kayla Thornton opened the scoring with a pair of free throws as neither team hit a field goal in the first two minutes. That changed when the Valkyries lost Rachel Banham on an inbounds play and she hit a three-pointer to get Chicago on the board. Thornton and Tiffany Hayes provided all of the scoring early as the situation looked good for the Valkyries after Thornton hit a pair of free throws following a replay ruling that she was flagrantly fouled and then Chloe Bibby replaced her and hit a three-pointer. The Sky suddenly rallied to take the lead after Kia Nurse hit three consecutive three-pointers, but a Kaitlyn Chen three-pointer left Golden State only trailing 22-20 at the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
Laeticia Amihere scored a putback on the first possession of the quarter to tie the game again and then the bench theme continued when Kaitlyn Chen scored and drew a foul. Both of them hit more free throws to get the Valkyries the lead as Chicago also had a technical foul. Neither team hit a field goal for almost five minutes before Golden State hit three straight shots for their biggest lead in the game of nine points. The Sky then finally broke their drought with their own string of three baskets before Kayla Thornton responded with a three-pointer for a 39-34 lead at halftime.
Third Quarter
After an excellent shooting first half, Chicago hit three more three-pointers early in the second half to take back the lead. With the Valkyries struggling from the field, they were able to stay in the game by converting at the free throw line, tying it back up after the media timeout. They were able to get contributions off the bench again to get back in rhythm as Kaitlyn Chen scored a basket and then Kate Martin scored on consecutive possessions to maintain a lead. Kayla Thornton scored the last basket of the quarter to give Golden State a narrow lead.
Fourth Quarter
That lead did not last long as Chicago scored on their first two possessions. Chloe Bibby and Kate Martin each hit three-pointers to tie the score again and force the Sky into a timeout. The stoppage did not halt the Golden State momentum as they continued on a 12-0 run thanks to five consecutive made field goals to tie their largest lead of the game. Chicago bounced back with five straight points, but Kayla Thornton’s three-pointer with two minutes remaining gave the Valkyries some cushion. The Sky were able to cut it back to a one-possession game, but opted to foul to extend the game instead of trying to get a defensive stop and the Valkyries were able to hit enough free throws to seal the 83-78 win.
The Verdict
This was a good win for the Valkyries as they battled down the stretch and found a way to get the victory when challenged. With not all of the starters firing, the team was still able to make the lineup adjustments necessary to find a group that could get the job done. The win guarantees that they will hit the Commissioner’s Cup break without a losing record, a remarkable accomplishment for an expansion team. Sunday’s game will also mark the last time that the Valkyries will play with their current roster as the return of players will give them tough choices to make after terrific contributions from replacement players.
Player of the Game
Strong contributions from the bench helped seal this win, but this award will have to go to Kayla Thornton as she set the tone early and not only led all scorers with 29 points, but also recorded a career-high to help get the win. She had an excellent shooting game for the team as they continue to look for consistency in that area. Having the full lineup will give the team more flexibility on which matchups work best as she has been drawing tough assignments with all of the absences.
Leave a Reply