The Golden State Valkyries hosted the Seattle Storm on Sunday, looking to finish off a long homestand on a positive note ahead of a break and an extremely tough road trip. There was no way that they would surprise their opponents after defeating them in their first matchup two week ago. This ended up being an even more impressive win though as the Valkyries avoided the fourth quarter comeback attempt from the visitors this time and got the 84-57 win.
The Lineup
Carla Leite was ruled out of this game beforehand, but Temi Fagbenle was available. She came off the bench instead of returning to the starting lineup immediately, so the initial group was identical for the third straight game. The return of Fagbenle meant that Chloe Bibby did not get any playing time until the result was well in hand. With Bree Hall joining her in being one of the last players to check into the game, they might be the first players who make way as players return from Europe.
First Quarter
Both teams missed shots in the opening minute, but Monique Billings scored the first basket to get the Valkyries started on a 7-0 run. Seattle got on the board at that point, but Golden State hit three consecutive three-pointers to extend the lead and give all of the starters exactly one basket at the start. Skylar Diggins, who was the leading scorer in the period among both teams, kept the Storm close, but the Valkyries made their first substitutions and Temi Fagbenle score immediately in her return, helping the team finish with a 23-14 lead.
Second Quarter
Zia Cooke ended up having an excellent game for Seattle and opened the quarter with a basket. The Valkyries maintained their lead despite struggling on offense for the entire quarter, not hitting a three-pointer after shooting so well from distance early. Excellent defense was critical as the Storm struggled to attack the basket and settled for three-point attempts. After that first make, they did not make a single field goal until Erica Wheeler hit two more three-pointers. Tiffany Hayes led Golden State in scoring for the quarter and her layup on their last possession gave them the 34-27 lead at the break.
Third Quarter
Veronica Burton scored the first basket on a nifty feed from Tiffany Hayes to open the half, but there was big concern on the next play after Kayla Thornton got hurt and had to leave for the rest of the game. Hayes scored next to increase the lead to double-digits for the first time and that lead continued to grow. Burton completed a three-point play on the next possession on her way to leading the team with 12 points in the frame. A 10-0 run near the end of the quarter pushed the lead up to 23 points before Seattle hit a pair of free throws to trail 65-44.
Fourth Quarter
After the last meeting and given how well Seattle has played recently, there was certainly some worry that they could make another fourth quarter run to make the game uncomfortably close. Kate Martin hit a three-pointer on the opening possession though and then the lead ended up growing and Seattle was forced to take a timeout. Both teams ended up emptying their benches at the mid-quarter media timeout and then Martin hit a free throw after a Storm technical foul for a game-high 30 point lead. The Storm made it closer, but Laeticia Amihere scored another basket in another strong bench performance for the 84-57 final margin.
The Verdict
This was a very impressive win for the Valkyries as they capped off a 4-1 homestand heading into a three-day break for most of the teams in the league to play the Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Golden State gets two additional days off to prepare for a four-game road swing that starts on Saturday. All of the games will be against teams expected to make the playoffs so it will be extremely tough for the squad to maintain their winning record with opponents no longer being surprised by the Valkyries being hard opponents.
Player of the Game
With such a strong win, there were more contributions up and down the lineup in this game, but this award will go to Tiffany Hayes in this game. After missing the first matchup with the Storm, she played a critical role in this game, keeping the team in the lead during a tough second quarter for the offense. She then helped set the tone in the second half to shut down any chance of a Seattle comeback on her way to being the leading scorer.
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