The Golden State Valkyries finished their road trip on Saturday with a visit to the Las Vegas to face the Aces, looking to even up their record on this swing before heading home. After a terrific defensive effort, the Valkyries found themselves in a shootout, but did find their way to a lead. The Aces showed their star power down the stretch though and prevailed in a wild 104-102 affair.
The Lineup
Lineup changes have been a constant for the Valkyries so far this season and there was no difference in this game. They went with a group that was more reminiscent of lineups from earlier in the season with Janelle Salaun returning alongside Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Kayla Thornton, and Temi Fagbenle. The big news came from the opposing lineup with A’ja Wilson being healthy enough to return for the Aces to give them their fullest possible roster.
First Quarter
Las Vegas had an explosive start on offense with scores on five consecutive possessions behind 7 points from A’ja Wilson. Janelle Salaun responded to being back in the starting lineup with the first two baskets for Golden State and then Tiffany Hayes hit consecutive three-pointers around the first Aces miss to get the Valkyries right back into the game. Kayla Thornton hit a pair of free throws immediately after the media timeout to give Golden State their first lead of the game, but an 8-0 Aces run with six more points from Wilson restored their advantage. Good three-point shooting helped the Valkyries only trail 23-21 after makes from Veronica Burton and Kate Martin to close the quarter.
Second Quarter
Cecilia Zandalasini, who returned to the rotation with some minutes to end the first quarter, hit a three-pointer on the first possession. Long-range shooting helped the Valkyries build a lead with makes from Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes too being followed by a Temi Fagbenle basket for a seven point lead. A’ja Wilson kept the Aces from falling too far behind as she added another twelve points in this period. The Valkyries had better balance and continue to shoot well beyond the arc, but Megan Gustafson was able to tie the score for Las Vegas with four straight points. Fagbenle was able to score again to give Golden State a 46-45 lead right at the end.
Third Quarter
Janelle Salaun scored the first basket for the Valkyries in this half too, but this quarter ended up being an even bigger offensive outburst for Las Vegas than their first quarter. A’ja Wilson only needed to score three points in this frame after both Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young heated up on the wing, combining for all of the rest of the points. Golden State stayed in the lead for a little while longer, but fell behind as they were no longer getting those opportunities beyond the arc. Nine of the ten players who made appearances did score as they fell behind by as much as seven points. Kaitlyn Chen converted a three-point play after Carla Leite scored six straight points to leave the deficit at 76-72 heading into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Temi Fagbenle and Cecilia Zandalasini were critical early with the first eleven points for the Valkyries in a six minute stretch. Las Vegas got good minutes from their bench unit early before A’ja Wilson returned with six points around a Chelsea Gray three-pointer out of a timeout. Veronica Burton was finally able to make the first three-pointer for Golden State of the half to fore another timeout. A pair of replay reviews did not help the Valkyries much, but Burton converted a three-point play to tie the score again. Jackie Young looked to put the game out of reach with the next six points, but three-pointers from Cecilia Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes kept the Valkyries close. Young ended up with the final ten points for the Aces and a Kayla Thornton basket at the end still left the Valkyries short 104-102.
The Verdict
The last game for Golden State was a great defensive effort, but it was clear early in this game that this would require a different kind of gameplan. This was one of the better offensive performances all season with the highest point total so far and that kept them in the game and gave them a chance to win. The star power for the Aces was a clear contrast to the depth of the Valkyries and it just proved too difficult to keep all of those stars in check for the entire game. Ending this road trip with another win would have been big, but the Valkyries now must focus on their next two games, which are both difficult tests as they try to avoid a losing record at the halfway mark of the regular season and the All Star break.
Player of the Game
This was a big depth game for the Valkyries as eleven players got into the game and all of them scored, including six players in double figures. This award will go to Tiffany Hayes though after some key plays at critical junctures. Las Vegas looked ready to run away with the game at the start, but her two three-pointers helped the Valkyries bounce back and start on their own lead and then she made a couple of plays in the final comeback attempt as well. Even with all of the depth, her experience and veteran presence continue to be important to the team.
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