Date, Time, Location: Saturday, August 9th, 5:30pm PDT, Chase Center
Broadcast Information: KPYX (Bay Area), Spectrum SportsNet (opposing team’s home market), WNBA League Pass (outside local markets), KGMZ (radio)
The Golden State Valkyries host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday in a battle between teams tied in the standings for the last playoff spot right now. The Valkyries will be looking to bounce back from two losses against one of hottest teams in the league recently. Due to preseason football and station decisions, this game will not be on either local channel in the Sacramento area.
The Valkyries
This is a big game for Golden State after two wins over Los Angeles earlier in the year, meaning that a win here would clinch the season series and help out in a potential tiebreaker scenario. Kaila Charles signed another 7-day contract so she will still be with the team and only Kayla Thornton and Monique Billings are on the injury report. This will also be the first game for Julie Vanloo to return to San Francisco after the Sparks claimed her off waivers once the Valkyries released her.
The Opposition
It has been exactly two months since the Valkyries won in overtime in Los Angeles, the last of three early season matchups. The Sparks continued to struggle for another month, sitting at a 6-14 record, but they quickly put it all together and have now won eight of their last nine games, only falling to Las Vegas. Their last game, a third consecutive victory, came at home yesterday over the Connecticut Sun.
Injuries were certainly an issue for the Sparks early in the season as they had Liatu King, Shey Peddy, and Grace Berger under contract at the same time due to hardship exceptions. That is in the past now as they have a clean bill of health and a full roster. Rae Burrell had gotten injured in the first game against the Valkyries, but has returned to be a key player off the bench. Former Stanford star Cameron Brink, who missed the start of the season after a serious injury last year, has now played four games and been a strong defensive presence off the bench in the post.
The Sparks also made some other moves to reshape their roster, starting when they picked up Julie Vanloo to fill in at backup guard when Odyssey Sims was waived. Anticipating having more post depth later in the season, they also waived Mercedes Russell before her contract could become guaranteed for the rest of the season. They waited a while to do anything to fill that last roster spot, just signing Alissa Pili to a 7-day contract this week after she was waived by the Minnesota Lynx for similar reasons. The move reunited her with her college coach Lynne Roberts, but she has not played in either of the first two games since joining the team.
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