The Golden State Valkyries played again on Sunday, visiting the Dallas Wings to finish this road trip. They started well against the team that started the day in last place, but the hosts worked their way back and took the lead before halftime. The Valkyries built the lead back up in the second half and left with a 90-81 win. With a relatively long break coming up, it was important for Golden State to end their losing streak and to hold their playoff positioning.
The Lineup
There was no good injury news for the Valkyries ahead of the game with both Tiffany Hayes and Carla Leite unavailable, leaving three players on the bench. The Valkyries started with one of their taller possible lineups as Kaila Charles got the nod against her previous team, joining Veronica Burton, Janelle Salaun, Iliana Rupert, and Temi Fagbenle. Dallas did get good injury news with Aziaha James being available off the bench to give them nine healthy players.
First Quarter
Neither team was able to score for almost two and a half minutes before Temi Fagbenle hit a three-pointer and then she got a steal and an assist to Kaila Charles. Veronica Burton blocked a shot, grabbed the ball, and drove all the way to earn two free throws that she made. Dallas finally got their first points with their own free throws by Maddy Siegrist. Janelle Salaun scored her first basket after a nice pass from Charles and then Iliana Rupert made a three-pointer to force a Wings timeout. The Wings hit their first field goal after that stoppage with Myisha Hines-Allen coming in off the bench, but Charles answered before the shot clock expired. Charles responded for the Valkyries again with a three-pointer from the corner and then Salaun was next from beyond the arc. Golden State slowed down a bit on offense before Kate Martin came off the bench to hit a three-pointer from the corner for the 23-12 lead at the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
Dallas had the better start in this quarter with the first eight points, including a pair of three-pointers from Amy Okonkwo. The Valkyries got their first basket on a nice pass from Kate Martin to Temi Fagbenle for a layup. The hot shooting continued for the Wings, but Kaitlyn Chen scored a basket after entering the game in this quarter. Veronica Burton hit a pair of free throws, but Dallas was able to take the lead with points from Grace Berger before Iliana Rupert hit a three-pointer. Maddy Siegrist tied the score and then got the Wings the lead to force a Golden State timeout as both teams slowed down after that. Kaila Charles finally scored after two minutes with no points and then Rupert made two free throws to get the lead back. Dallas scored the last two baskets of the half though to lead 38-36.
Third Quarter
The second half did not start better as Paige Bueckers scored for the first time for Dallas, but Veronica Burton answered for Golden State. Janelle Salaun made two free throws to tie the score before the Wings hit a three-pointer that Burton replied to immediately and Salaun restored the lead. Haley Jones scored two baskets in a row for the Wings before Burton hit a free throw after a Defensive Three Seconds violation. Iliana Rupert made a three-pointer on the ensuing possession and then Kaila Charles made two free throws to extend the lead. The run went to 9-0 with a Charles three-pointer and then Rupert also hit from beyond the arc after Dallas scored. Burton hit an incredibly difficult layup and took a charge as the Wings were pushing back. She got fouled right before the buzzer sounded and made the free throws for a 61-55 Golden State lead.
Fourth Quarter
Temi Fagbenle made a fantastic move in the post to open the scoring in this quarter and then Veronica Burton hit a free throw after a technical foul on Dallas coach Chris Koclanes. Kate Martin made a three-pointer to finish off the possession and then assisted on a Burton make to force an immediate Wings timeout. Haley Jones stopped the Valkyries run at 10-0, but a successful Golden State challenge helped keep Dallas from cutting the deficit further. Iliana Rupert hit a three-pointer and then Burton made one to keep the lead expanding with Martin completing the trifecta. Fagbenle hit two free throws and Burton scored again, but Dallas was able to cut the deficit to single digits before Burton hit a three-pointer. Martin got a critical steal and then hit a dagger from the corner. Kaila Charles made two free throws for the final 90-81 margin.
The Verdict
After a losing streak against teams above them in the standings, this was a critical time for the Valkyries to pick up a win against a team already eliminated from playoff contention. The team set the right tone early, but still had to battle back to get the big win. With the next game coming on Saturday and a string of games at home, the team will get some time to rest and get healthier again.
Player of the Game
A number of players contributed to the win and it is difficult to exclude any of them from consideration for this award, but Kaila Charles will get the recognition for this game. Injury issues meant that she was moved into the starting lineup and she was given the assignment of being the primary defender against Paige Bueckers. Her work there early prevented Dallas from being able to operate their offense the way that they wanted to and she led the Valkyries in scoring in the first quarter for good measure. She continued to shadow her former teammate for the entire game and also contributed on offense too to help secure the win. Given that she may not be able to finish out the campaign with the team, she has been excellent in showing that she has a future in the league as a veteran, even though it is still unclear what may happen next year with a new CBA.
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