The Golden State Valkyries returned to action on Saturday after getting five days of rest, hosting the Washington Mystics with their opponents needing to win to keep their hopes of a playoff spot alive. Golden State jumped out to a big lead early with their offense humming and their defense being as effective as ever, rolling to a 99-62 win, a big start to a critical homestand of five games in eight days. Dropping another team from playoff contention means that only one more team will fail to make the postseason and the Valkyries remain in solid position with the win.
The Lineup
There was certainly a lot of interest in whether any of the injured Valkyries would be able to return and there was good news that Carla Leite was available again. Tiffany Hayes missed the game with illness being given as the reason, which meant that she was not even present. Washington had their taller lineup so Golden State starting with their taller group of Veronica Burton, Kaila Charles, Janelle Salaun, Iliana Rupert, and Temi Fagbenle was a good matchup.
First Quarter
The first two minutes of the game were slow for the Valkyries as the only scoring came when Sug Sutton hit a three-pointer for the Mystics. Janelle Salaun hit a three-pointer and then made a layup to give Golden State the lead. Kaila Charles continued the run with a three-pointer and then also made a layup. The offense slowed down again, but the defense kept Washington scoreless for four minutes to keep the lead. Kate Martin came off of the bench and scored immediately and then a foul before the ball was inbounded allowed the Valkyries to score four points in a possession once Salaun hit another three-pointer after the free throw. Veronica Burton also connected from beyond the arc for a 19-8 lead to end the quarter.
Second Quarter
Carla Leite scored on her first possession of the game in her return from injury and then Laeticia Amihere got an assist from her to push the run to 7-0. Washington scored next, but Iliana Rupert made a three-pointer and then Amihere got a steal and drove it in herself for the layup. Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson got a technical foul even though the foul was called on Golden State that stood up after a replay review and the Valkyries continued to score freely, including another perfect quarter at the charity stripe. Leite continued to have a successful return, knocking down a tough shot and hitting a three-pointer. Janelle Salaun made another basket to continue an excellent half as did Kaila Charles and Veronica Burton finished the scoring in the quarter to lead the team again. Shakira Austin made a tough shot right before the buzzer, but the Mystics trailed 51-22.
Third Quarter
Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton hit consecutive three-pointers to start the quarter for the Mystics, which might have been their last chance at making the game competitive again. Kaila Charles ended that run though and Natalie Nakase showed trust in the team to finish out the game, opting to give Veronica Burton the rest of the night off before two minutes were played after she had played the entire first half. The Valkyries quickly put the game out of reach completely with points on eight straight possessions, including three-pointers from Janelle Salaun, Charles, and Temi Fagbenle. The offense slowed down later in the quarter, but the margin was a more than comfortable 78-43 heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
Carla Leite scored the first four points of the quarter on free throws, including after getting fouled on a three-pointer again. More shots were made from distance with Janelle Salaun hitting two more before getting her own deserved rest and Laeticia Amihere also getting into the act. Salaun was replaced by Bree Hall in her return to the team due to all of the absences. After the Valkyries were looking ready to hit triple-digits, the offense sputtered again at the end, but Kate Martin got a putback to get the team within a possession. Rather than dribble out the clock for a shot clock violation, Golden State opted to try to reach the century mark while being roared on by the fans, but Martin missed one of the three free throws that would have been needed to get there, leaving it a 99-62 win over the Mystics.
The Verdict
This was a great win for the Valkyries as they did not have much rust from their rest period and quickly took care of business in what could have been a tough game with their opponents having their season at stake. Getting such a decisive win meant nobody had to play heavy minutes with a game the next day as iron woman Janelle Salaun played the most at just under 29 minutes. The team now focuses on a game against a direct competitor for both a playoff spot and seeding and will have to carry on the momentum from this win.
Player of the Game
With such a comprehensive win, there are certainly a number of contenders for this honor today, but we will go with Carla Leite in her return. Missing time with an injury did not damper her attacking mindset as she was extremely effective at driving in this game and challenging defenders, finishing perfect on attempts from the field and getting to the free throw line consistently. Her availability to play backup point guard meant that Veronica Burton got to rest for nearly the entire second half as she ended up with the game high in assists too. Her ability to play there as well as with Burton will make a big difference for the team down the stretch as other injured players work their way back.
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