The Golden State Valkyries finished their homestand on Tuesday with their first game of the Commissioner’s Cup. The Portland Fire entered the game with plenty of momentum from a strong start to their inaugural season and kept the game close in the first quarter. Three-point shooting, which had already been solid in the first quarter, was taken to another level in the second quarter for a big halftime lead. The visitors did fight back in the second half, but the Valkyries ended up with the 95-77 win ahead of some tough games.
The Lineup
Golden State had the same starting lineup from the last game as Veronica Burton ended up being healthy enough to play after leaving with an injury on Sunday. There was a tweak to the rotation with smallball lineups preferred for this matchup, changing the substitution patterns as well with Juste Jocyte entering early and Laeticia Amihere not playing until the result was decided to keep the main rotation at ten players. Neither team activated developmental players. Portland kept their starting lineup from the last game and Carla Leite received her pregame video tribute commemorating her time with the Valkyries last year.
First Quarter
Kayla Thornton made a three-pointer on the opening possession, but Portland answered right away and took the lead with a pair of Carla Leite free throws. Gabby Williams scored next only for the Valkyries to concede consecutive layups on assists from Leite. Thornton connected from beyond the arc two more times as Portland went to their bench early for scoring and Williams scored from a beautifully executed fast break after a steal before the media timeout.
Portland tied the score again, but the quarter was all Thornton’s as she was fouled fighting for a rebound and made both free throws. The Fire did keep tying the score back up as Golden State went to their bench unit. Janelle Salaun made two free throws and Kaitlyn Chen knocked down an open look in the corner before making a free throw for a 21-20 lead at the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter
Juste Jocyte played in the first half for the first time and opened the quarter with a pair of three-pointers, quickly prompting a Portland timeout. Carla Leite scored after the break to get the Fire back in the picture, but then it was Janelle Salaun’s turn for a three-pointer and a three-point play. Portland did have some success beyond the arc, but could not stop the Valkyries there as Kaila Charles was next up before Salaun connected again. The starters began to return as Cecilia Zandalasini made a free throw before the next stoppage.
A replay review was needed after Zandalasini made her first three-pointer as the referees determined that her defender stepped in her landing space in the process. She made the free throw, although she missed a chance at a rare individual seven-point possession, but Kiah Stokes grabbed the rebound and then ended up with the ball again, making her own three-pointer. Gabby Williams made a layup before Portland could finally end the run at 10-0. Veronica Burton split free throws twice to keep the lead growing and Kayla Thornton made another three-pointer before a Burton layup right before halftime for the 56-36 lead.
Third Quarter
Portland scored on the first possession of the half and then converted a three-point play to force an early Golden State timeout. The Valkyries restored their lead finally as Veronica Burton made a three-pointer and Kiah Stokes connected again from the corner. Juste Jocyte entered the game and immediately found herself wide open on an inbounds play for a layup to make the lead the biggest of the game, but Carla Leite answered with a pair of free throws. Layups from Kayla Thornton and Janelle Salaun brought the lead back up again and the teams traded baskets with Charles and Salaun scoring next for Golden State. Kaitlyn Chen just beat the buzzer with a layup after a great defensive possession for a 74-56 lead.
Fourth Quarter
Portland found some success early in the quarter, opening with a 11-1 run that stretched past four minutes. Tiffany Hayes was the player who made the lone free throw as the Valkyries called the timeout with an eight-point lead. Cecilia Zandalasini was able to draw a foul and make the free throws and then Veronica Burton made a three-pointer. The Fire did respond, but a Zandalasini layup and a Kayla Thornton three-pointer had them emptying their bench after a timeout. Golden State got another long-range shot from Janelle Salaun and a Gabby Williams layup before a dry spell from both teams had the Valkyries substituting in their last two available players. Kaila Charles made a layup and Kaitlyn Chen made one more three-pointer for the final 95-77 margin.
Player of the Game
This award will go to Kayla Thornton for this game as the story of the night was three-point shooting and she was the leading scorer. Her makes beyond the arc set the tone for the night early in the first quarter and the team joined the party. In a game where the smallball lineups were played for nearly half of the game, she also continued to play her role defensively in tough matchups.
The Verdict
After a good start to the homestand, this was an important win to grab to make sure that the overall record remained strong. Portland has certainly been a dangerous team and the Valkyries were able to play the game that they wanted, forcing turnovers and capitalizing off of them while generating good three-point looks that were converted at a high rate. The team now has two very difficult road games in a row before they return home so momentum was important there too.
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