Date, Time, and Location: Monday, June 15th, 7:00pm, Chase Center
Broadcast Information: KPIX (San Francisco Bay Area) and KOVR (Sacramento area), Spectrum Sports Net (opposition’s broadcast area), Peacock/NBC Sports Network (outside teams’ broadcast areas)
The Golden State Valkyries start a three-game homestand on Monday with a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The visitors made a big push to compete for this season after five years of missing the playoffs and have gotten some good results. Local broadcasts will carry the game in both teams’ home markets, but WNBA League Pass will not show the game live to people outside of those areas as Peacock has streaming rights and some providers carry the recently launched NBC Sports Network that will show the game live as well.
The Valkyries
Both teams enter the game with clean injury reports, although neither team has used their full depth recently before games have been decided. The teams met in the first ever Valkyries game, which was a Golden State loss, but they bounced back to win the other three matchups. This will be the return game for Kate Martin as she signed a developmental player contract with the Sparks after being the last player waived in training camp. She has been active and playing in their recent games as they near the point where they will make a decision on her contract.
The Opposition
Los Angeles kept their key duo of Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby for this season, but also made aggressive moves in the short offseason to build a roster that they believe can improve on their record from recent years. They brought Nneka Ogwumike in to strengthen the post as she returned to the team where she started her career and Erica Wheeler to give them additional experience at point guard after they both left Seattle. They traded Rickea Jackson to Chicago for Ariel Atkins to add another player who is already in the prime of her career.
The players that have been counted on most heavily on their bench have been returnees Cameron Brink, who is the only true center in their rotation, and Rae Burrell, who has offered scoring punch on the wing. Post players Emma Cannon and Sania Feagin also returned, but they have only appeared in three games total. The team kept two of their draft picks to add guard depth, but Ta’Niya Latson has not played much while Chance Gray has earned more opportunities recently. Forward Laura Ziegler went undrafted, but she signed a developmental player deal and has yet to play. The other player on their roster is Korean wing Park Ji-Hyun, who went undrafted in 2020 and is now getting her first chance in the league.
The Sparks lost their first two games of the season and then split a home series with the expansion Toronto Tempo. They have since gone on streaks of three wins, three losses, and three wins again. This is the last game of a three-game road trip for them and they will certainly enter the game with less rest than the Valkyries after they needed overtime to leave Phoenix with a win. Kelsey Plum was fantastic for them in that game as she has been a key player for them all season
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