Game Preview: Preseason Game 2 vs Phoenix Mercury

Date, Time, Location: Sunday, May 11th, 3:00pm PDT, PHX Arena (Phoenix)
Broadcast Information: KPYX (Bay Area), KMAX (Sacramento), KTVK and Arizona’s Family Sports (Mercury Broadcast), WNBA League Pass (non-local viewers)

The Golden State Valkyries hit the road on Sunday for their only other preseason game. They visit the Phoenix Mercury, who are also playing their second preseason game. Tickets for the game are still available with Phoenix only opening up the lower level for seating. With final rosters needing to be set before the season opener, the game will be a key chance for players competing for spots while it should also give an indicator of where players stand in the rotation before those decisions.

The Valkyries

No moves have been made since the first preseason game so the team still has the same 17 players under contract. Janelle Salaun is still trying to win the championship in Italy so she is not with the team. It remains to be seen whether Cecilia Zandalasini and Stephanie Talbot will be available after injuries kept them out of the opener. The team could play their rotations out like a regular game again before letting the rest of the roster play or rest the starters early and give extended minutes to the players trying to fight for the last roster spots.

The Opposition

The Phoenix Mercury have made several moves since opening training camp so their current roster is down to 16 players. Kitija Laksa is teammates with Janelle Salaun in Italy so she has not arrived and Murjanatu Musa is in the finals in France so she will also not be playing. They were very balanced with minutes in their preseason game, a narrow loss to the Las Vegas Aces. One member of the front office will have familiarity with the Valkyries ownership as GM Nick U’Ren worked for the Warriors for nine years after time with both the Mercury and Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix is a team in major transition for this season after Diana Taurasi retired after decades with the team and Brittney Griner ended up not staying with them either. Having brought in Kahleah Copper the previous year to try to move into championship contention, they also brought in Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally this year. That left only Natasha Mack and Celeste Taylor joining Copper in returning from last year. Trades and free agency had them bringing in additional WNBA experience between Sami Whitcomb, Kalani Brown, and Sevgi Uzun.

Alexis Prince is trying to make a roster for the first time in five years, but none of the other players that they have competing for the final few spots have played in the league. That group includes Temira Poindexter and Megan McConnell, who were in this past draft, and Lexi Held, an American who has excelled overseas after not making a WNBA team out of college. Kathryn Westbeld had to wait even longer for her second training camp chance, having been waived seven years ago. The Mercury also dipped into the international market and were able to bring in Cameroonian international Monique Akoa Makani and she started their first game.