SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries snapped their two-game losing streak Tuesday night on San José State University Night at Chase Center, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 87-81 in their third Commissioner’s Cup game of the season.
Guard Veronica Burton and forward Gabby Williams each scored 25 points during the game to help improve Golden State’s record to 7-5 and remain in the Commissioner’s Cup hunt.
Burton added 8 assists and carried the offensive load early, scoring 19 of her points in the first half while Williams knocked down three of her six 3-point attempts.
Despite building an 18-point lead in the second quarter and taking a 49-32 advantage into halftime, the Valkyries were forced to withstand a second-half push from Phoenix, which outscored Golden State 29-17 in the third quarter.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase credited her team’s resilience when the Mercury began chipping away at the lead.
“What I loved is we didn’t hang our heads. We kept looking up, we kept looking at each other for more support and information, and that’s what I was really proud about tonight,” Nakase said.
Golden State jumped to an early 10-3 lead behind an aggressive defensive effort that forced an early shot-clock violation. Center Kiah Stokes capped the opening run with a 3-pointer midway through the first quarter.
Phoenix quickly responded with a 13-0 run over a three-minute stretch. Forward Noemie Brochant scored on a driving layup, forcing the Valkyries to call their first timeout.
The timeout shifted momentum back in Golden State’s favor.
Burton stopped the Mercury run with a layup before forward Kayla Thornton knocked down her first 3-pointer of the night, igniting the packed Ballhalla crowd.
Forward Janelle Salaün helped the Valkyries regain control, drilling a 3-pointer to give Golden State a 22-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Valkyries wasted no time extending their lead in the second quarter.
Guard Tiffany Hayes opened the period with a contested fadeaway jumper at the shot-clock buzzer while drawing a foul and sinking the free throw to convert on the three-point play.
Golden State shot 57% from the field in the first half while holding Phoenix to 32%, helping the Valkyries outscore the Mercury 27-14 in the second quarter, building a strong 49-32 halftime lead.
Phoenix finished with 16 turnovers on the night, which Golden State converted into 17 points.
The Mercury emerged from halftime with renewed energy, cutting the deficit to 11 behind a string of baskets from forward Alyssa Thomas and guard Monique Akoa Makani.
Thomas led the Mercury with 22 points while nearly recording a triple-double, finishing with 9 assists and 8 rebounds on 9-for-15 shooting. Akoa Makani added 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting and knocked down three 3-pointers.
In the late third quarter, Thomas later drove to the basket to trim the lead to five, but the Ballhalla crowd helped stabilize the energy of the home side.
Forward Natasha Mack blocked a Burton layup attempt before Brochant buried a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to keep Golden State’s lead at five entering the fourth quarter.
Even with the Mercury erasing most of Golden State’s lead, Burton said the Valkyries showed growth by maintaining their composure down the stretch.
“Obviously, we would’ve preferred for it not to be that close and to be able to sustain our lead, but we’ve lost a couple close ones,” Burton said. “I think just being able to figure it out, even when things go wrong and when they hit tough shots, just staying together, I thought our composure took a really big leap tonight.”
The teams traded baskets throughout the fourth quarter. Williams hit a contested 3-pointer to extend Golden State’s lead to 74-67, sending the crowd into a frenzy, but Thomas answered right back to keep Phoenix within striking distance.
The Mercury continued to battle back, cutting the deficit to 76-75 with 3:09 remaining after another 3-pointer from Akoa Makani.
A minute later, Thornton buried a clutch 3-pointer with 2:03 left to make it 81-76.
After Burton missed a 3-pointer with the Valkyries leading 84-81, the Mercury had an opportunity to tie the game.
Thomas proceeded to throw a pass directly to Williams for her fourth turnover of the night. Golden State then sealed the victory with free throws from Thornton and Williams.
Williams said the win represented another step in the team’s development.
“We’re still early in the season. Every game is like we’re trying to learn,” Williams said. “Now the next step is just building on all the needs.”
The Valkyries continued attacking the paint throughout the night and won the free-throw battle, converting 23 of 28 attempts while Phoenix finished 12-for-18 from the line.
Phoenix recovered from its slow start to shoot 46.2% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, while Golden State finished shooting 44.3% overall.
Nakase credited Ballhalla for helping the Valkyries withstand Phoenix’s late push.
“They’re amazing. We have the best fans in the world, I’m going to say it,” Nakase said. “Ballhalla is definitely a mentality. They’re our sixth man. They’re our everything.”
The Valkyries improved to 7-5 and moved into fourth place in the Western Conference. Phoenix fell to 4-9 and sits seventh in the conference.
Golden State is scheduled to return to Commissioner’s Cup play Friday against the Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle before returning to the Bay Area for a three-game homestand.
