Golden State lost to Phoenix 81-72, marking a third straight defeat and dropping the Valkyries to 18-18 and the No. 8 playoff seed. Tiffany Hayes exited with an injury late in the third quarter after colliding with Kahleah Copper. Rookie Carla Leite injured her ankle in the third and was removed in the fourth. Golden State trailed 41-31 at halftime but cut the deficit to 50-47 in the third. Janelle Salaun scored 15 while Veronica Burton added 11 points and eight assists. Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas posted a 13-12-16 triple-double. Golden State will play at Dallas on Sunday.
Healthy players and wins are becoming harder and harder to come by for the Valkyries as the season enters its final phase. Golden State dropped its third consecutive game when the visiting team fell to Phoenix 81-72 on Friday night. Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes, who made her return after resting against Phoenix in the Bay Area on Tuesday, left the game with an injury with 7:17 to go in the third quarter.
With their veteran leader knocked out, the Valkyries tumbled back to .500 with an 18-18 record and into the last playoff spot as the No. 8 seed after losing the rematch to the Mercury, who beat Golden State in the Bay Area on Tuesday. The Valkyries kept it close for a while, though. Golden State trailed 41-31 at halftime, and a burst in the third cut the deficit to 50-47 with a little over four minutes remaining in the quarter.
One of the few bright spots for the Valkyries was rookie wing Janelle Salaun, who was asked to take on more of a scoring role with Cecilia Zandalasini staying at home while nursing a calf injury. Salaun scored 15 on a variety of drives, contested finishes and some soft mid-range jumpers. Coming off a 24-point, 14-assist masterclass on Tuesday, Veronica Burton put up a solid 11 points and eight assists for the Valkyries.
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