Golden State Valkyries Rally Past Phoenix Mercury for First Preseason Win
The Golden State Valkyries earned their first preseason win in franchise history with an 84–79 comeback victory in Phoenix Sunday afternoon. After trailing by seven at the half, the Valkyries stormed back with a dominant 28-point third quarter against the Mercury on 45% shooting (9-20), including 50% (7-14) from deep.
Migna Touré was electric off the bench, scoring 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and hitting four threes, including several momentum-swinging buckets in the second half. Rookie Carla Leite added 11 points and hit a pair of threes in another poised performance. Despite her success, Leite remained grounded postgame: “I need to learn a lot of things. I need to improve a lot of things about my game.” Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase praised the young guard’s mentality, calling her “fearless.”
Tiffany Hayes chipped in eight points and remained a steady veteran presence despite an off shooting night, while Kayla Thornton and Chloe Bibby combined for 19 points and critical hustle plays.
Julie Vanloo dished out a team-high six assists, helping organize an efficient fourth-quarter offense, an area Nakase emphasized: “We just need more shots…that’s why taking care of the ball is crucial.”
The Valkyries capitalized on Phoenix’s 20 turnovers, turning them into 32 points. Defense continues to be central to Nakase’s vision. “I would like our goal to be number one in defense. I really want that,” she stated postgame.
She also alluded to the exhausting grind of training camp on her team.
“You can just tell they’re a little bit fatigued,” Nakase admitted. “They’ve been so competitive in practice… especially with the first road trip and all. So just getting healthy, getting back into our beds, probably taking a little bit more time off. We’re done with the double days.”
Players who didn’t see action due to injuries included:
Valkyries
- Kate Martin (Right Hand)
- Stephanie Talbot (Right Quad)
- Cecilia Zandalasini (Right Foot)
Mercury
- Kahleah Copper (Back)
- Alexa Held (Hamstring Tightness)
- Monique Akoa Makani (Knee)
Phoenix was led by Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, who each scored 15 points. Saballay added six rebounds while Thomas dished out six assists in addition to pulling down five rebounds. Natasha Mack added 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Next Up
The Valkyries return home to prepare for their inaugural regular season game on Friday, May 16, when they host the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT. The game will be televised on ION.
