Martin’s Breakout Not Enough as Valkyries Fall to Liberty in Tight Finish, 81-78

SAN FRANCISCO – The New York Liberty (11-3) narrowly escaped the Golden State Valkyries (7-7) with an 81-78 victory at Chase Center Wednesday night, extending their season series dominance to 3-0 in a game that was a thrilling, back-and-forth battle down to the final buzzer.

With the potential of a signature win hanging in the balance, Golden State second-year guard Kate Martin rose up from deep. Her fourth 3-pointer of the fourth quarter splashed through with 12.2 seconds left, pulling the Golden State Valkyries within one. The Chase Center crowd of 18,064 roared, on its feet for a potential upset of the league-leading New York Liberty. But the comeback ended there.

The Liberty iced the game at the line courtesy of Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu. New York walked away with the win, denying the Valkyries a chance to cap one of their most complete performances of the season.

First Quarter Fireworks

The Valkyries blitzed New York in the opening quarter with 60% shooting from three-point range and a season-high 32 points. Tiffany Hayes scored 12 of her 15 in the first, while Stephanie Talbot added eight points of her own to keep New York chasing.

But as quickly as the lead came, it vanished. The Liberty found their footing in the second quarter behind Breanna Stewart, who notched 21 of her 23 points in the first half. Golden State cooled off, going 4-for-19 from the field, and entered the break trailing 46–43.

The Liberty took a 46–43 lead into halftime.

Second Half Showdown

The back-and-forth continued after the break with multiple lead changes. Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton helped the Valkyries briefly go up 52–49, but the Liberty’s Marine Johannès countered with three straight triples to keep New York in front, 64–61, heading into the fourth.

Martin came alive for the Valkyries in the final quarter, scoring 14 of her career-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers.

“I was ice cold in the first half,” Martin said. “Shout-out to [my teammates] for continuing to pass me the ball. It just feels good to knock down shots.”

After Martin’s final three made it a one-point game, the Valkyries didn’t get another chance. New York hit its free throws, and Golden State’s last look didn’t fall.

“I’m definitely proud of this team’s fight from start to finish,” she added. “There’s a lot of positives to take away.” She finished with a career-high 21 points.

The Valkyries’ defense held the Liberty to 36.1% shooting from the field, marking only the second time this season that New York has been held under 40%.

Key Performances

In addition to Martin off the bench, Golden State had three other players in double figures. Talbot added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep. Hayes finished with 15 points, 12 of them coming in the first quarter, and also grabbed five rebounds. Thornton posted 11 points and seven boards, while  Burton tallied 10 assists and seven points. Monique Billings added a team-high seven rebounds in her fourth start of the season.

Stewart led New York and pulled down 10 rebounds to go with her 23 points, notching her 92nd career double-double and 38th with New York. Kennedy Burke added 20 points and Johannès scored 11, all off the bench. Ionescu, despite her struggles from the field, was perfect from the charity stripe, going 8-for-8, marking her eighth perfect game on at least eight attempts, a new Liberty franchise record. The Liberty bench also came up big, tying a season-high with 31 points. Furthermore, New York showcased exceptional free-throw shooting as a team, with Stewart (3-3), Ionescu (8-8), and Burke (4-4) all hitting 100% on at least three attempts – a feat only accomplished by four other WNBA teams in 2025. The Liberty also demonstrated remarkable ball security, not committing a single turnover until just 1:10 remained in the first half, the third-longest such streak in franchise history.

Up Next

The Valkyries continue their homestand Friday against the Chicago Sky. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. PT on ION, 95.7 The Game, and the Audacy App.

The Liberty head to Phoenix for a matchup against the Mercury, on the same day and at the same time, with the game also airing on ION.