Tenth Straight Sellout For Valkyries as They Dominate Storm in Wire-to-Wire Victory at Home
SAN FRANCISCO — Tiffany “Tip” Hayes scored a season-high 21 points and the Golden State Valkyries put together one of their most complete defensive efforts of the year, cruising past the Seattle Storm 84–57 in front of a sellout crowd at Chase Center. The Valkyries led from the opening tip, jumping out to a 7-0 start and never looking back. It marked Golden State’s 10th straight home sellout, as 18,064 fans packed the arena to witness the expansion franchise’s ninth win of the season.
“Love the fans, man,” Hayes said postgame. “Every time, we can’t say it enough. They’re like our sixth man off the bench, they give us so much energy. When we’re down, when we’re up, they’re picking us up. So shoutout to them for coming every single night. That’s just 10 in a row, love that for us, so keep coming back every night. We love it.”
Valkyries Clamp Down on Defense
Seattle came into the game having won four of its last five, but the Storm were stifled by Golden State’s active, physical defense. The Valkyries held the Storm to a season-low 57 points and just 27.0% shooting from the field. Seattle also managed only 13 assists—another season low.
“We are a team that is reliant on our defense, and when we execute on that end we get to turn it into our offense,” said Veronica Burton, who had 15 points, five assists and two blocks. “Each and every player on our team takes pride in that, and that’s a standard we want to continue to enforce throughout the rest of the season.”
Hayes and Amihere Lead Balanced Attack
Hayes was aggressive from the outset, finishing 8-for-13 from the field and adding four assists and three rebounds in just under 26 minutes. With Kayla Thornton limited, Hayes stepped up. Thornton sustained an injury and exited the game in the third quarter.
“She understood when KT went out that she had to step up, and that’s what you saw,” said head coach Natalie Nakase. “That’s what’s so fun with Tip—she’s really tough to guard in any situation.”
Laeticia Amihere had the best performance of her young career, scoring 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and pulling down eight rebounds. Her lone block came against 6-foot-6 Dominique Malonga, energizing the home crowd.
Kate Martin continued her strong run off the bench with 11 points and a +22 plus-minus. The Valkyries shot a season-best 48.4% from the field and dominated in the paint, outscoring Seattle 46-18 inside.
Third-Quarter Surge Seals It
Golden State exploded for 31 points in the third quarter, turning a 34-27 halftime lead into a 21-point margin. The Valkyries shot 58.8% in the quarter and buried the Storm with their energy and ball movement.
“We are really coming into our own,” said Nakase. “Our killer mentality as an identity is really showing out.”
Up Next
Golden State (9–7) begins a four-game road trip on Saturday, July 5 at Minnesota. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. PT on KMAX/KPIX.
Seattle (10–8) travels to Atlanta next and will face the Dream on July 3 at 4:30 p.m. PT, airing on CW Seattle.
