Washington, DC — In a nail-biting finish, the Golden State Valkyries held off the Washington Mystics 68-67 on Thursday night. Kate Martin led the charge for Golden State with 14 points, while Veronica Burton delivered a well-rounded performance with 10 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds.
The game was tight throughout, with the Valkyries taking the lead late in the fourth quarter. Temi Fagbenle put Golden State ahead 66-65 with 5:34 left, but the Valkyries’ offense went cold, not scoring another field goal until Janelle Salaun’s layup with just under a minute remaining, which proved to be the game-winner.
With 37 seconds left, the Mystics had a chance to take the lead but missed a 3-pointer. The Valkyries then worked the clock down, calling a timeout with just three seconds left on the shot clock. Salaun’s contested shot in the lane missed, but Golden State grabbed the offensive rebound, only to turn it over moments later, giving Washington one last chance.
Brittney Sykes, who had been clutch throughout the game, drove to the basket and put up a floater at the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim, sealing the Valkyries’ victory.
Washington’s Sonia Citron, fresh off a career-high 28 points in a win over Chicago on Tuesday, led the Mystics with 16 points. Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen also contributed 10 points each for Washington (13-14).
For Golden State (13-13), Iliana Rupert was a standout in the first half, scoring all of her 11 points in the opening two quarters. Fagbenle finished with 10 points, and Tiffany Hayes became the 42nd player in WNBA history to play 10,000 career minutes.
The Valkyries got off to a hot start, shooting 10-of-14 from the field in the first quarter, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, to take a 30-20 lead after the first period. However, Washington responded with a 14-2 run to start the second half, cutting the deficit to 46-41 after a 3-pointer by Sykes. The Mystics then grabbed their first lead of the game with 7:20 left, thanks to a 3-pointer from Emily Engstler.
Despite the late-game drama, Golden State managed to hold on for the narrow victory.
