San Francisco, CA— Temi Fagbenle led the way with 16 points as the Golden State Valkyries secured a gritty 66-58 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night, inching closer to a historic playoff berth in their inaugural WNBA season.
With the victory—Golden State’s fourth straight—the expansion team lowered its magic number to just two to clinch a spot in the postseason. That means any combination of two Valkyries wins or two Los Angeles Sparks losses will seal the deal. With the Sparks off Tuesday and scheduled to play Wednesday, Golden State could potentially lock up a playoff spot as early as Thursday.
“We’re already locked into playoff mentality,” Fagbenle said to the home crowd following the win.
Even in defeat, the Liberty still secured a postseason berth of their own thanks to the Indiana Fever’s loss to the Phoenix Mercury earlier in the evening.
Breanna Stewart led New York with 19 points. Still, the Liberty struggled offensively in the absence of star guard Sabrina Ionescu, who missed her third consecutive game due to a toe injury. The matchup was expected to be a homecoming for Ionescu, who grew up in the Bay Area.
The Valkyries’ defense held firm down the stretch, limiting New York to just nine points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory and continue their impressive debut campaign.
