Tiffany Hayes came off the bench for a season-high 22 points, Golden State turned 18 Chicago turnovers into 25 points, and the Valkyries captured a fifth straight win with a 91-71 thumping of the Sky on Wednesday in San Francisco.
Kaila Charles (15), Gabby Williams (13), Veronica Burton (13) and Cecilia Zandalasini (12) also scored in double figures for Golden State (24-9), which avenged a 69-63 home loss to Chicago on May 13.
Taking advantage of the absence of Valkyries defensive ace Kiah Stokes, who is in the concussion protocol, Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso had team-high totals of 20 points and six rebounds.
Reserve Rachel Banham added 11 points for the Sky (12-22), who lost their third straight game.
Led by six points from Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago put up 24 in the first quarter and led by eight after the period.
However, with Hayes, Charles, Williams and Zandalasini each accumulating three steals, the Golden State defense dominated the final 30 minutes, limiting the visitors to an additional 47 points.
Up by just three at halftime, the Valkyries outscored the Sky 48-31 after the intermission, building a lead that peaked at 23 points.
Hayes hit eight of her 11 shots while also finding time for a game-high-tying six rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Williams (5-for-10) and Burton (5-for-9) also drained at least half of their shots, helping Golden State shoot 50.8% for the game.
Led by Burton’s 3-for-6 and Kaitlyn Chen’s 2-for-2, the Valkyries connected on eight 3-pointers, outscoring the Sky 24-18 from beyond the arc.
With Hayes and Charles combining for 37 points, Golden State’s reserves outscored their Chicago counterparts 48-24.
Cardoso made seven of her 13 shots.
Chicago’s Natasha Cloud chipped in with a game-high nine assists to complement nine points. Banham accounted for three of the Sky’s six 3-pointers.
–Field Level Media
