The Portland Fire will be playing a second game in two days, but it could be the Golden State Valkyries who are most compromised when the clubs meet Friday night in San Francisco.
The Fire (16-25) returned in the WNBA relaunch following the FIBA Women’s World Cup on Thursday night, falling at home to the Phoenix Mercury 94-91.
The Valkyries (29-11) had the night off, allowing them to get in an extra practice following their 17-day break from WNBA play. But that practice was held without Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaun and Cecilia Zandalasini, all of whom were excused after playing leading roles for their European countries in the World Cup.
All three are likely to sit out Friday but possibly return when the Valkyries complete a back-to-back Saturday night against the Seattle Storm.
Veteran backup Kaila Charles noted that missing one regular-season game with the postseason now in sight might be in the best interest of three of the team’s top players.
“We might find ourselves matched up with an East Coast team,” Charles told reporters about a possible first-round matchup in the playoffs that start next Sunday. “So it’s important we start thinking about recovery now. If your body’s not strong, you’re not going to be able to make a deep run.”
Having won four in a row, the Valkyries have clinched a playoff spot. They sit second in the standings, two games behind first-place Minnesota (31-9) and 1 1/2 up on third-place Las Vegas. Golden State would lose a tiebreaker to either team.
The Valkyries finish the regular season with four games against teams with losing records. After their home matchups with Portland and Seattle, they will get a rematch with the Fire on the road next Tuesday, then visit the Los Angeles Sparks in the regular-season finale next Thursday.
Portland was missing two of its international stars in the Thursday loss. Carla Leite could return to face Golden State after being rested on Thursday, while Megan DiLeo is doubtful due to a dislocated finger suffered in the World Cup.
Surrendered by the Valkyries in the expansion draft before the start of this season, Leite returns to San Francisco averaging 15.9 points for the Fire, more than double the 7.2 per game she put up as a rookie last season for Golden State.
“I thought I was going to do much better,” she told reporters at the World Cup. “Sometimes I played a lot, and then I got injured when there were already a lot of injured players — it was a missed opportunity. But overall, I have good memories of it.”
–Field Level Media
