The Golden State Valkyries took a major step toward earning a playoff berth in their inaugural season, riding balanced scoring and stingy defense to a 66-58 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday in San Francisco.
Despite the defeat, the Liberty (24-17) clinched a playoff spot when the Indiana Fever lost 85-79 to the host Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.
Temi Fagbenle had 16 points, Kate Martin 11, and Janelle Salaun and Kaila Charles 10 apiece for the Valkyries (22-18), whose fourth consecutive win solidified their sixth-place standing with just four games remaining. The top eight teams make the playoffs.
Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud shared game-high scoring honors with 19 points apiece for the fifth-place Liberty (24-17), who had won their previous three meetings with Golden State.
After limiting the Liberty to eight points in the second quarter, the Valkyries led 53-29 after a Salaun 3-pointer at the midpoint of the third period.
But Golden State then scored just three points in the next seven-plus minutes as New York, playing without Sabrina Ionescu (toe), rallied within 56-46 after a pair of Cloud free throws on the opening possession of the fourth period.
Carla Leite stopped the 17-3 Liberty run by making a layup with 7:48 remaining, and Veronica Burton dropped in a technical-foul free throw, pushing the Golden State lead back to 13.
A 3-pointer by Fagbenle with 5:23 to go upped the lead to 63-47, after which the Liberty got no closer than the final score.
Despite 1-for-9 shooting and scoring just six points, Burton contributed a game-high nine rebounds and game-high nine assists to the Valkyries’ cause.
Golden State shot just 37.3 percent for the game and committed 15 turnovers but won the game at the defensive end, where the Liberty were harassed into 31.6 percent shooting while also turning the ball over 15 times.
Both teams also shot poorly from beyond the arc, with New York going 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) and Golden State 7-for-26 (26.9 percent). Martin had three of the Valkyries’ successes in six attempts, all in the first 20 minutes while helping the hosts take a 40-26 halftime lead with all of her 11 points.
The 58 points were a season low for the defending champs. Stewart shot just 4-for-15, with a majority of her points coming on 10-for-13 success at the foul line.
Cloud also found time to share in the team lead with five rebounds and four assists for New York, which lost its second straight on a three-game Western swing.
–Field Level Media
