SAN FRANCISCO — The Valkyries were playing in their third game in five days, but you wouldn’t know it by the way they handled the Seattle Storm.
Golden State finished its five-game home stand with a blowout 84-57 win over the Storm behind stingy defense and timely shot making in front of a crowd of 18,064 — the team’s 10th consecutive
Tiffany Hayes had a game-high 21 points and dished out four assists in the win. Veronica Burton had 15 points.
The Valkyries held the high-powered Storm offense to just 27% shooting from the field.
Skylar Diggins led Seattle with 18 points and totaled six assists.
Golden State has won both matchups against Seattle this year.
Valkyries leading scorer Kayla Thornton left the game with what looked like a head injury early in the third quarter and did not return.
Much like the last time these two teams played two weeks ago, the Valkyries got off to a strong start.
Golden State shot 52.9% from the field in the first quarter to take a 23-14 lead.
Seattle made headway in the second period, cutting the lead to as little as five, but the Valkyries finished the half strong thanks to 11 points from Hayes. Golden State held Seattle to 9-of-34 shooting from the field and 4-of-18 from the 3-point line.
At halftime, the Valkyries led 34-27.
Golden State blew the game open in the third quarter, despite Thornton leaving the game 38 seconds into the second half.
Hayes and Burton led the Valkyries’ offense with Thornton in the locker room as they took advantage of a much slower Storm backcourt. The duo combined for 17 points in the period as the Valkyries outscored Seattle 31-17 to take a 21-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Golden State opened the fourth quarter with a 10-4 run, and with a raucous Chase Center crowd by their side, closed the book on Seattle early. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase cleared her bench with 4:49 left and a 25-point lead.
The Valkyries will play the Lynx in their next game on Saturday in Minnesota. Golden State will have just two home games in July.
Leite update
Valkyries rookie Carla Leite missed her fourth straight game with a back injury.
The French point guard was a surprising healthy scratch in the Valkyries’ blowout win over the Connecticut Sun last Sunday and hasn’t played since Golden State’s win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on June 19.
“We’re taking it day-to-day. She told me she feels a lot better,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “When players are usually out, I want to hear about their progression and what they do to take care of their bodies. She told me she’s right on track.”
Kaitlyn Chen has taken over backup point guard duties in Leite’s absence. Chen is averaging five points across 18 minutes per game.
Fágbénlé makes return
Temi Fágbénlé is the first EuroBasket departure to make her return back to the Valkyries.
The 6-foot-4 center played 20 minutes, scored four points and grabbed four rebounds.
She started 10 games for the Valkyries before she left for EuroBasket. Fágbénlé averaged 12 points and 7.3 rebounds across three games for Great Britain.
Fágbénlé arrived back in the Bay Area on Wednesday and said she has been dealing with jetlag since her return.
“The difference is like nine hours, so it’ll be a few days but I feel good,” Fágbénlé said.
Vanloo wins EuroBasket title
Valkyries point guard Julie Vanloo will be returning to the Valkyries with a championship ring.
The second-year point guard helped Belgium win its second consecutive EuroBasket championship Sunday in a 67-65 win over Spain. Belgium recovered from a 12-point second half deficit and Vanloo scored four points off the bench. Vanloo was named to the all-tournament second team.
Former Valkyries center Kyara Linskens totaled 17 points and six rebounds.
Vanloo wasn’t the only Valkyries player to earn tournament recognition.
Justė Jocytė, the Valkyries first-round pick who is slated to join the team next season, was named the EuroBasket Rising Star. Cecilia Zandalasini also received first-team recognition.