Golden State 89, Phoenix 91
By the Numbers
- Janelle Salaün had 13 points and had a pair of threes to break the all-time WNBA record for threes in a season by a reserve player with 69. Salaün was 7-8 (87.5 percent) from the line, with all eight attempts coming in the fourth quarter.
- Cecilia Zandalasini broke her season-high for points in a quarter with 11 in the second, and finished with a team-high 16 points on the night to go with a game-high three steals.
- Kaila Charles recorded her second career double-double (first since 2021) with 10 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. Charles shot 4-7 (57.1 percent) from the field and 2-3 (66.7 percent) from three.
- Veronica Burton added 15 points and five assists, shooting 60 percent (6-10) from the floor.
- Laeticia Amihere added 12 points in 13 minutes of action, shooting 4-7 (57.1 percent) from the field.
- Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points while adding five assists.
- Kayla Thornton posted six points and eight rebounds.
- Golden State had six players in double figures for the second time this season.
- The Mercury shot 43 free throw attempts, and Golden State was called for 34 personal fouls.
- The Valkyries assisted on all 12 made threes on the night, and had 24 assists (one away from the all-time team record).
Quotes
HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE:
ON JANELLE SALAÜN BREAKING THE ALL-TIME WNBA RECORD FOR THREES BY A RESERVE PLAYER:
“Ja's [Janelle Salaün] a killer on every level in terms of what she puts her mind to, her fight, her preparation. She loves basketball. I watched some of her shots the other day on film, and she can stay in the gym all day long. She has so much joy and so much peace when she's just shooting by herself sometimes, and we still have so many games left of the season. So I'm just really proud of her so far, and can't wait for her continued performance of excellence.”
ON CLOSING OUT THE GAME:
“I was happy with some parts of the game in terms of execution and [putting] some things in today that they were able to execute. So it was really good. But in terms of if there's one play specifically, I have to be better in terms of preparing them for [anything]. So that falls on me…It's a great experience for us to have games like this on the road, battling. I thought everyone stayed intently into it towards the end. I just would love a better start. We just have to start better and we have to defend without fouling.”
ON THE OFFENSIVE CHANGES DURING THE GAME:
“They started switching a little bit more, so not being able to get to the paint for threes. That's what I saw the most. But credit to their fight, I thought they came out harder than we did. So just not happy with our start, and then more just frustrated with game plan mistakes in terms of the defense, giving them 91. And Cop [Kahleah Copper] with 27, that wasn't part of the game plan, and A.T. [Alyssa Thomas] with 25. We just have to be better.”
GOLDEN STATE GUARD VERONICA BURTON AND FORWARD CECILIA ZANDALASINI
ON EXECUTION DOWN THE STRETCH:
Burton: “I think there is a discipline that we lacked. Obviously, a lot of free throws for them…But when we're in the bonus that many times we need to be disciplined and rebounding. I think even being in that game was impressive for us because we did a lot of things wrong. But there's a lot to learn from, just being on the same page, keeping our composure. [We’ve] just got to bounce back from it.”
ON HER STRONG SECOND QUARTER:
Zandalasini: “Yeah, I felt like I didn't start the game really well shooting wise. So I just tried to stay confident knowing that the team wanted me to take the shots. I just tried to keep shooting with confidence. I saw one go in, and then the confidence kind of grows.”
ON THE TAKEAWAYS FROM TONIGHT:
Burton: “Just being able to adjust. We have to be able to adjust to the way the game is being called. There were a lot of fouls, we did foul a lot, so we need to be able to be aggressive and be physical without fouling, keeping our composure. We talked a lot about that, and then being on the same page down the stretch. There are some plays that we definitely wish we could get back, and we'll watch the film. We will get them back.”
Up Next: The Valkyries return home to host the Tempo for the first time on Sunday, August 2, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. PT on KPIX+, KMAX, 95.7 The Game, the Audacy App, and ESPN 1320.
