NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
September 9 – Seattle
After a heartbreaking 74-73 loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night, the Golden State Valkyries are now seventh in the WNBA standings.
Erica Wheeler’s 17 points off the bench and her go-ahead jumper clinched the eighth spot for the Storm in a do-or-die scenario. Although Golden State had 12 points in the final quarter, they had a chance to win and lock in their sixth-place slot.
With 14 seconds remaining, Janelle Salaün drove to the hoop and tossed up a layup that bounced off the rim and into the hands of Kate Martin. Martin quickly passed to Iliana Rupert, who swung the ball to Salaün in the corner. The French forward was five-of-six from the arc until her final attempt with eight seconds left on the clock. Her shot bounced off the rim again, and although Veronica Burton fought for the offensive board, Wheeler sprinted across the court as time elapsed and sealed their win.
A visibly frustrated duo of Salaün and Burton explained how important it was for the team to get the win tonight.
“We lost. It’s not good enough if we want to go far in the playoffs, if we want to be a contending team,” Burton said. “It’s just the little things, like the little possessions, fighting for every loose ball. We knew they were desperate coming in here…it’s a testament to our defense, but that’s who we are. We just gotta take it to the next level.”
Salaün hit back-to-back threes in the third to propel a 14-3 run for the Valkyries. They entered the fourth quarter ahead by eight points. Golden State failed to convert four layups early in the fourth quarter while the Storm surged back and took a 63-61 lead. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Salaün finished with a career-high 22 points, 5-of-7 from the arc, and six rebounds.
Projected Playoff Outcomes
The Valkyries’ final game of the season on Thursday against the Minnesota Lynx (#1) will be a battlefield. In a loss, Golden State will be eighth in the standings and face the Lynx in the first round. If they win, they’ll land the sixth seed and most likely face the Atlanta Dream.
The Indiana Fever finished the season with a win against the Lynx on Tuesday, solidifying their seventh-place spot in the standings.
“Obviously (the next game) it’s important for seeding, so we need to all understand that and be on the same page about it and get the job done,” Burton said.
Head coach Natalie Nakase took the blame for Golden State’s loss in Seattle. “Just disappointment in myself. I don’t think I handled the game very well. Just schematically, I thought I could do a better job. I can’t make any errors down the stretch.”
