NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
May 22, San Francisco – Natalie Nakase entered the postgame interview in a robe and with damp hair, the two signs of a celebration. Even though the Valkyries had an ugly shooting night, their grit and forced turnovers led them to their first victory of the season against the Washington Mystics, 76-74.
The offense struggled in the first half to get a rhythm going, and Tiffany Hayes exited the game in the second quarter with a nose injury and did not return. The team needed to look for another offensive outlet. Golden State shot 23.7% from FG and were 2-of-20 from the 3PT line to close the half, yet they were up 31-30.
Veronica Burton hit a crazy buzzer-beater going into halftime, one of the two shots from the arc in the first half. Burton had a career night: 22 points, nine rebounds, and three-of-four from the three-point line.
SCREAMING.
Veronica Burton with a halftime buzzer beater to give us a 31-30 lead at halftime! pic.twitter.com/zwLQFlvtgx
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) May 22, 2025
Burton said, “That shot was a little lucky, and a little faith but to see that go in I think helped me to see a few more go in.”
The Valkyries finished the night 7-of-37 from beyond the arc, becoming the sixth WNBA team in history to miss 30 or more 3-pointers in a game. (SF Chronicle)
“We are still taking good quality shots and a lot of those are three’s but also when that’s not falling we’re an aggressive team in the paint too and in transition. They’re a fast-paced team but so are we.” (Burton)
Burton had 14 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter, which gave the Valkyries the energy they needed to close out the game. The Mystics maintained a small lead in the fourth quarter until the final two minutes. Burton hit a clutch three-pointer for the lead, and the fans roared. They were the true sixth man of this matchup, pushing the Valkyries to play their all in the second half.
The Valkyries forced the Mystics to commit 18 turnovers, which GSV turned into 17 points. GSV took full advantage of the sixth man in these situations, giving them the momentum to maintain the quick pace.
Janelle Salaün made her debut and hit the first bucket of the night, her first in the Valkyries jersey.
Next up, Los Angeles. The Valkyries face the Sparks and Kelsey Plum on Friday night for their first road match of the season.
