Valkyries erase double-digit deficit, close preseason with win over Phoenix Mercury
Much like Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, Golden State had a sluggish first half in which they couldn’t get anything going offensively. The opposing team built a sizable lead early in the third quarter before the Valkyries stormed back to make things interesting in the fourth. And with minutes remaining, the game was going to be decided by which team could execute down the stretch.
This time, it was the Valkyries who hit the big shots.
Golden State erased a 15-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Mercury 84-79 on the road in its preseason finale. After shooting just 3 of 20 from the three-point line in the first half, the Valkyries made 10 3s in the final 20 minutes of play. The Valkyries ended Sunday’s game hitting 13 of their 43 3-point attempts.
“We like to come off a little bit cold,” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said. “I just have to figure out how to get them a little bit more warm in the beginning, but I want them to continue to let it fly.”
Migna Touré scored 16 of her game-high 19 points off the bench. Starting forward Kayla Thornton had 12 points, five rebounds and four steals. Guard Carla Leite chipped in 11 points.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/05/11/golden-state-valkyries-phoenix-mercury-sunday-wnba-preseason-game/