The Golden State Valkyries hope to demonstrate that two halves are better than one when they make a second effort at a first-ever WNBA win Wednesday night in San Francisco with a matchup against the unbeaten Washington Mystics.
The expansion club opened on Friday night to 18,064 at the sold-out Chase Center — a WNBA attendance record for a team in its debut. The Valkyries led for most of the first half against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
Down just 42-39 at the break, the Valkyries couldn’t keep pace in the second half, eventually dropping an 84-67 decision that was mostly the product of an 18-7 fourth-quarter blitz by the Sparks.
Golden State figures to have greater depth in its second game as French star Janelle Salaun is expected to make her WNBA debut after leading Beretta Famila Schio to the Italian League title.
Salaun, who won a silver medal for her native France at the Paris Olympics, was the MVP of the Italian League.
“I need to adjust quickly, and that’s the most challenging part for me,” Salaun said this week. “People are great here and helped me a lot. Everybody is trying to give me the rhythm and I’m really grateful for that. I appreciate everyone here.”
But, she noted, “It’s really (just) basketball. Basketball that helps me be more comfortable. I’m here for this.”
Tiffany Hayes was the Valkyries’ standout in the opener with team highs in points (19) and rebounds (nine). Julie Vanloo, acquired from the Mystics in the expansion draft, electrified the crowd with four 3-pointers en route to 14 points off the bench.
But it’s clear even before she takes an American court, Salaun will be the team’s top attraction.
“She’s already in shape,” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said when asked if Salaun might be tired after having just completed a championship series in Italy. “We’ve talked about: ‘Does she need a break?’ We’re going to monitor that over the next month.”
The Valkyries couldn’t handle the Sparks’ Kelsey Plum (37 points) in the opener, and now must deal with the Mystics’ Brittney Sykes, who has led Washington to its surprising start with 22- and 27-point efforts.
Washington, which won just 14 games last season and had the fourth-worst record in the WNBA, has already defeated a pair of 2024 playoff teams. The Mystics opened with a 94-90 home win over the Atlanta Dream before going on the road and handling the Connecticut Sun 90-85 on Sunday.
Kiki Iriafen, a former Stanford and Southern California star who was the fourth overall pick of the April draft, debuted with a 14-point outing against the Dream. Iriafen then exploded for a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double against the Sun.
The Mystics also had the third (Sonia Citron) and sixth (Georgia Amoore) picks in the draft. Citron had 19 and 15 points in the wins, while Amoore has been sidelined with an ACL injury suffered in training camp.
The rookies have gotten a lot of the credit for Washington’s early turnaround, but Iriafen believes it’s been a team effort.
“Our vets (are) pouring so much confidence into us and telling us to take shots, telling us to make plays,” she said. “This whole environment allows us to thrive because we’re not afraid to make mistakes.”
–Field Level Media
