A stifling defensive effort and effective 3-point shooting paced the Golden State Valkyries to a 74-57 rout of the Connecticut Sun on Monday in San Francisco.
Golden State (16-15) shot 13-for-33, 39.4 percent, from beyond the arc as a team, with four different Valkyries connecting on multiple 3-point attempts. The 13 made triples marked the team’s second-highest output from deep this season.
The long-range deluge complemented an overwhelming performance on the other side of the floor.
Connecticut (5-26), closing out an 0-4 road swing with its fifth consecutive loss, hit only 21 of 61 (34.4 percent) from the floor, including 5 of 25 (20 percent) from behind the 3-point arc.
Golden State set the tone, holding the Sun to just 10 first-quarter points and 26 by halftime.
The Valkyries held a narrow lead going into the second half, and Connecticut remained within a single-digit-point margin until the early fourth quarter before Golden State blew it open. Janelle Salaun, Cecilia Zandalasini, Iliana Rupert and Kate Martin each hit a 3-pointer during a 14-2 run that effectively sealed the Valkyries’ win.
Zandalasini shot 3-for-8 from outside en route to 17 points, matching teammate Tiffany Hayes for a game-high scoring total. Hayes connected on 3 of 6 from deep.
Salaun, who shot 4-for-7 from 3-point distance, added 16 points. Rupert scored six of her 10 points off the bench via 2-for-4 shooting from outside.
Golden State’s Veronica Burton went without a made field goal on the way to three points, but she fueled the offense with 10 assists and just one turnover.
The Valkyries committed only nine turnovers as a team while forcing the Sun into 14. The takeaways contributed to Golden State’s second consecutive game holding an opponent to fewer than 60 points, a franchise first.
Rookie Aneesah Morrow led Connecticut with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting. They were the Sun’s lone double-figure scorers. Saniya Rivers chipped in nine points off the bench.
–Field Level Media
