Golden State Valkyries at Los Angeles Sparks
· Women's National Basketball AssociationCarla Leite scores 19, Janelle Salaun adds 18 to help Valkyries beat Sparks 82-73
Salaun grabbed eight rebounds and Leite made 7 of 10 from the field. Veronica Burton added 12 points and five steals for the Valkyries (2-1).
Expansion Golden State, which beat Washington 76-74 on Wednesday, has won consecutive games for the first time franchise history.
Thornton made a floater with 6:43 to play that gave Golden State a 73-58 lead but the Valkyries went scoreless for the next five-plus minutes. Kelsey Plum hit a 3-pointer and Dearica Hamby scored the final five points in a 10-0 run before Thornton made three free throws with 1:33 remaining that made it 76-68.
Hamby led Los Angeles (1-3) with 25 points, Plum scored 16 and Odyssey Sims had 13.
The Sparks have lost three games in a row since beating Golden State 84-67 in the season opener.
Sims hit a 3-pointer that gave the Sparks a nine-point lead with 2:11 remaining in the first period. They missed their next 15 field-goal attempts and committed six turnovers as Golden State went on a 26-1 run that gave the Valkyries a 42-26 lead when Temi Fagbenle made a layup with 2:59 left until halftime.
Regular Season Series
GS wins series 3-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of Game | 82 - 73 |
| 4th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of the 4th Quarter | 82 - 73 |
| 4th 0.1 | ![]() |
shot clock turnover | 82 - 73 |
| 4th 22.1 | ![]() |
Janelle Salaun defensive rebound | 82 - 73 |
| 4th 24.1 | ![]() |
Dearica Hamby misses two point shot | 82 - 73 |
Statistics
GS |
LA |
|
|---|---|---|
| 27-65 | FG | 24-62 |
| 42 | Field Goal % | 39 |
| 9-29 | 3PT | 9-26 |
| 31 | Three Point % | 35 |
| 19-21 | FT | 16-22 |
| 90 | Free Throw % | 73 |
| 34 | Rebounds | 31 |
| 8 | Offensive Rebounds | 7 |
| 26 | Defensive Rebounds | 24 |
| 15 | Assists | 18 |
| 13 | Steals | 9 |
| 4 | Blocks | 4 |
| 15 | Turnovers | 17 |
| 2 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 17 | Total Turnovers | 18 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 13 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 22 |
| 14 | Fast Break Points | 9 |
| 30 | Points in Paint | 28 |
| 15 | Fouls | 18 |
| 20 | Largest Lead | 11 |
Game Information
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 10,857 · Capacity:
2025-26 Western Conference Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minnesota |
- | 11 | W1 | 0.75 | 33 |
Golden State |
1 | 12 | W1 | 0.72727275 | 32 |
Las Vegas |
2 | 13 | W7 | 0.70454544 | 31 |
Dallas |
6 | 17 | W1 | 0.6136364 | 27 |
Portland |
16 | 27 | W1 | 0.38636363 | 17 |
Los Angeles |
17 | 28 | L2 | 0.36363637 | 16 |
Phoenix |
17 | 28 | L1 | 0.36363637 | 16 |
Seattle |
25 | 36 | L5 | 0.18181819 | 8 |
WNBA News
Golden State hosts Las Vegas with 1-0 series lead
Las Vegas Aces (31-13, 17-6 Western Conference) at Golden State Valkyries (32-12, 15-8 Western Conference)
Atlanta takes 1-0 lead into game 2 against New York
New York Liberty (26-18, 13-7 Eastern Conference) at Atlanta Dream (30-14, 15-5 Eastern Conference)
WNBA championship and Finals MVP odds: Dream become new favorites, followed by the Valkyries
The outcome of the two Game 1s in the WNBA semifinals shook up the odds.
Nigerian connection runs through Mystics rise as Kiki Iriafen breaks out in playoff run
Fresh from helping team USA win the World Cup last month, Kiki Iriafen's second WNBA season ended with a first round elimination to the Atlanta Dream.
Lacob lauds Williams as world's best after Valkyries' Game 1 win
Gabby Williams scored 25 points and played lockdown defense in a performance that led Valkyries owner Joe Lacob to declare her the "best player in the world."





GS
LA
Minnesota
Las Vegas
Dallas
Portland
Phoenix
Seattle