The Golden State Valkyries will look to secure their second victory in three days over the Toronto Tempo when the teams meet Tuesday night at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT as Golden State enters the contest with a 20-9 record, while Toronto sits at 10-19.
The matchup is the third and final meeting between the expansion franchises this season. Golden State has won both previous contests, earning an 83-75 road victory on July 8 before defeating Toronto 96-79 on Sunday in the opener of this back-to-back series in San Francisco.
Valkyries Building Momentum
Golden State bounced back from consecutive losses with Sunday’s convincing win over Toronto and continues to establish itself as one of the WNBA’s top defensive teams. The Valkyries lead the league by allowing just 77.0 points per game, while opponents are averaging only 74.2 points over Golden State’s last 10 games. The Valkyries have also held opponents to 70 points or fewer nine times this season, including five times in their last 11 games.
The Valkyries have also been dominant at Chase Center, where they are tied for the league lead with 12 home victories and own one of the WNBA’s best home winning percentages. Golden State enters Tuesday having sold out 37 consecutive regular-season home games.
Looking Back at Sunday’s Win
Golden State’s balanced attack powered the Valkyries to a 17-point victory on Sunday.
Janelle Salaün led the way with 24 points off the bench, knocking down four three-pointers. Veronica Burton added 17 points and six assists, while Gabby Williams and Tiffany Hayes each scored 15 points. Kiah Stokes anchored the defense with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
The Valkyries shot 49.3% from the field, connected on 14 three-pointers, and committed just eight turnovers while forcing Toronto into 13 giveaways.
Players to Watch
Gabby Williams continues to pace Golden State with 14.9 points per game while averaging 1.6 steals, ranking among the league leaders defensively. The 2026 All-Star starter has already recorded a career-high five 20-point games this season.
Veronica Burton remains the engine of the offense, averaging 12.2 points and a team-leading 5.5 assists while ranking among the WNBA leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio. Golden State is 13-1 this season when Burton records six or more assists.
Kiah Stokes has anchored the paint all season, averaging 1.9 blocks per game, second-best in the WNBA, while also pulling down 5.2 rebounds per contest.
Off the bench, Janelle Salaün continues to be one of the league’s premier sixth players. She leads all WNBA reserves with 13.2 points per game and 73 made three-pointers, helping Golden State lead the league in bench scoring at 35.9 points per game.
Toronto Searching for Answers
The Tempo enter Tuesday on a difficult stretch, having lost six consecutive games and 10 of their last 11. Toronto is averaging 87.8 points per game offensively but is surrendering 93.7 points per contest, one of the league’s highest defensive marks.
In Sunday’s loss, Nyara Sabally led Toronto with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Kiki Rice added 16 points. The Tempo were without leading scorer Marina Mabrey, who missed the game with a neck injury.
Key Matchup
Golden State’s league-best defense will once again be tested against a Toronto offense that prefers to play at a faster pace. The Valkyries have been especially effective at home, where they are allowing just 76.3 points per game, and they’ll look to continue forcing difficult shots while generating offense from their deep bench and perimeter shooting.
If the Valkyries can duplicate Sunday’s defensive effort and continue their efficient ball movement, they’ll have an opportunity to complete the two-game home sweep before heading out for a two-game road trip beginning Friday in Dallas.
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