The Golden State Valkyries delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, defeating the New York Liberty 79-60 at Barclays Center.
Cecilia Zandalasini led the Valkyries with 20 points, including 14 in the first half, tying her career high for points in a half. She shot 8-of-17 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range while adding five rebounds and one assist.
Gabby Williams added 16 points, shooting 6-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. She also finished with four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Williams currently ranks seventh in the league with 1.6 steals per game.
Tiffany Hayes provided 12 points off the bench, going 3-of-5 from the field, 1-of-2 from three and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Veronica Burton was instrumental in the victory, finishing with eight points and a game-high 13 assists without committing a turnover. The performance gave Burton five games with at least 10 assists and zero turnovers, trailing only Sue Bird, who has seven such games in WNBA history. Thursday was also Burton’s second career game with at least 13 assists and zero turnovers, tying Courtney Vandersloot for the most such games in league history.
Burton has recorded 29 assists and just one turnover over her last three games and currently holds the WNBA’s all-time record for assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.26 among players with at least 500 assists.
Kiah Stokes contributed nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block as the Valkyries controlled the game defensively.
Golden State took a 42-30 lead into halftime after limiting New York to just 11 points in the second quarter. The Valkyries then maintained control through the second half, outscoring the Liberty 37-30 over the final two quarters. The official scorer’s report shows Golden State shooting 42.3 percent from the field and holding New York to 30.2 percent shooting.
The Valkyries also held the Liberty to a season-low 30 points in the first half, their second-lowest first-half scoring total of the season. Golden State previously held New York to 29 first-half points on June 28.
New York finished with just 19 made field goals on 63 attempts, while Golden State connected on 30 of 71 shots.
Golden State has now held its opponents under 70 points in three straight road games, the first team to accomplish that since the Connecticut Sun in 2024. The Valkyries have limited opponents to 70 points or fewer in a league-leading 13 games this season, including six on the road.
Head coach Natalie Nakase praised Burton’s poise and continued development following the performance.
“She’s resilient. Veronica Burton is resilient, she’s relentless…13 assists; zero turnovers, that’s her composure,” Nakase said. “She’s gaining this sense of when she needs to punch the paint, but also seeing that next level; seeing the defense beforehand.”
Nakase also praised Burton’s ability to recognize where teammates want the ball and continue finding the hot hand.
“She’s growing into one of the best point guards in the league for sure,” Nakase said.
Nakase called Stokes the team’s defensive anchor, pointing to her communication and ability to make plays around the basket.
“Kiah Stokes is our anchor, she is always there,” Nakase said. “That passion to have on defense, that’s different. I think Kiah Stokes is different.”
The Valkyries’ balance was another major part of the victory. Nakase said the team’s depth and willingness to share the ball makes them difficult to defend.
“That’s why we’re dangerous, it could be Ceci’s [Cecilia Zandalasini] night, it could go back to Gabby [Williams], Gabby was 4-8 from three. It could go to V [Veronica Burton], it could go to Ja [Janelle Salaün],” Nakase said. “Being on fire, but also having selflessness is huge.”
Williams said Golden State’s identity starts on the defensive end.
“Our identity is defense. Great defense leads to great teams and great success,” Williams said.
Zandalasini credited her teammates and the Valkyries’ system for her offensive success.
“I just feel good. In games like this, my teammates find me in the right spot and I just shoot the ball,” Zandalasini said. “The way we play allows me to take shots and move the ball, so I feel very comfortable in this system.”
Williams also highlighted the work Burton puts in away from the game.
“She’s the first one on the court and the last one to leave,” Williams said. “She’s in there watching film, sending texts and clips. The work she’s doing on and off the court, I’m glad to see that she’s flourishing and getting these big moments, because she’s definitely one of one.”
The Valkyries will close out their road trip Sunday, August 30, against Portland, with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.
Discover more from KB Sports Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
