Valkyries Weather the Storm for Third Straight Win

SAN FRANCISCO — Size doesn’t matter when you have grit, hustle and heart on your side.

A fifth consecutive sell-out crowd of 18,064 poured into “Ballhalla” at Chase Center on Saturday night and watched the expansion Golden State Valkyries make more history, knocking off the Seattle Storm 76-70 to reach the five-win mark faster than any first-year club since 1999.

The victory, their third straight, highlighted a defining trait of the young franchise: fearless, relentless defense, especially evident in their dominance of the paint.

Despite giving up size and height across the front line, the Valkyries battered Seattle inside with toughness, positioning and team defense for a commanding 46-26 scoring advantage in the paint and out rebounding the Storm 33-20, numbers that tilted the evening long before the final horn.

Although the Valkyries are beginning to string together more complete performances, it was their first three quarters that proved just enough to hold off a late fourth-quarter surge from the Storm.

Kayla Thornton set the tone with a dominant first-half performance, racking up 11 points and eight rebounds while doing damage from deep and in the trenches.

As relentless as she was accurate, Thornton buried back-to-back triples late in the second quarter and muscled through traffic for second-chance points, helping the Valkyries seize early control.

She finished with her third-consecutive double-double, her fourth of the season, posting 22 points and 12 rebounds. The 22 points tied a career high, and her six rebounds in the first quarter matched her career best for a single period.

Rookie guard Carla Leite added fuel to the fire, slicing open the Storm defense with her quickness and inside craftiness, scoring back-to-back scoop layups, breaking a 13-all tie.

This sparked a 23–5 run that stretched deep into the second quarter. During that seven-minute span, the Valkyries held Seattle to just 1-of-8 shooting while racking up transition opportunities and trips to the line.

Monique Billings punctuated the opening stanza by swatting 7-foot-1 rookie Dominique Malonga at the rim and beating the buzzer with a put back to give Golden State a 21–15 lead. By halftime, the margin stood at 44–31, with the Storm already staring at a 19–8 rebounding deficit that foretold their uphill climb.

The onslaught continued when play resumed in the 2nd half. Veronica Burton threaded no-look passes to Temi Fágbénlé for point-blank finishes, and Leite added a mid-air hand-switch floater that pushed the difference to 56-36.

Head coach Natalie Nakase beamed afterward, “We want to protect the paint. They averaged 39 [a game], and so we gave up 26.” She praised her roster’s “attention to detail” and “heart,” noting that when the Valkyries stay disciplined the entire game she emphasizes, “it’s really hard to score against us.”

While the Storm labored for jumpers, Fágbénlé (16 points, seven boards) and Thornton kept carving out space down low. “KT is just super reliable,” Nakase said. “She backs it up with action.”

Seattle finally stirred in the fourth quarter. Skylar Diggins (21 points) orchestrated an 11-2 spurt that chopped the deficit to five, and a three-point play with 44 seconds left drew the Storm within 74-70. Yet each time the visitors threatened, Golden State answered.

Thornton calmly buried a corner triple to stem the surge, her third of the game. Later, Alysha Clark was whistled for an offensive foul on Seattle’s next trip and Thornton iced the contest with two free throws with 13.1 seconds left.

The veteran forward made all of the Valkyries’ made threes, a performance that had Nakase calling Thornton “that person” the club counts on in every crunch-time scenario.

The box score illuminated just how comprehensive the effort was. Golden State shot a season-best 48.3 percent (28-of-58) and converted 17-of-19 at the line, their third straight outing above 87 percent.

Burton flirted with a double-double of her own, eight points, nine assists, four steals, and the home side’s 40-point first half left them 4-0 this season when clearing that plateau. Seattle, by contrast, hit only 40 percent of its attempts and just eight of 26 threes.

Diggins managed three assists, continuing a trend that has dogged the Storm in defeats. Clark’s 11 points off the bench and Ezi Magbegor’s 10 could not erase the damage inflicted on the interior, where Golden State’s quick cuts and disciplined spacing neutralized any size advantage.

Afterward the players credited poise and chemistry for finishing the job. “I just think staying together, not getting out the moment, and just thinking about the next play,” Thornton said.

“Seattle's a great team, and we just had to stay with it.” Fágbénlé echoed the sentiment, “Just staying focused, staying resilient, staying in the moment. Don’t get complacent.” She also saluted the decibel-meter crowd, “How could you not feel it? It was just fantastic in Ballhalla… the energy is dope.”

With their record now 5-5, the Valkyries have already surpassed the inaugural win total of the 2008 Atlanta Dream and carry momentum into Tuesday’s visit to Dallas, where they will try to extend both their winning streak and their improbable, exhilarating rise from start-up curiosity to legitimate Western Conference disruptor.

GAME NOTES

• Kaitlyn Chen (guard) and Chloe Bibby (forward) have re-signed with the Valkyries. Both were previously on the pre-season roster.
• It’s the third consecutive game, and fourth time overall, Golden State has scored 40+ in the first half. The Valkyries are 4-0 when scoring 40-or-more in the first half in 2025.

UP NEXT

• The Valkyries take on Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on Tuesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. PT in their sixth Commissioner's Cup game, airing on KPIX, KMAX, and the Audacy App.
• For tickets, news, and more team updates, visit valkyries.wnba.com.