San Francisco – The Golden State Valkyries snapped a two-game losing streak Sunday night, rolling past the Toronto Tempo 96-79 at Chase Center behind dominant performances from Janelle Salaun and Kiah Stokes. Golden State led wire to wire, building a 17-point advantage and never letting Toronto get comfortable.
Salaun was the offensive star of the night, coming off the bench to pour in a game-high 24 points on an efficient 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three. The forward also added five fast break points and converted all of her second-chance opportunities. Veronica Burton was equally sharp, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting while adding six assists, three threes, and two steals.
Stokes was a force on both ends, recording 11 rebounds and a game-high five blocks while shooting 4-of-4 inside the paint. When asked about her plus 30 rating on the night, she deflected the credit. “I just give credit to my teammates,” Stokes said. “They found me when I was in the right position. And defensively, I’m just trying to be in the right spot and tell my teammates when they need help.”
The Valkyries bench was a major factor, outscoring Toronto’s reserves 46-8. Tiffany Hayes led the second unit with 15 points, three steals, and seven fouls drawn, while Gabby Williams added 15 off the bench and shot a perfect 3-of-3 from three.
Golden State did need a halftime reset after Toronto closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run. Salaun credited the coaching staff for the adjustment. “Our coach wasn’t happy with our effort,” she said. “She basically said get it together – and I think we’re all very competitive. That was just the little extra motivation we needed.”
Toronto got a strong effort from Nyara Sabally, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, and Kiki Rice added 16. But the Tempo shot just 23.3 percent from three and couldn’t keep pace with a Golden State offense that shot 48.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Valkyries host Toronto again Tuesday night at Chase Center.
