SAN FRANCISCO — The Valkyries just keep finding ways to win.
After struggling to find any type of offense through the first three quarters, the Valkyries hit enough big shots in the fourth quarter to pull out its ninth consecutive win with a 74-69 victory over the Washington Mystics at home on Saturday night.
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Gabby Williams led the way for the Valkyries, scoring 18 points, dishing out five assists and recording three steals in an all-around performance. Kayla Thornton and Kiah Stokes each added 11 points. Janelle Salaün added nine points off the bench.
Shakira Austin led the Mystics with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Sonia Citron totaled 12 points.
The Valkyries’ nine consecutive wins is the longest win streak in franchise history.
After going into halftime with a five-point lead, the Valkyries lost their advantage after Citron found her groove in the third quarter.
The former Notre Dame standout scored 10 points and dished out four assists in the third period to help the Mystics outscore the Valkyries 29-19.
The Valkyries trailed by five going into the fourth, and Washington held that lead throughout the early stages of the period.
A layup from Lauren Betts at the 6:13 mark of the fourth quarter gave Washington a 65-59 lead.
But the Valkyries stormed back.
Golden State went on a 12-0 run from that point, capped off by a deep 3-pointer from Veronica Burton to give the Valkyries a 68-65 lead and ignite the Chase Center crowd.
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After an Austin bucket to cut the Valkyries’ advantage to four, Williams closed the door on Washington with a deep 3-pointer to seal the win.
Golden State got stop after stop in the final minutes, locking in defensively to keep Washington out of the paint and below 70 points scored.
The Valkyries shot 40.7% from the field, but hit 12-of-33 3-pointers to overcome some early shooting struggles.
The first half was a defensive slugfest with both teams struggling to find consistent offense.
Despite holding Washington to 34.4% shooting from the field, the Valkyries hit just 12-of-31 shots. Golden State forced six Washington turnovers, but had six turnovers of its own in what was a sloppy first half.
Salaün led the Valkyries with eight points as the Valkyries led 33-28 at halftime.
Before the All-Star break arrives next week, the Valkyries will play Washington again on Monday to close out the first half of the season.
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