Valkyries see big lead dwindle, but hold off Sparks in LA

LOS ANGELES – It has been 449 days since the Valkyries last lost to their cross-state rivals, although Sunday’s win at Crypto.com Arena came close to breaking that streak late.

Golden State’s defense smothered the Los Angeles Sparks for much of the 84-78 victory, their fourth in a row to sweep a two-game trip. The Sparks outscored the Valkyries 31-20 in the fourth quarter as Golden State’s shooting went cold, but a couple of late clutch shots won the game after a 19-point lead was cut to one.

Forward Cecilia Zandalasini shot 5-for-5 from 3-point range and scored 15 points, and Janelle Salaun (eight points) hit a clutch 3-pointer with 33.7 seconds left to expand the Valkyries’ lead to six after the Sparks had gotten as close as one point. That came after Tiffany Hayes (14 points) stalled some of Los Angeles’ momentum with a triple of her own a minute prior.

“They play very hard,” Zandalansini said of the Sparks’ fourth-quarter run. “They play physical, and we were able to knock down very big shots with Tip and Ja.”

Golden State opened on a 20-7 run in the first quarter behind three 3-pointers from Zandalasini, who had been questionable to play due to quad soreness.

Nakase was critical about the way the Valkyries have struggled out of the gate recently after they trailed for much of the first half Friday in Dallas. Sunday was their highest-scoring opening frame of the season, and their 29-15 lead was their best opening advantage since a 25-10 lead against the Sparks on June 15.

Even though Golden State shot just 8-for-21 in the third, it went to the fourth with a 64-47 lead.

Center Kiah Stokes (five points, seven rebounds) committed her fifth foul midway through the fourth quarter while attempting to block a Cameron Brink shot and got hit by an inadvertent elbow. She stayed down while trainers assisted her and did not return with what the team called a neck contusion, though Nakase said postgame that Stokes was smiling after the win.

“She’s probably one of the toughest players I’ve ever coached, and so I was very scared because she didn’t get up, and it took her a minute,” Nakase said. “We have to get her evaluated.”

Already undersized, losing Stokes for any amount of time was a huge blow for the Valkyries. Thrust into the starting lineup due to Iliana Rupert’s pregnancy announcement, Stokes has started every game at center this season and is in the conversation for the WNBA all-defensive team.

With Stokes out, the Valkyries had to play their small-ball rotation of Kayla Thornton and Janelle Salaun against the Sparks’ bigger frontcourt of Nneka Ogwumike (16 points, seven rebounds), Dearica Hamby (12 points) and Brink (seven points, seven rebounds).

Golden State shot 2-for-10 from 3-point range in the fourth while the Sparks made their comeback. Hayes hit her trey with 1:52 left in the fourth right after Ariel Atkins had made it a one-point game for the Sparks, and Los Angeles never tied it.

“That’s playoff basketball,” Thornton said. “You’re going to have your highs and lows, but we stayed together and we didn’t let it get us down.”

Gabby Williams picked up a steal on a bad dribble from Hamby and went downcourt to bank in a layup to go ahead 76-73 with 1:03 to go before Salaun’s game-sealing shot.

“We just got to make sure we control the ball as best as we can, be in early shifts, not let up,” Nakase said of the close call. “Obviously, we got to do a better job on the boards. Thank God we shot well in the first.”

The Valkyries have now won 13 of their last 15 games and are a game-and-a-half ahead of Las Vegas for the second playoff seed following the Aces’ loss at New York on Sunday.

The Valkyries return home on Wednesday to face Chicago (12-20).