The Valkyries vs Mercury matchup on Wednesday night had all the ingredients for a Golden State statement win. But without injured star Gabby Williams, a pair of costly mistakes in the final 20 seconds handed the Phoenix Mercury a 91-89 victory.
Alyssa Thomas Dominates Late in Valkyries vs Mercury Matchup
The Golden State Valkyries led by 12 at halftime. Then Phoenix clawed back behind Kahleah Copper's game-high 27 points. Alyssa Thomas added 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to fuel the Mercury's comeback. Meanwhile, veteran DeWanna Bonner chipped in a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Still, Golden State had its chances.
Golden State Valkyries Fall Short Without Gabby Williams
Janelle Salaün was fouled on a 3-pointer with under 20 seconds to go and needed all three to tie. She sank the first two, then missed. Moments later, Tiffany Hayes threw an inbound pass out of bounds trying to beat the five-second count.
The Valkyries played without Gabby Williams, who averages a team-best 14.8 points per game. She's been sidelined since early July with a back contusion. In her absence, Cecilia Zandalasini paced Golden State with 16 points and Veronica Burton added 15.
Despite the loss, the Valkyries remain third in the WNBA rankings at 19-9. They return home August 2nd against the Toronto Tempo.
