– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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WASHINGTON — The Golden State Valkyries might want to alter the timeless aphorism that states that it’s not how you start but how you finish. So long as the victory is in hand at the end is what matters, and Golden State, leaking oil and all as it reached its final destination, had just enough to leave the nation’s capital with a win.
Barely.
Janelle Salaün scored on a layup with one minute remaining, the final points of the game in the Valkyries’ 68-67 win over the Washington Mystics inside CareFirst Arena on Thursday evening. Kate Martin led Golden State with 14 points off the bench while Veronica Burton had 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Valkyries moved into the eighth and final playoff position, a half-game ahead of Washington.
Salaün’s basket late in the game was just one of three field goals Golden State made in the fourth quarter, where it scored just six points. Tami Fágbénlé hit a long jumper with 5:34 remaining to give the Valkyries a 66-65 lead, their penultimate field goal before Salaün’s game-winner.
The Mystics, who were down by as much as 17 soon after Golden State score 30 points in the first quarter, took their first lead at the 7:20 mark of the fourth on Emily Engstler’s three-pointer that game Washington a 65-64 advantage. Shakira Austin later gave the Mystics their final lead on a basket with 1:15 remaining, which was answered on the next possession by Salaün. On the game’s final possession, Brittany Sykes attempted a floater in the lane that bounced off the rim right before the final buzzer.
Golden State shot 71.4 percent from the field (10-for-14) in the first quarter in building a 30-20 lead, but then made just 12 shots from the floor for the rest of the game after its 10 field goals in the opening frame. Iliana Rupert scored nine of her 11 points in the first quarter, including making three of her four three-point attempts. Martin made two threes in the second quarter, the latter giving the Valkyries a 42-27 lead at the 4:59 mark. After a defensive stand, Fágbénlé’s jumper on the ensuing possession gave Golden State its 17-point bulge.
Washington went on a 14-2 run spanning the second and third quarters to get within 46-41 on Sykes’ three-pointer less than three minutes into the third. Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 16 points, while fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen scored 10. Austin had 10 points and nine rebounds.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Thursday evening’s game, with photos taken by DC area-based photographer Clifford Ray Williams. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 20 pictures in total.
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