Golden State Postgame Notes: Valkyries 78, Sparks 58
WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Golden State Postgame Notes: Valkyries 78, Sparks 58

Published on June 16, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


By the Numbers

The Valkyries recorded their 30th straight regular-season sellout with 18,064. Golden State has sold out every regular season game in team history.

Gabby Williams led all players with 16 points on 6-12 (50.0 percent) shooting.

Veronica Burton scored 12 points, her fourth straight games in double figures, and reached 1,000 career points in the second quarter.

Kaila Charles tied her season high with 13 points, and added eight rebounds with a career-high five assists. Charles shot 5-7 (71.4 percent) from the field and 2-3 (66.6 percent) from three.

Janelle Salaün was a game-best +18, and posted seven points and four rebounds.

Cecilia Zandalasini scored 10 points on 5-12 (41.7 percent) shooting.

The Valkyries held Los Angeles to just 10 points in the first quarter, tied for the fewest points in any quarter by the Sparks this season, and tied for the second fewest allowed by Golden State all year.

Golden State held Kelsey Plum, the league's leading scorer with 26.6 PPG going into tonight, to a season-low nine points.

The 20-point win is Golden State's largest margin of victory ever versus Los Angeles. The 58 points scored are Los Angeles' fewest points this year, and the fewest points allowed by the Valkyries this season.

The Valkyries defense held the Sparks to just 33.3 percent (20-60) from the field and 14.3 percent (3-21) from three, both season lows by Golden State.

Total contribution to Youth UpRising: $14,000.

Quotes

HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE:

ON TONIGHT'S WIN:

"[I'm] very happy. This is kind of the team that I envisioned with that type of defensive tenacity. Picking up 94 feet, having that energy. But maximizing their energy, there was nothing left in the tank, and that's what I saw today... I thought our coaching staff did a great job rotating quicker today to get fresh bodies, so credit to the game plan. Sugar Rodgers did an excellent job leading that game plan, so a collective effort. But our players really played with max effort, and that's what I like to see."

ON GABBY WILLIAMS' DEFENSE:

"Number one, she [Gabby Williams] loves defense. That's huge for us, because that's our identity as defense first, and so to have her really take on the challenge of matchups, using her length, using her speed...She went above and beyond with that, and when you see that, then everyone else picks up even a little bit higher. So credit to Gabby and her fight...I think everyone fed off of Gabby's energy today."

ON KAILA CHARLES:

"Yeah, Kai [Kaila Charles] brings a different level of energy. I feel like every time I watch her play, it's a new level of energy. Today she brought it on both sides of the floor, and it was really nice to see our composure on the other end. I thought we did a great job maximizing our effort on the defensive end, staying spaced, staying organized, to where it sprayed out to Kai and then Kai was wide open, so she did a great job knocking the open shots down, attacking when we wanted to attack... But her energy to me was super infectious, and I think that's why we kept punching it, because of our effort and energy."

GOLDEN STATE FORWARD GABBY WILLIAMS AND GUARD KAILA CHARLES:

ON TONIGHT'S DEFENSE:

Williams: "My teammates definitely helped me out a lot, and it made my matchup a lot easier when I have [Kaila Charles], she's the leading scorer. I think it helped all of us get confidence on the offensive end. Kai makes huge, hustle plays every game, and so to see her reward herself on offense tonight as well for all the work that she's doing, and all the momentum swings that she gives us. We all feed off of that."

ON WHAT MAKES GABBY WILLIAMS SUCH A GOOD DEFENDER:

Charles: "I think she's [Gabby Williams] just very smart. I think she makes the right plays. Obviously, she's athletic and long, but you have to be smart on defense to read where they're going to pass it to, when to have high hands, when to go for the ball. I think she's very smart. That's something that I've watched and learned from in her time being here, and that's something that we've really benefited from, but it's not just her defense. She plays both sides of the ball, and that's why she's such a great player."

ON BOUNCING BACK:

Williams: "It didn't really take much to examine. All we needed was just that wake up call from that game, wake up call from Coach Nat [Natalie Nakase] and the staff, and from ourselves as well. We were disappointed in ourselves, so that's all it took to kind of light the fire under us tonight."

Up Next: The Valkyries continue the homestand on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 p.m. against Dallas on KPIX+, KMAX, 95.7 The Game, and the Audacy App.

Check out the Golden State Valkyries Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 16, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central