Valkyries (2-5) at Mercury (6-3) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes, Quotes

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WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries (2-5) at Mercury (6-3) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes, Quotes

June 6, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


Golden State 77, Phoenix 86

By the Numbers

Golden State shot a season-best 41.7 percent (25-60) from the field, and five Valkyries scored in double figures for the first time this season.

Kayla Thornton scored her 2,000th career point on an and-one layup early on in the third quarter, and had 10 points on the night.

Temi Fágbénlé recorded her first double-double of the season and second of her career with 12 points and 11 rebounds on 41.7 percent (5-12) shooting. The center also added two blocks and two steals.

Veronica Burton led the team in scoring for the fourth time this season, posting 16 points, eight of which came in the first seven minutes. Burton also went 9-11 (81.8 percent) from the free-throw line, and her nine makes are a career high.

Cecilia Zandalasini got her first start of the season, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and a career-best four steals.

Julie Vanloo added 10 points off the bench and had five assists. Kate Martin poured in seven points on her 25th birthday, and hit two three-pointers for the fourth-straight contest.

The Valkyries posted 11 steals, their second-most recorded in a game this year. Their 20 fastbreak points are also the second-most registered this season.

Quotes

HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE

ON THEIR MINDSET DURING PHOENIX'S 18-1 RUN TO WIN THE GAME:

"Yeah, just be composed. We kind of lost our composure. We talked about where there's two sets that we wanted to run towards the end. We came to an agreement. Well, V (Veronica Burton) got exactly what she wanted. She got fouled, she had a wide open layup, so we had exactly kind of what we wanted. Just didn't make it. But that's okay, we'll still take that part in terms of we want her to shoot those shots. But yeah, we've got to be able to close, and we've got to be composed."

ON THE DEFENSE'S SLOW START:

"From the jump. Yeah, I asked them, you know, 'where's our energy from the jump?' It was the first time, to be super transparent, I've never seen that. So just, we didn't throw any punches at the beginning. We were reacting, we were waiting. You know, the first time I've seen it. I've got to figure out what I can do to make sure their buttons are ready to go from the jump. So, yeah. It's on me."

GUARD VERONICA BURTON AND CENTER TEMI FÁGBÉNLÉ:

ON THEIR THREE-POINT DEFENSE:

Burton: "We need to be the aggressors on defense. I think we're passive sometimes and we're not as aggressive, and the communication is a factor, and I mean, we definitely emphasize clogging the paint and taking that away. But a team like Phoenix and many of those teams that are really good three-point shooters, were aware of that and that is part of the game plan. So it's nothing from a preparation standpoint. It's really just us, and, you know, when someone hits two or three threes, like we need to know where they're at."

ON WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT THEMSELVES DURING THIS STRETCH AGAINST TOUGH TEAMS:

Fágbénlé: "We can definitely compete with the best. It's just about sticking to our game plan and trusting ourselves, kind of just doing the intangibles consistently. It's all about consistency for us in our journey, and so just hoping we can build on the good things that we did in this game and finish a game."

ON CLOSING OUT THE GAME:

Fágbénlé: "We just messed up. We did not stick to what we know and what we've planned, and props to them for capitalizing on our mistakes."

Up Next

The Valkyries return to Ballhalla on Saturday, June 7 to take on Las Vegas at 12 p.m. on ABC, 95.7 The Game and the Audacy App.

Check out the Golden State Valkyries Statistics



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 6, 2025


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