Valkyries (4-5, 2-2 CC) at Sparks (3-7, 1-2 CC) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes and Quotes

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WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries (4-5, 2-2 CC) at Sparks (3-7, 1-2 CC) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes and Quotes

June 10, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


Valkyries (4-5, 2-2 CC) at Sparks (3-7, 1-2 CC) Commissioner's Cup Postgame Notes, Quotes and Links

Golden State 89, Los Angeles 81 (Overtime)

By the Numbers

Janelle Salaün posted a career-high 21 points on 7-11 (63.6 percent) shooting, including nine points in the third. Salaün also added eight rebounds.

Kayla Thornton posted her second-straight double-double, and third this season with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Thornton has scored in double figures in eight straight games in 2025.

Temi Fágbénlé also recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, her second double-double in three games.

Carla Leite added 15 points off the bench for her third double-digit scoring performance this season. Leite was +11 off the bench for Golden State, and hit a game-tying layup with 25 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Monique Billings added 10 points on 55.6 percent (5-9) shooting.

The Valkyries are the first WNBA team this season to have five players in double figures for three straight games.

This was Golden State's first overtime game in franchise history.

The Valkyries shot 40.0 percent (32-80) in the contest, and have shot 40 percent or better from the field in three consecutive games.

The 46 points in the paint, 49 total rebounds, 17 offensive rebounds, and five blocks are all season highs.

The Valkyries now have two straight wins for the second time this season (vs. WASH on May 21 and at LAS on May 23).

The win puts Golden State's Commissioner's Cup donation total at $8,000 to CURYJ, the team's beneficiary organization.

Quotes

HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE

ON HOW THIS TEAM HAS EVOLVED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER:

"Yeah, we talked about it at halftime, like again, we didn't play our greatest half. We were very soft, I felt, defensively, and then all of a sudden, like we knew the level that we had to get to. So they picked up defensively their physicality, their awareness, their communication, and you could tell in both the third and fourth quarter they had each other's back. And then that's what we're trying to do, is like, we got to continue to rely on each other and hold each other accountable. So that was really cool to see."

ON KAYLA THORNTON'S OFFENSIVE RESILIANCE:

"Yeah, her killer mentality. Like hitting that three at the end and having that belief to just knock it down and step right into it. Like, that's KT (Kayla Thornton). I think this is her third double-double, right? Her third double-double. So again, just like staying with it, and you know, I said something to her, but then multiple coaches said something to her. Like, we need you. We don't win this game without you, and then, boom, she steps up and you can see her teammates just feed off of her energy. So yeah, just again, credit to KT. I mean, she really pulled us through, you know, at the end."

ON THE AMOUNT OF THREE-POINT ATTEMPTS:

"Oh yeah, we call it, you know, let it fly mentality. We just say, 'hey, if it's wide open,' which they were, they were wide open. Those are great shots for us, but then we talk about intentional crashing. So you got to do both. If we're going to shoot those threes,... they're going to be long rebounds. So we know the specific gaps and routes that we're supposed to take. So again, just that we took the level of awareness a little bit higher in the third and fourth."

ON PLAYERS LEAVING FOR EUROBASET:

"Oh, we have a plan. Same thing as like an expansion draft, like you have to be ready. We watch film. We already had conversations...obviously we want them to go with their heart. We're supporting if they want to go to Eurobasket, we're supporting if they want to stay. Like I said, I like watching film. So I've been watching a ton of film on other players to be ready."

FORWARDS JANELLE SALAÜN AND KAYLA THORNTON:

ON JANELLE SALAÜN SETTING ANOTHER CAREER HIGH AGAINST LOS ANGELES WITH 21 POINTS TONIGHT:

Salaün: "I think I just didn't think too much. I think my teammates trusted me and, you know. (When) I was open, I just let it fly, and when I wasn't, I was trying to make the other play and that's it. Pretty simple."

ON THEIR PAINT PRESENCE:

Thornton: "Yeah, I think we worked on that. I think, you know, once we get into the paint then our threes open up. Before we were trying to shoot threes and we wasn't really getting into the paint so it was kind of tough. So I think our penetration, especially from V (Veronica Burton) getting into the paint, and creating for us has been well, and just kind of just taking what the defense gives us."

ON CLOSING OUT TONIGHT'S WIN:

Thornton: "I think we improved a lot. I think this is a testament for us. This is something we haven't faced. It's our first time going into an overtime game so I was kind of like, you know, let's see what our team does, but I'm proud of our team. We stuck together, we could have folded. Our last game against (Las) Vegas, we were always up so it wasn't like we didn't know how to come back, and I think this game we had a couple lead changes and we stuck with it. We didn't get down and stuff like that, so that just shows a testament of our growth and sticking together as a team."

Up Next

The Valkyries return to Chase Center on Saturday, June 14 for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off against Seattle in their fifth Commissioner's Cup game on KPIX, KMAX, 95.7 The Game, and the Audacy App.

Check out the Golden State Valkyries Statistics



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 10, 2025


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